Celebration as Her Majesty opens Allam Medical Building

It was a double celebration for staff and students at the University of Hull and Hull York Medical School today as they welcomed Her Majesty The Queen and delighted in the opening of the Allam Medical Building, the heart of the University's £28-million health campus.

Her Majesty was welcomed by an excited crowd that had gathered on the plaza outside the Allam Medical Building, which was officially opened as part of the visit.

Her Majesty The Queen was given a tour of the new Allam Medical Building, which has been designed to attract and develop the students and staff who will shape the healthcare workforce of the future. The tour highlighted how the University’s learning environment ensures graduates are fully prepared for clinical practice. On the simulated hospital ward, students performed bedside learning scenarios with patient mannequins and in the operating theatre a simulated procedure demonstrated how training in a real life environment develops the skills and confidence required to transition into a clinical setting.

Professor Susan Lea, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hull, remarked: “It was a great honour to welcome Her Majesty The Queen to the University to celebrate this significant milestone in the University’s journey and the contribution that the Allam Medical Building, its staff and students will make to the health of the region.

“As nurses, doctors, midwives, operating department practitioners and other clinicians dedicated to healthcare in this region, our graduates and staff are focused on providing the best possible care in our hospitals and out in the community. Our investment in the Allam Medical Building will also extend our impact on the region’s health through the pioneering research that will take place at its heart.” 

Addressing critical healthcare challenges such as the shortage of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers across the region, the Allam Medical Building will increase the University’s capacity to deliver life-changing research by attracting academic expertise from across the UK and further afield.

During Her Majesty’s visit, staff and students demonstrated the impressive facilities of the building, and how the nurses, midwives, operating department practitioners and doctors of the future will all be able to work together. Ultimately, providing the skills and the cohesive approach which is at a premium in the NHS.

Sharon Land, a third-year adult nursing student, said:

“The way we can learn the essential clinical skills in this building is amazing. I first heard the sound of an emergency buzzer – which indicates a patient is going into cardiac arrest – when I was on my nursing placement. On the simulated ward, here at the University, first-year students now hear that in their first week. They can react, learn and become confident in their ability to deal with this situation – in a safe and nurturing environment. They will then be confident out on the wards – when it really matters.”

Christian Wake, a fifth-year medical student at Hull York Medical School, said:

“My career goal is to be a trauma surgeon so it was a privilege to have a role in the operating theatre during the Queen’s visit. I was surprised that I was quite nervous in the run-up but on the day, I focused on my role and was determined perform to the best of my ability. It was great to be a part of Her Majesty’s visit which is such a brilliant recognition of the teaching facilities but also the impact we can all have of the health of the region.”

Her Majesty The Queen performed the Opening Ceremony of the Allam Medical Building attended by 200 guests including staff, students and stakeholders from the region.

The investment in the health campus underlines the University of Hull and Hull York Medical School’s commitment to improving the health of people in the region and beyond. It is supported by a £7-million donation from alumnus and East Yorkshire businessman Dr Assem Allam, alongside other key donors.

Professor Julie Jomeen, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Hull, commented: “The Allam Medical Building is transforming the way we teach the next generation of health professionals, giving them the very best opportunities and training to deliver the healthcare of the future, and enhancing their student experience considerably. Our ambition is to create new models of working, and by providing the clinical skills areas and facilities that enable doctors, nurses, midwives and other healthcare workers to train together, we are moving closer to building the cohesive workforce required by the NHS to deliver the highest standard of healthcare in the region.”

This summer, the University of Hull celebrated the graduation of its largest ever cohort of nursing graduates. These included general adult, learning disability and children’s and mental health nurses – the majority of whom will take up positions within local health services and hospitals to fill the staffing shortfall.

Critical to the provision of skilled graduates and leading innovative research in the areas of cancer and palliative care, the Hull York Medical School (as part of the University’s Faculty of Health Sciences) is housed within the Allam Medical Building.

Each year 140 doctors graduate from Hull York Medical School.

Professor Una Macleod, Dean of Hull York Medical School, said: “We are committed to teaching our medical students through a patient-centred approach, and the new facilities and ways of working will enable us to offer our students the opportunity to develop further their problem solving, clinical and communication skills.

“We were proud to be able to mark the occasion and to share an insight into the impact the Allam Medical Building will make to learning and research, and ultimately how this will affect the quality of life for people in our communities and beyond.”