Edinburgh College has launched a new digital care hub, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, designed to provide greater skills and opportunities to health and social care students in the Lothians.

The Edinburgh College Digital Care Hub, located at the College’s Sighthill Campus, will equip students with the transferrable skills required to fulfil a successful career in areas including Health and Social Care, Dental and Pharmacy with a particular emphasis on technology enabled care.

The hub will focus on building students’ digital and practical skills through its state-of-the-art equipment, supporting experiential learning in a purpose-built setting.

It contains a replica medical ward with patient room, toilet and wet room facilities; an infection control and decontamination area; a reflection room; a care at home room; as well as a virtual reality room designed to give students an immersive experience which demonstrates how a patient with dementia experiences day-to-day life.

Within the care hub students have access to realistic patient simulators with true-to-life responsiveness, in a variety of care settings, enabling them to develop patient testing and care skills.

Also key to the role of the digital care hub is embedding the principles of professionalism amongst students and fostering the meta skills required to work in a care environment including communication, nurture, resilience, initiative and leadership.

The new facility hosts the Edinburgh College and University of Edinburgh Social Care Academy which provides an agile pathway to a career in health and social care specifically for school pupils. As part of the programme, pupils study units in digital skills for health and social care, mental health, the human body, infection prevention and control and safe beginners for health and social care. After successfully completing the programme, pupils are able to progress on to further studies with the College or university or advance into employment.

The digital care hub was launched during an event attended by representatives from key institutions connected to the College and the new hub, and brought together those with a collective interest in supporting the future of the health and care sector.

We are delighted to be launching our Digital Care Hub in partnership with the University of Edinburgh. The facility will provide practical learning experiences for pupils and students as well as exposing them to many sector specialisms which they ordinarily might miss out on without having access to specialist equipment in a health and care setting.

The COVID pandemic has highlighted the importance of our health and care workers across the country and through addressing the national skills gaps in digital enabled care, the Digital Care Hub, through partnership working with industry, is ready to provide a pipeline of future workers equipped with the skills and knowledge required to meet the demands of the sector and population.

Audrey Cumberford, Edinburgh College Principal and CEO

We are delighted to work with Edinburgh College on the Digital Care Hub, which will be an excellent resource for those considering a career within health and social care. Harnessing technology to support learning in this way and simulate real-life scenarios in the workplace will enable students to make informed choices about their future, built on their own ambitions and potential.

Professor Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Edinburgh