QUEEN Margaret Hospital's state-of-the-art simulation training centre will be used to support army medical personnel.

A new partnership between NHS Fife and the 152 Medical Squadron of the British Army will enable clinical staff to further develop their skills and practice real-time scenarios in a controlled environment.

Funded by the Fife Health Charity at a cost of more than £200k, the Fife Simulation Training Centre opened last year and hosts its own four-bedded ward area while utilising cutting edge technologies to help recreate realistic medical scenarios.

It uses the latest highly realistic patient mannequins, who can mimic a large range of medical conditions.

Sessions can also be recorded and played back to participants as part of a debrief in the centre’s lecture area.

Major Babar Akbar, who combines his role in the British Army with another as tutor in simulation at the Fife Simulation Training Centre, was instrumental in establishing this new partnership.

He said: "NHS Fife has a close and long-standing relationship with our Armed Forces community. By extending use of the Fife Simulation Training Centre at Queen Margaret Hospital to 152 Medical Squadron our medics are being given a unique opportunity to enhance their skills in high pressure scenario – but in a controlled and realistic environment.

"This opportunity is invaluable as it allows medics to prepare for crisis situations before having to encounter them in real life – ultimately increasing the chances of a better outcome for those who require their care."

The 152 Medical Squadron of the British Army is based in Glenrothes and part of the 225 (Scottish) Medical Regiment.

The British Army provided wide-ranging support during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, most notably supporting the Board’s Procurement and Transport teams in developing supply routes to get vital personal protective equipment (PPE) into the hands of frontline health and social care staff.

Teams from the Royal Army Medical Corps also supported the subsequent vaccination programme, vaccinating patients in clinics both in Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline as part of a planned expansion during the initial phase of the campaign.

NHS Fife last year received a Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Award in recognition of the flexibility the Board has shown around the training commitments of reservists and support provided to instructors, veterans, military spouses and partners.

NHS Fife Medical Director, Dr Chris McKenna, said: “Over the last few years, we have worked closer than ever with our army colleagues who were invaluable in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It is a privilege to extend the use of our ground-breaking Fife Simulation Training Centre to 152 Medical Squadron and I look forward to a continued close relationship with our Armed Forces going forward."