Chesterfield Royal Hospital

Shadow consultants, doctors and their teams on wards and in clinics, then try clinical skills, basic life support and phlebotomy. Specialist talks and sessions cover hand hygiene, infection control, safeguarding and blood services.

Shadow qualified occupational therapists in clinics and on a medical ward, observing patient treatment and discharge. See how reports and ongoing care are planned, and learn about the equipment used in practice.

Observe how clinical microbiology samples are received and processed, then follow their journey through a busy lab. See molecular assays, culture plates, antibiotic susceptibility testing and direct microscopy, and talk with training officers about qualifying as a Biomedical Scientist.

Spend a day observing physiotherapists across six specialities, moving between clinics and wards to see how patient support changes across different areas of care. The placement runs from 8:30 to 16:00.

Get hands-on ward experience in an acute NHS Trust, alongside teaching from education, clinical and specialist staff. Explore vital signs, infection control and safeguarding, then shadow on the wards and meet other young people interested in care. You’ll receive a certificate at the end.

See how painters, electricians, plumbers and joiners keep a busy acute hospital running. You could also join a skilled electrician on reactive work around the hospital, with safety equipment provided.

Observe specimen reception and sample checking, loading and technical tasks in a live hospital laboratory. You’ll also see Biomedical Scientists in Haematology, Blood Transfusion and Biochemistry at work, then discuss their role and route to qualification with training officers.

Spend a weekday on an inpatient ward, seeing speech and language therapists assess patients with communication and swallowing difficulties. Get a practical introduction to the profession and see what the role involves day to day.

Spend four days in Children’s Outpatients seeing how paediatric nurses communicate with children and families, take and record observations, and work with wider clinical teams. You’ll also observe venepuncture and see the multi-agency team in clinics and on the children’s ward.

Spend a week seeing how procurement, supply chains, warehousing and logistics keep a busy hospital running smoothly. You’ll explore how goods, stock and services support teams across the Trust, with each day running from 8.30am to 5pm and lunch included.

See how dental technologists make customised devices, from orthodontic appliances and dentures to facial prosthetics. You may observe or take part in model casting, acrylic resin processing, welding and soldering, and could also spend time in a clinical environment.

Spend a day observing plain film imaging in a hospital radiography department. See how the team supports diagnosis and patient care, and get an insight into the skills and patient-facing responsibilities involved.

Complete 30 hours of supervised admin practice in non-clinical environments across a real healthcare organisation. Gain practical insight into office-based work and how different parts of the Trust operate, while supporting your OCR Level 3 Business learning.