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Warwick Medical students take health checks into the community

For the last few months Warwick Medical School students have been offering health checks to staff, students and members of the community from their base at the University of Warwick Sports Centre. This includes height, weight, blood sugar and blood pressure checks. 200 service users have passed through the doors of 11 clinics.

As we know NHS services are under pressure and many GP surgeries struggle to offer these checks due to lack of resources. Some private companies have stepped in to offer a paid service but this isn’t always accessible for members of the community, particularly those who are vulnerable and who don’t like to use medical services.

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We find that older members of the community, for example, who may have had some bad experiences over the years or have lost their confidence are fearful of medical professionals and so leave it a long time before they get health concerns checked out. The idea of these clinics is to check people when they are relatively healthy, in a neutral environment as a means of prevention and to identify any burgeoning issues that can be tackled before they become a problem,” said Kate Owen, Director of Medical Studies and health clinic lead.

“We are delighted with the success we have had over the last few months and are looking forward to extending this provision out into the community further in 2025. We have had some great support from the Warwick Institute of Engagement who provided us with the funding for our equipment, which of course is essential for the service to run.”

One such member of the community, Martin Brogan from The Coventry Irish Society, visited the centre with his daughter Caroline.

Martin said “I was initially apprehensive as I don’t like visiting my doctors. I had a stroke a few years ago and I am still a bit anxious about having anything medical done. The students were really polite, approachable and attentive. They put me at ease straight away and I really enjoyed the conversation. They gave me some great advice and I felt I could relax. It was good to have more time than you would with your GP to talk about my concerns. I would definitely recommend that anyone who wants to keep healthy go and visit the pop-up clinic.”

Caroline Brogan, solicitor and co-ordinator at the Coventry Irish Centre, was visiting the clinic interested in booking in some sessions with the Coventry Irish Centre in the new year. She felt the community she represents would greatly benefit from what is on offer. “I am really impressed with the clinic. It’s uplifting to see these medical students working with the community while they are still training to be doctors to make a real impact on patients’ health. I am really looking forward to working with Warwick Medical School to bring healthcare checks to the Irish community in Coventry and also to discuss potential awareness raising initiatives around dementia and breast cancer awareness too.”

Kate said, “We are looking forward to working with the Coventry Irish Centre next year. We have also been in talks with Warwickshire City Council on various projects and Coventry City Council to serve the migrant community, which is really exciting. We are also booking more clinics into Warwick Sports Centre in the new year.”

Our students have found it to be a really beneficial exercise for them too in terms of their patient contact and improving their communication skills, flexibility and dealing with uncertainty. As well as helping the community it is a real learning experience for them. Their teachers support them through the process to think about what they have learned, how they can improve and to unpack any challenges they have faced along the way.

Third year medical student Tahira Khan said, “It's good for us to practise interacting with patients from different backgrounds, especially those who are more healthy than the patients we usually meet in hospital. I have enjoyed helping by giving them advice about diet, lifestyle and mental health concerns. It is of benefit to both the patients and the health service as interventions earlier on help prevent people from becoming more ill and requiring NHS services that are already under pressure. It also helps us as students to work with more patients and improve our skills.”

Second year student Marcus Lee said, “It makes me feel good that we are helping to contribute to society in a positive way and that we can give advice that will help people to be healthier and make them aware of any problems they may need to check further. Because we have more time than a GP service people seem to find it easier to open up about their thoughts and emotions, which is great.”

Everyone is welcome at the pop-up health check clinics, so look out for one near you in the new year! You can check on your own health while helping train the doctors of the future.