Cutting-edge healthcare training centre to enhance student experience

Birmingham Centre for Anatomy, Surgical and Clinical Skills will provide students with opportunities for practical learning in simulated healthcare environments

An artists impression of the Birmingham Health Innovation Campus

Future students coming to the University of Birmingham will benefit from a new Centre that will offer opportunities to learn in simulated environments that mirror real-world healthcare settings and scenarios.

The new Birmingham Centre for Anatomy, Surgical and Clinical Skills (B-CASCS) will be established on the Birmingham Health Innovation Campus, which is situated at the heart of a critical cluster of health excellence near the University of Birmingham’s Medical School and several major hospitals. The Centre has been granted planning permission, and the University has finalised an agreement with Bruntwood SciTech to establish 50,000 sq ft of facilities on the newly established site in the vicinity of the University’s Edgbaston campus.

Students will benefit from the development of B-CASCS, which will provide opportunities to advance their practical learning in simulated environments that mirror real-world healthcare settings and scenarios. Green screens, microphones, cameras and other high-end audiovisual equipment will be seamlessly integrated into mock hospital wards, consulting rooms and a surgical theatre, ensuring an authentic and engaging training experience.

The immersive and realistic approach will equip students with the comprehensive practical skills necessary for navigating complex healthcare environments. The Centre will also provide a high-fidelity environment for surgical skills training, with both cadaveric and simulated facilities.

... we are providing the next generation of healthcare professionals with access to essential cutting-edge facilities

Professor Neil Hanley, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Medicine and Health

Professor Neil Hanley, Pro-Vice-Chancellor & Head of the College of Medicine and Health at the University of Birmingham said:

“By establishing our Birmingham Centre for Anatomy, Surgical and Clinical Skills at BHIC, we are providing the next generation of healthcare professionals with access to essential cutting-edge facilities. These state-of-the-art resources will enable students and postgraduate trainees to engage in practical learning experiences that mirror real-world healthcare environments.”

Dedicated Life Sciences Hub for West Midlands

The Centre will take 50,000 sq ft in the Birmingham Health Innovation Campus’ first building, known as No.1 BHIC. As the West Midlands’ first dedicated life science hub and a government-designated Life Science Opportunity Zone (LSOZ), BHIC will drive forward significant advancements in research and solutions for improved healthcare in the region, providing much-needed additional clinical and incubation space for the University.

The new facility within No.1 BHIC will join the Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA), the University’s signature life science business innovation facility, which brings industry together with clinical-academic leaders to commercialise cutting-edge therapies and technologies.

Situated at the heart of a critical cluster of health excellence near the University of Birmingham’s Medical School and several major hospitals, the Birmingham Health Innovation Campus will accelerate life sciences research and create opportunities for collaborations between businesses, the University and NHS partners. Spanning 657,000 sq ft upon completion of the entire campus, BHIC will integrate cutting-edge research with commercial opportunities, creating a pioneering location for startups, SMEs and established enterprises in medtech, precision medicine and digital healthcare.

Dr Kath Mackay, Chief Scientific Officer for Bruntwood SciTech, said:

“We are delighted to welcome the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Anatomy, Surgical and Clinical Skills to BHIC, reinforcing our commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration in the life sciences sector in the West Midlands. The Centre represents a transformative opportunity for aspiring healthcare professionals, providing students and postgraduate clinicians with unparalleled hands-on experience in a simulated environment, and opportunities for co-located companies to access the UK’s brightest healthcare minds.”

Notes for editors

  • For media enquiries please contact Tim Mayo, Press Office, University of Birmingham, tel: +44 (0)7815 607 157.
  • The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, educators and more than 40,000 students from over 150 countries.
  • England’s first civic university, the University of Birmingham is proud to be rooted in of one of the most dynamic and diverse cities in the country. A member of the Russell Group and a founding member of the Universitas 21 global network of research universities, the University of Birmingham has been changing the way the world works for more than a century.
  • The University of Birmingham is committed to achieving operational net zero carbon. It is seeking to change society and the environment positively, and use its research and education to make a major global contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Find out at birmingham.ac.uk/sustainability.
  • The University of Birmingham is a founding member of Birmingham Health Partners (BHP), a strategic alliance which transcends organisational boundaries to rapidly translate healthcare research findings into new diagnostics, drugs and devices for patients. Birmingham Health Partners is a strategic alliance between nine organisations who collaborate to bring healthcare innovations through to clinical application:
    • University of Birmingham
    • University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
    • Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
    • Aston University
    • The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
    • Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust
    • Health Innovation West Midlands
    • Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
    • Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust