King’s Hospital providing insight into NHS life through work placement programme

King’s College Hospital this month offered another 20 students from local schools the opportunity to find out about the workings of an NHS facility.

Students aged between 16 and 19 from local schools undertook placements at King’s NHS Foundation Trust and the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) from February 12-16.

The idea was to impart valuable life skills while giving an insight into key roles such as paediatric surgery, pharmacy and nursing, through work experience placements.

Maria Angela Garces Mocanu, 16, from St Saviour’s and St Olave’s Church of England School in Southwark, spent a week supporting the Trust’s acute deterioration department.

She said: “I witnessed so many different things in the week I have been here, and truthfully, I loved every bit of it. This placement made me realise how much I love working in a hospital environment.

“My goal is to become a healthcare negligence lawyer. This is an experience I will never let go of, and I would do it all over again if I had the chance.”

Sarah Quinn, deputy director of learning and organisational development at King’s College Hospital, said: “This is a great opportunity for students from our local community get out of the classroom and have a taste of an NHS career.

“This is the first year of our new work experience programme, and we have welcomed over 200 students to the Trust (Since April 2023].

“Through these work experience placements, we hope young people have developed new skills, learned about their strengths and areas for development, increased their confidence, and hopefully gained an insight into which career path they want to follow.”

King’s College is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching hospitals. It is recognised internationally for its work in liver disease and transplantation, neurosciences, cardiac, haemato-oncology, fetal medicine, stroke and major trauma.

Hospitals under the Trusts’ wing include King’s College Hospital (Denmark Hill), the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH), and Orpington Hospital. It also provides some services at Beckenham Beacon and Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup.

Care is provided for some 1.5 million patients in Southwark, Lambeth, Bromley, Bexley, Lewisham and elsewhere in south-east London and parts of Kent.

Pictured top: Imogen Vinning, acute deterioration matron at King’s, and Maria Angela Garces Mocanu, who Imogen mentored during her work experience placement (Picture: KC Hospital NHS Foundation Trust)