Flawless medical simulation blends with flexible teaching to create a beacon of learning at a new medical school. Reece Webb explores.
Huge demands are placed on medical staff, and when training the next generation of healthcare professionals, nothing but the best will suffice.
This is the goal of the University of Greater Manchester’s Medical School, the largest medical school in the UK which aims to deliver medical practitioners that are not only masters of the theoretical, but well versed in clinical expertise, both real-world and simulated.
This ethos is manifested in a partnership between the University of Greater Manchester and the UK’s state healthcare provider, the National Health Service (NHS), as both organisations share the space and equipment. As a result, the worlds of education and healthcare blend together seamlessly.
This project can trace its origins back to 2018. Originally centred on community nursing rather than higher education, this vision unravelled during the pandemic. In response to severe NHS staff shortages, the UK government introduced its ‘Levelling Up’ funding to boost the number of doctors and nurses.
With a solid track record in providing leading training programmes for aspiring NHS workers, the University of Greater Manchester applied for ‘Levelling Up’ funding and secured half the cost for the project, with the remaining half provided by the university itself.
The building is used in partnership with the NHS, which plans to relocate its resource library to the site within the coming year. The NHS will also make use of the facility’s available office, collaborative, and teaching/learning spaces.
The university’s team had a clear vision for its medical school and knew exactly what it wanted and needed from the building, contractors and AV integrators. Turning to a familiar face, the University of Greater Manchester contracted Universal AV, an integrator which had already worked on multiple innovative spaces throughout the university’s medical programs and tendered for this project.
Contractors and consultants worked with the university and Universal AV to review previous installations which could inform them of the concept that the medical school was to take. This prior experience in teaching medical-related degrees shaped the entire approach for the building.
The original concept for the rooms saw projection taking a leading role in this installation, however rising costs began to creep due to the nature of a lecture theatre build. Universal AV took a detailed look at optics and cost metrics, which had begun to approach the cost of a videowall installation. The AV team at the university advocated for a videowall build that they believed would look better aesthetically and deliver improved experiences for students.
As a result, the lecture theatre now plays host to a visual system comprised of two 136-in diagonal Hikvision LED videowalls, supported by Teammate Educator 3 and Teammate Hub 2 lecterns, with distribution and control handled by an Extron control system, operated by a TLP Pro 1025M touch panel.
Richard Kent, account manager, Universal AV, explains: “Universal AV worked closely with Wilmott Dixon, the main contractor, and the university so that any technical challenges that arose were addressed and actioned before the final installation. It was necessary to change the audio and projection in the lecture hall from the original specification due to the curved walls and three tier ceiling domes.
“We had discussions with the university who realised that the cost of LED was becoming increasingly within budget and comparable to projection. We installed Sennheiser beamforming mics and two Hikvision LED walls. We also needed to change the axis cameras that were specified by the consultant to Smots medical cameras. Once these changes had been put in place and approved by the University the solution was born.”
The audio complement for the lecture hall is handled by four Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 beamforming microphones supported by Sennheiser Speechline handheld microphones and12 Biamp DX-IC10-W ceiling speakers which are controlled by a Biamp Revamp4240T amplifier.
An Anatomage medical table is also connected to the LED videowalls through the Educator lectern, which allows students to view digital renderings of cadavers on a single screen or both screens simultaneously.
Teaching a lesson
The medical school features a combination of spaces which fall into two dedicated scenarios. One setup features a Sony VPL-PHZ51 laser projector and Sapphire electric screen, supported by a Teammate Hub2 lectern with Extron cable CubbyDisplay and bracket, with control of the AV system achieved with an Extron MLC Plus 100 and Lightware Taurus UCX 4x2 matrix with USB-C.
Audio is handled by four two-way ceiling speakers controlled by a Kramer PA-1202Z amplifier for lecture capture, while lecture capture is enabled through a Yealink UVC86 PTZ tracking camera and Trust Iris conference camera, reinforced by Yealink VCM38 ceiling microphones.
Optoma 86-in interactive displays are used in the second setup, supported by a Teammate Hub2 lectern with Extron MLC Plus 100 controller and Lightware Taurus UCX 4x2 matrix with USB-C. Audio is provided via four two-way ceiling speakers controlled by a Kramer PA-120Z amplifier, with lecture capture enabled through a Yealink UVC86 4K PTZ tracking camera and Trust Iris conference camera supported by Yealink ceiling microphones.
Practice makes perfect
The facility is home to six clinical bed training suites to prepare students for the transition from academic to professional environments. Universal AV specified Smots technology to reflect its common use in real healthcare applications, where it is often used in hospitals for CPD training.
Smots 4K PTZ cameras were selected to reflect the real world environments, with an Optoma 86-in interactive display, Teammate Hub2 lectern with Extron cable cubby display and bracket, while AV control is achieved through an MLC Plus 100 controller and Lightware Taurus UCX 4x2 matrix with USB-C.
Universal AV was also tasked with taking on the facility’s boardroom space, an area which would see heavy use and require a functional AV system with clear lines of sight throughout.
To achieve this, Universal AV delivered two Sapphire electric powered screens, with two Optoma 4K400ST short-throw projectors. Audio and control is kept consistent in the boardroom, with four two-way ceiling speakers controlled by a Kramer PA-120Z amplifier and control handled by an Extron IPCP Pro 350 processor and link license.
A Yealink MVC960 conferencing system is also used with one Yealink AVHub, one BYOD extender, one touch panel, two UVC86 tracking PTZ cameras and two WPP20 wireless dongles coupled with two Yealink VCM38 ceiling microphones.
The integrator went the extra mile to ensure that the AV systems in the medical bays function flawlessly, with the university’s in-house team working with the integrator to fine-tune the system to deliver a smooth integration into the medical environment.
Highly flexible
The University prides itself on high flexibility learning systems to teach students both on campus and remotely, aiming to ensure that classrooms were BYOD compatible as the spaces are shared between the NHS and the university. As a result, this facility is designed to be accessible 24/7 for both kinds of users.
Additionally, simulation based learning was a top priority for the university, requiring a technological solution which would enable students to participate in real time, even if they were not directly involved in the demonstration.
Kent says: “The ‘Simbulance’ (based in the university’s parasuite) is an exact replica of an ambulance, equipped with cameras and simulation screens so that the rest of the class can observe, critique, and learn in an immersive environment.”
Ultimately, the project was delivered three months ahead of schedule, harnessing the strong collaboration between the university, contractors, and integrator, with the university welcoming its first students in 2025. Universal AV has also secured a preventative maintenance contract with the university for this new build.
Kent adds: “The state-of-the-art lecture theatre really gives the wow factor with its two LED video walls showing content from the Anatomage table in the centre of the Lecture theatre, and I would say it is the crowning glory of the new install. Universal AV have strong ties with the University of Greater Manchester and look forward to developing these ties and working with the University in the near future.”
Ian Moth, University IT operations manager information systems and technology, The University of Greater Manchester, says: “Universal AV’s deep understanding of the university’s infrastructure and teaching methods was invaluable. They helped redesign and integrate technology based on the needs of our academics, ensuring seamless compatibility across campus. Their experience with our existing systems allowed us to standardise equipment, making the technology user friendly for staff across departments.
“Universal AV’s attention to detail, including the aesthetics and cable management, was exceptional. Their work on the LED wall, which replaced the original projection plan due to rising costs, delivered a superior experience for students.”
Audio
Biamp DX-IC10-W ceiling speakers, Revamp4240T amplifier
Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphones, Speechline handheld microphones
Video
Anatomage table Hikvision 136-in videowalls
Optoma 86-in interactive display, 4K400ST 4K short throw projectors
Sapphire Electric powered screens Smots 4K 102-in ePTZ cameras
Teammate Educator 3 & Hub 2 lecterns Yealink UVC86 PTZ tracking cameras, VCM38 ceiling microphones, MVC960 videoconferencing system
Control
Extron IPCP Pro 250 xi processor, TLP Pro 1025M touchpanel, DMP 128 audio processor, Cable Cubby, MLC Plus 100 controller
Kramer PA-120Z power amplifier
Lightware Taurus UCX 4x2 matrix