Ten first and second year midwifery students from Italy have been finding out about the NHS and maternity services in the UK.

Staff at University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) hosted the group at St Mary’s Maternity Unit in Poole in a visit which was organised by Professor Mauro Barchiesi from the Università Politecnica delle Marche in Ancona.

Students had the chance to meet various members of staff working across the unit during guided tours of the maternity wards, and learn about the future of maternity services for Dorset, including the development of UHD’s BEACH (Births, Emergency, And Critical care, children’s Health) building at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital site. Their visit also provided the opportunity for UHD staff to discuss the prospect of international recruitment and career opportunities provided by the trust next year.

Professor Mauro Barchiesi said: “Our visit has been a long time coming following two previous cancellations, and we are delighted to be the first international cohort welcomed by the trust post-pandemic. An initiative like this really unites us and is a clear sign that our friends in the NHS, and within our own Italian health service, have been able to overcome the challenges caused by Covid-19. It has been a unique and successful day for my students and myself, and is hopefully the starting point for future collaboration and further initiatives between us.”

Kerry Taylor, head of midwifery for UHD, said: “It’s been a great opportunity to showcase all the things we do well here at UHD, and to show our maternity unit in full working order. It was a very busy day for us in the unit, so the students were able to come in and see the pace that we work at in UK midwifery, along with the services we’re able to offer. The students were delightful and it’s been lovely to share experiences.”