AROUND 50 youngsters joined their parents for a trip to the Great Western Hospital for a unique glimpse behind closed doors YESTERDAY.

The hospital staged its second Bring Your Child to Work day, which featured a morning of fun, activities and new experiences to entice the next generation to consider a career in the NHS.

The day, which was last held in 2011, was held for children aged between 10 and 17, whose parents work in one of the many roles across the trust, to get first-hand experience of working life in a busy NHS hospital.

All 50 places that were made available for Bring Your Child To Work Day were filled in just 48 hours, with more names needing to be added to a reserve list.

Those taking part were be given the chance to try out their skills as theatre practitioners during a mock operation and visit the fracture clinic to see how plaster casts are applied to broken arms and legs.

Other activities included a tour of the Special Care Baby Unit, the Simulation Suite, where medical staff carry out training exercises on dummies and mannequins, and the Hospital Sterilisation and Decontamination Unit, where surgical equipment is professionally cleaned and sterilised.

Oonagh Fitzgerald, director of human resources, said that Bring Your Child To Work Day was such an exciting event.

She said: “A hospital is like no other place of work. There are so many different areas and so many different staff that it really is a struggle for us to fit everything that goes on at the Great Western Hospital into just one morning.

“And while it’s fun for all the children, we also hope that it will open their eyes to the possibility of following in their parents’ footsteps and pursuing a rewarding career in the NHS.”

Cirencester College student, Phoebe Lewis-Clarke of South Marston, was inspired to pursue a career in medicine after attending Bring Your Child To Work Day in 2011.

Phoebe, 17, has recently been offered a place at the University of East Anglia and is waiting to hear all her options before decided where to study.

She said: “Bring Your Child To Work Day was one of the first stepping stones for me in the application process and where I got my first taste of life in hospital.

“I met people of a similar mind and made contacts that came in useful for work experience.

“It made me aware of opportunities such as the Dare to Doctor programme also offered at the Great Western Hospital, which I took part in last summer. This experience was invaluable and really helped me with the application process for medical school.

“It provided me with a great insight into the life of a doctor, seeing first-hand how all the different roles work together for the benefit of the patient.

“I was also thrilled to have the opportunity to witness surgical procedures, which was an experience I will never forget.

“Bring Your Child To Work Day was really where I had doors opened to me to pursue the career I have always had my heart set on.”