FAQs

How big is MELISSA? She is 10.5m long, 4.5m high and 2.5m wide.

How big is the Brainarium? Our brain is 4m wide, 3m high and 4.6m deep.

What kit is on board? We have the latest simulation manikins, in Nursing Anne and Resusci Anne. We have 2 x 42" monitors downstairs, with AV equipment to stream the upstairs action, downstairs.

Do you provide staff to deliver the training? Not as standard. We work with a network of volunteers who are all clinicians, managers or technicians who have a day job too. We may be able to source faculty to assist you, but we will need to discuss and it will depend on availability. You are encouraged to secure your own trainers.

I train, using other kit. Can I bring that on the bus? Yes, of course. If it's portable and fits on the bus, then bring it on board.

Do I have to get a driver to drive the bus? No. We will provide a driver to ensure MELISSA gets to you, in time for your training event.

Where can MELISSA go? Anywhere you need her to. We do emphasise that she is a mobile facility and as such we expect her to deliver training in more remote/rural setting, as well as hard to reach areas, and hard to reach healthcare professionals and other teams across our region, who deliver care to our regional population.

Can I hire MELISSA as a meeting room? No. MELISSA is intended to bring training and education to hard to reach places, and aims to provide equitable access to the whole workforce for skills training. She should not be viewed as an extension to a trust who already has facilities to deliver the same training that MELISSA offers.

How many people can fit on the bus? There is seating downstairs for around 8-10 people. Depending on how you run your sessions, you could have a number of people upstairs at the same time as having delegates downstairs.

Do you have disabled access? Yes, we have a retractable ramp and a wheelchair accessible desk area downstairs. We do not have the ability to take wheelchairs up to the upper deck.

Can I use MELISSA to promote my health campaign? Yes, we are more than happy to support all regional health campaigns. We would encourage your to consider taking your campaign message into the community, rather than in the trust site. We are aiming to reach rural and hard to reach areas.

We are not NHS but do deliver health services to the regional population. Can we use MELISSA? Yes, please get in touch and let us see how we can help. We are looking to support charitable and social sectors who deliver health services across our region, e.g. Care and Nursing Homes, Hospices etc.

Can we book MELISSA to attend our school careers fair? Yes, although you will appreciate that getting to each school will be tricky, so we will encourage you to work with other schools and colleges within your community, to ensure we maximise the benefits of MELISSA's visit.