A Wrexham midwife who retrained as a doctor said a university scholarship has changed her life.

Emma Bell, 29, now a second-year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) student, was awarded the Dr Kate Granger Scholarship from the University of Central Lancashire, which will cover her fees for the duration of the course.

She had been working part-time as a midwife to fund her studies before the scholarship was awarded.

She said: “I have always felt passionate that patient-centered, compassionate care is key to any healthcare professional’s role.

"Prior to any knowledge of the scholarship, Dr Kate Granger’s ‘Hello my name is’ campaign has always struck a chord and inspired me to ensure that every patient I am caring for feels valued and heard.

"I wasn’t eligible for a student loan as this is my second degree so this scholarship relieves me of a large financial burden and allows me to focus on my studies.

"To receive it in the name of someone so well revered in the NHS is an absolute honour."

Ms Bell, who will graduate in 2029, became a midwife in 2018 after missing out on medical school, but her experience inspired her to pursue her ambition of becoming a doctor.

She said: “Working as a midwife on a delivery suite only fueled my ambition to become a doctor.

"I found myself ever gravitating towards obstetric-led, complex cases and increasingly wanted to be involved in the medical decision making and learn more about the other medical fields.

"The Dr Kate Granger Scholarship gives mature students like me the opportunity to study medicine and bring their skills, experience and perspective to the career at a later stage in life, which I believe is invaluable to the medical profession."

The scholarship was established in memory of Dr Kate Granger, who campaigned for better patient care while suffering from terminal cancer.