A GOVERNMENT minister praised hard-working hospital staff during a visit to learn about training opportunities.

Southampton General Hospital welcomed enterprise minister Matthew Hancock, who met the hospital’s director of education Jo Mountfield and Anita Esser, as well as support staff from the University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust.

Mr Hancock said: “You can sit in an office in Whitehall and read about problems and think about ways to solve them but it’s better to meet people who are affected by the policies so you can find out what’s happening.

“Visits like these are important and inspiring, to meet people who work so hard and whose training is making a real difference.”

Last year University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust helped to secure £1.96 million of funding from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills Academy for Health to help develop national training and education centres.