MELISSA Service Impact

We are very excited to share the #MELISSA service impact evaluation. This Ripple Effects Mapping illustration has been produced following years of collated data and a series of workshops with service users from across the North East and North Cumbria.

The evaluation has been a large piece of collaborative work led by Professor Greta Defeyter and Associate Professor Alan Platt from Northumbria University.

The illustration highlights the geographical area supported, initiatives that have been delivered onboard and the impact of having utilised the MELISSA Service.

The initial MELISSA (Mobile Educational Learning, Improving Simulation and Safety Activities) bus was commissioned to provide a mobile solution to meet various healthcare and training needs across the North East and North Cumbria and launched in 2019. The MELISSA concept is unique in the UK. During the Covid 19 pandemic, MELISSA provided a vital role in the delivery of Covid vaccines around the north east, becoming the original vaccination vehicle for our region delivering in excess of 14,000 vaccines. Once distancing restrictions lifted, MELISSA resumed normal business activity pioneering a new way to deliver training and selected services.

As a result of many successes and continued uptake, a business case for a second unit was approved and a small fleet began.