Training and education: working in partnership
Updated 18 December 2013
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1. Education and training – the foundation for safe and effective healthcare
The demand for healthcare professionals is escalating markedly around the world, driven by the development of healthcare services to meet the needs of growing, and ageing, populations and greater expectations of healthcare services.
Expansion of healthcare services clearly will require growth in the workforce with the appropriate skill mix and geographic distribution. Doctors, nurses, allied health professionals (AHPs), as well as managers and leaders all have their part to play in providing services to patients both in their communities and in the hospital setting.
The World Health Organisation estimates a shortage of more than 4 million doctors, nurses, midwives and others (Working Together for Health World Report WHO 2006)
To meet this need, countries are seeking ways of boosting high-quality, accredited education and training. Partnerships with world leading institutions are proving to be an effective way of enhancing training capacity through:
- direct collaborations
- curriculum development
- quality assurance, accreditation and professional regulation
- educational exchanges
- “train the trainer” opportunities
- distance/online learning approaches
2. The UK : home to world class clinical and medical education and training
The UK has a world-class clinical and medical education and training system. The outstanding quality of medical education and training in the UK, for doctors, nurses and AHPs is internationally renowned, producing top class professionals and researchers.
The UK has some of the world’s most prestigious and modern clinical training facilities, providing undergraduate and postgraduate education to clinical professionals from across the globe with:
- 31 medical schools
- 70 universities providing nursing education
- 80 universities offer training for allied health professionals
- 26 universities offer a 4 year Master of Pharmacy course
- 140 UK universities and colleges offer health management courses across a range of disciplines
The UK is home to 4 of the world’s top 10 universities for clinical, pre-clinical and health subjects.
The University of Oxford is the leading university globally, followed by Cambridge, Imperial College London and University College London
3. Training the healthcare professionals of the future
Nursing practice has changed enormously over the past few decades, with nurses now undertaking minor surgical procedures and prescribing medication – responsibilities previously undertaken by doctors.
From September 2013, nursing in the UK will be a graduate-entry profession, reflecting the high level of technical competence and clinical decision making skills needed for modern nursing.
Many UK universities offer postgraduate nursing programmes in clinical fields such as orthopaedics, diabetes, trauma, oncology, wound care and primary care. Such universities can devise programmes tailored to support the development of nursing education in these specialist areas for individual countries.
Allied Health Professionals, from laboratory technicians to biomedical engineers, are integral to a strong and successful healthcare system.
UK universities offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses to support the development of the allied workforce, including physiotherapy, psychology, occupational therapy, radiography and speech therapy, to name but a few.
As in nursing practice, UK universities are interested in sharing their knowledge and experience.
The UK is also experienced in leadership and management development for clinicians and managers through health related MBAs and online leadership programmes. These programmes support integrated working between managers and clinicians to provide a world class health system.
The Royal Colleges and Faculties set educational, professional and clinical standards for their medical specialities, ensuring doctors are trained to the highest levels, and patients receive the best possible care.
Passing the Royal College examinations is a requirement of speciality training and a pre-requisite for obtaining a Certificate of Completion of Training. Such expertise can be used to support other countries in the development of their own healthcare workforce.
The UK Deaneries run postgraduate secialty training (including GP training) programmes, through on-the-job training and experience.
4. The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS)
The RCS is committed to improving surgical standards of patient care and improving the outcomes of surgical practice.
RCS Education is a leading national and international centre for surgical education, promoting safe, high-quality, patient-centred care, providing:
- the design, development and delivery of high-quality education activities for surgeons and aspiring surgeons throughout their careers a world-class teaching and learning environment in the College’s Education Centre
- a wide variety of quality-assured courses, many of which can be delivered at regional or international centres
In 2011 – 2012 over 10,000 participants attended over 650 College courses across the UK and internationally.
The RCS Dental and Surgical Examinations Department administers a wide variety of highly respected postgraduate surgical and dental examinations on behalf of the RCS and its dental faculties. These include examinations in the UK and internationally that are approved by UK regulators (the GMC and GDC).
The RCS Quality Assurance and Accreditation activities aim to acknowledge and promote excellence in surgical education and training.
The RCS recently completed a successful project to accredit two Johnson & Johnson Medical Education Centres in Beijing and Shanghai. The centres sought recognition from the College as a way of improving their training and educational standards and practices.
5. The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP)
The RCGP is a professional membership body with more than 47,000 members and therefore has unrivalled access to expertise in many aspects of family medicine. The RCGP offers this expertise to help develop training and development programmes around the world.
5.1 Exam Accreditation
The MRCGP[INT] framework provides accreditation to post-graduate examinations outside the UK. It is designed to ensure that locally available assessments have the same academic rigour as the MRCGP in the UK but the content reflects local epidemiology, disease profiles, cultural and religious practices and local healthcare systems.
It also gives successful candidates the right to apply for international membership of the RCGP.
5.2 International Advisory Services
The RCGP international ethos is centred on sustainability and self-sufficiency. They work with international partners to develop primary care programmes which are relevant to a country’s primary care needs.
To achieve this, the RCGP advocates a strong infrastructure of primary care leaders and teachers, those who have the ability to teach others within their own country, reducing the long term need for international support.
Teachers of Teacher (ToT) type programmes provide the basis by which partnerships can deliver sustainable, cost effective primary care development programmes to the widest population of primary health care workers in the shortest possible time.
The RCGP has enjoyed long standing relationships with the Health Bureau Zhejiang Province (HBZP) and the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau (SMHB) with a view to developing primary care in China through the provision of training and development programmes. These have been designed collaboratively delivered by UK educational teams in both the UK and China.
6. Education and training partnerships in action
6.1 Imperial College London and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), collaborate to establish the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in Singapore,
A new medical school, an autonomous school of NTU jointly managed by NTU and Imperial College London admitted its first cohort of students in 2013 and awards joint degrees from the two institutions.
The main aim of the School is to develop doctors for Singapore but it will also play a major role in advancing medical research. Combining NTU’s and Imperial College London’s strengths in science and engineering, the School will cultivate a progressive scientific culture in which experts from the fields of medicine, engineering, technology and business come together to find solutions that will improve patient outcomes.
In 2010 over 2,000 undergraduates and 500 postgraduates studied clinical courses at Imperial. Its undergraduate medical course teaches students using innovative e-learning methods and patient-care simulations, which the curriculum of the new medical school in Singapore will seek to develop further.
The School’s Pro-Tem Governing Board Chairman, Mr Lim Chuan Poh said:
Partnerships and the spirit of open collaborations form the bedrock of the School. The School is born out of the partnership between NTU and Imperial College, supported by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health.
6.2 The Medical Training Initiative (MTI) Scheme for overseas doctors
The MTI is a Tier 5 Government Exchange visa scheme, within the UK Borders Agency (UKBA) Points Based System, with strategic sponsorship by the Department of Health.
The primary objective of the scheme is to aid improvement in global healthcare provision by providing an opportunity for overseas doctors, particularly from developing countries, to work in the NHS for up to two years before returning to their home country.
The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has developed and promotes the overall scheme, working with NHS Foundation Trusts, Deaneries, Royal Colleges and potential participants to assure individual applications for Tier 5 MTI visas.
Between April 2010 and October 2012 there were
- applicants from over 50 different countries
- 700 new MTI placements
- 50 different specialities covered
Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
The purpose of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (the Academy) is to promote, facilitate and where appropriate coordinate the work of its member Medical Royal Colleges and their Faculties for the benefit of patients and healthcare.
The Academy has a leading role in the UK in the areas of clinical quality, education and training and doctors’ revalidation.
It is the UKBA licensed Sponsor of the Medical Training Initiative Programme.
6.3 Working collaboratively for healthcare workforce development - Ministry of Health, Kuwait and Sheffield Hallam University
A delegation from the Ministry of Health, Kuwait visited the Faculty of Health & Wellbeing, Sheffield Hallam University in September 2012 to discuss options for the development of nursing services in Kuwait.
In 2013 a delegation from Sheffield Hallam University will visit Kuwait to observe nursing practice and work collaboratively with Kuwaiti nurses to identify specific training needs.
The aim of this partnership is to develop nursing in Kuwait and, in particular encourage the growth of nurse leadership qualities. This collaborative approach will enable learning to be contextualised within the primary and secondary health care centres in Kuwait. Leadership and administrative skills will be developed to specifically enhance the Kuwaiti healthcare system.
This historic agreement was highlighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during a State banquet in honour of Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. Her Majesty said she was
encouraged by the news that in the field of nursing, training links are being established between Sheffield Hallam University and the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health.
Dr Christine Ferris, Principal Lecturer in Diagnostic Radiography at Sheffield Hallam said
Her Majesty the Queen’s endorsement cements our reputation as one of the country’s leading providers of healthcare workforce development and research programmes.
Increasingly, we are finding countries such as Kuwait turning to Sheffield Hallam to train its health professionals to equip them with the skills to transform and improve their own medical facilities and services.”
6.4 Glasgow Caledonian University and Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing, Bangladesh
Glasgow Caledonian University’s (GCU) School of Health and Life Sciences brings together a range of life sciences, health, nursing and social care disciplines providing an exciting and dynamic environment in which to study for both domestic and international students. Its excellent international reputation stems not only from award-winning support for international students at the University, but also its work with partners around the world.
In Bangladesh, the current lack of trained health professionals is hindering health development. The country has more doctors than trained nurses and experiences high maternal and child mortality rates.
The Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing opened in 2010 in Dhaka as part of an agreement between the Grameen Trust (established by the Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Mohammad Yunus) and GCU. Similar projects have been successfully completed by GCU in other developing nations, such as Kosovo and Tajikistan, prompting Professor Yunus to request the University’s assistance in Bangladesh.
The college is providing high-quality education for nurses and midwives and is currently accepting 50 students per year onto the programme. It also plans to offer BSc nursing programmes validated by Dhaka University.
As an example of an affordable innovation towards improving health and an effective partnership working across developed and developing countries, the new nursing college won a prestigious World Health Care Congress award in 2011.
6.5 The University of Northampton – continuing professional development (CPD) programmes in India
The University of Northampton has a long history of collaboration with Indian institutions to support training and continuing professional development (CPD). The university has an institutional partnership with the University of Madras and Northampton’s School of Health has a Memorandum of Understanding with DY Patil University in Mumbai. Through these partnerships, the University of Northampton is contributing to post-graduate programmes for Indian healthcare professionals.
Areas of activity include:
- a CPD programme for Indian doctors in diabetic foot care with the support of leading diabetologists in Mumbai and Chennai. This will be delivered in India by podiatry staff from Northampton.
- a modular MSc in advanced occupational therapy delivered in India by faculty from Northampton
7. Why choose UK companies and organisations as partners for clinical education and training?
The UK has a world-renowned clinical education and training system, producing top class clinicians, nurses, AHPs and healthcare managers.
The UK is home to 4 of the world’s top 10 universities for clinical, pre-clinical and health subjects.
The UK is at the forefront of developments in medical and healthcare education and training, including simulation and online learning.
Universities, Royal Colleges and other training organisations have extensive experience of overseas partnerships and are keen to offer their expertise to institutions around the world.
The UK can assist partners to develop world-class, quality assured training programmes with prestigious accreditation.
UK institutions have a long track record of providing education and training for overseas students, particularly in the medical and healthcare fields.
The Medical Training Initiative provides an opportunity for overseas doctors to work in the NHS for 2 years before returning to their countries.
To find out how Healthcare UK can assist you to access the expertise available within private companies, the NHS and academia, please email us at healthcare.uk@ukti.gsi.gov.uk