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The UK: your partner for healthcare training

Updated 3 March 2016

This promotional material was withdrawn on 21 December 2018

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This page has been withdrawn because it’s out of date. For information on investing in the UK, visit great.gov.uk.

This was published originally by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) which has since moved to the Department for International Trade (DIT).

1. The UK: your partner for healthcare training

Matching the healthcare needs of growing, ageing populations with the right supply of trained health professionals is a global challenge. Governments and healthcare organisations need better ways to deliver high-quality, accredited education and training, and many are turning to the UK for support.

There is an estimated global shortage of 7.2 million professional health workers, set to increase to 12.9 million by 2035.

The UK is internationally renowned for the quality of its medical education and training. If you need to develop the skills of your healthcare workforce, we have the institutions to make this happen. You can partner with a wide range of organisations with the expertise to develop education and training programmes:

• tailored to precise needs
• delivered in cutting-edge training facilities
• founded on proven systems for driving high quality and standards in the long term
• focused on building sustainable leadership and training capacity

The simplest way to access this expertise is through Healthcare UK, the UK government’s specialists in international healthcare partnership working.

2. Why partner with the UK?

The UK’s system of healthcare education and training ensures that every generation of healthcare professionals continually learn and develop their skills to the highest standard.

Close collaboration between a wide range of organisations (including universities, Health Education England and the Royal Colleges) ensures the seamless delivery of high quality education and training. Their mission goes beyond the transfer of medical information. They also instil the personal values and behaviours that put patients at the heart of our health services.

Our prestigious and cutting-edge clinical training facilities produce world-class doctors, nurses and the full range of allied health professionals, medical scientists and managers. The UK is home to 5 of the world’s top 10 universities for clinical, pre-clinical and health subjects.

• 1st University of Oxford
• 3rd University of Cambridge
• 4th University College London
• 5th= Imperial College London
• 8th King’s College London

You can draw on a pool of expertise that includes:

• 32 medical schools
• 70+ universities providing nursing education
• 80+ universities offering training for allied health professionals
• 20+ universities offering a 4 year Master of Pharmacy course
• 140+ universities and colleges offering health management courses
• 14 Royal Colleges and 5 faculties which set and monitor the standards of postgraduate medical training

As clinical practice is constantly changing, training is updated accordingly to reflect the latest research. UK universities are particularly strong at embedding research into the culture of education and training. Newly qualified practitioners and those undertaking continuing professional development are therefore fully equipped to deal with new and emerging health issues.

3. Postgraduate and continuing professional development (CPD)

At Healthcare UK we understand how complex, challenging and rapidly changing modern healthcare services are, and how important it is to be able to access exciting, relevant and flexible CPD opportunities which meet your personal and professional needs in your own countries, promoting the delivery of high quality, safe and compassionate care and resulting in improved health outcomes and an enhanced experience for patients, clients, families and carers.

Throughout the UK, universities, further education colleges, the Royal Colleges and private-sector organisations provide CPD training, often in close collaboration with NHS organisations.

3.1 Types of CPD in the UK

Higher education CPD

This is learning provided by an accredited institution of higher learning in the UK, and covering single-module teaching, certificates, diplomas and Masters qualifications.

Non-higher education CPD

This encompasses learning outside of the higher education sphere, including Further Education colleges, conferences, webinars, online learning modules, reading and mentoring.

3.2 Providers and accreditation of CPD

In terms of both content and providers, the UK CPD market is extensive and Healthcare UK can assist in ensuring that your particular needs are addressed. Some of these courses or qualifications will be accredited by a relevant regulatory body, such as the Royal College of Nursing.

There is therefore a diverse range of options for healthcare providers to fulfil their CPD obligations, including formal training courses, online learning modules, seminars or shadowing/mentoring opportunities in a relevant workplace.

Examples of providers of CPD in the UK context can include any of the following:

• universities (including through specific CPD courses and any further education leading to a formal qualification which has relevance to a healthcare provider’s speciality)
• places of employment (including hospitals/clinics)
• colleagues and work associates (including mentoring and shadowing)
• professional associations (including the various Royal Colleges)
• professional magazines such as the Royal College of Nursing’s Nursing Standard magazine which includes a CPD practice profile. The profile includes a professional article on a specific nursing issue/ patient illness, advice on how to improve outcomes in this area, and a self-assessment form which asks questions on the topic discussed. Nurses are able to keep this assessment form as evidence of their undertaking CPD
• private companies including private colleges who often provide professional development across any number of occupations. As an example, one provider might specialise in training for nurses and lawyers.

These courses, which cover clinical study days, certificates and Masters qualifications in your particular speciality and professional doctorate and MPhil/ PhD pathways, can be delivered both in-person and on-site, online or through a blended learning model.

4. Blended learning

Blended learning programmes are arranged by many organisations, including universities and the various Royal Colleges (such as the Royal College of Physicians), who can deliver in-house training workshops. They are an example of courses designed to support doctors from all specialities through every stage of their career.

They offer a range of educational programmes to meet your needs from foundation through speciality training to professional development as a consultant. The workshops include on-the-job teaching, workplace-based assessment, organisational leadership and communication skills for trainees.

5. E-learning for healthcare

E-learning in healthcare is a relatively untapped market, with many countries still unsure about its effectiveness in a clinical setting. However, the number of UK offerings has grown as the benefits of virtual learning environments and tailored courses gain in popularity.

The most common education and training model utilising e-learning is a blended course which combines classroom sessions with online learning. This model is invaluable in providing flexibility to fit around work schedules and locations, as well as a knowledge base that can be accessed when needed.

Many universities offer online degree courses for students who cannot commit to learning on a full-time basis: the Open University has a distinguished track record of adopting online technology to deliver distance learning, whilst Derby University offers students the chance to obtain a Dementia Care University Advanced Diploma entirely online, through an advanced virtual environment.

The University of Essex also offers a range of health-related online courses, such as a Masters in Infection Control and Public Health.

Distance learning is not just restricted to universities and the NHS. Private providers can offer innovative ways to deliver high-volume and affordable education and training.

One such example is Skills for Health, who, with over 500,000 completions per annum in the NHS alone, are the leading provider of healthcare e-learning across the UK healthcare sector. Skills for Health’s healthcare e-learning for statutory and mandatory training programme complies with the UK’s Core Skills Training Framework, and is designed to deliver consistency across the sector, having been developed to meet various needs across healthcare organisations (including both primary and secondary care). E-learning is both consistent and flexible, and can be highly cost-effective.

As social interaction becomes increasingly digital in nature, virtual training environments become more advanced and more high-quality content is produced for online channels, e-learning will become the norm rather than the exception, given all of the other advantages it provides.

6. Train the trainers: building capacity in a cost-efficient way

Given the depth and breadth of some education and training requirements, a ‘train the trainer’ model, which can be delivered full-time, part-time or blended, can be extremely effective.

The Royal College of Surgeons’ training course aims to meet the changing needs of surgical educators and to incorporate the latest developments in education. It is comprised of 3 components, 2 of which are delivered via e-learning approximately one month either side of the 2 face-to-face days.

The online components not only provide cost efficiency, but also gain maximum benefit from the face-to-face days, deepening understanding of how adults learn and enabling you to plan, develop, deliver and evaluate training more effectively.

7. Leadership and management courses

Effective leadership and management does not happen by chance. Many UK organisations provide practice-related courses usually aimed at all healthcare professionals who want to develop the knowledge, skills and qualities to be an effective leader within the sector.

These leadership and management courses are designed to give you the confidence to try new and creative approaches to the workplace, deal with complex leadership situations and provide effective patient and service outcomes relevant to your own country.

8. Accreditation and quality control

The UK offers a robust and highly acclaimed quality control and accreditation process of relevance to international markets. Accreditation provides reassurance and helps health and social care professionals deliver high-quality care.

A range of organisations use the accreditation system, including universities offering joint degrees (such as Imperial College London) and the Royal Colleges. Governing bodies like the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council are of direct relevance to the maintenance of high working standards and professional consistency, as is Health Education England, who recruit doctors and nurses into training and both fund and support the training of a range of multi-professional staff and apprentices.

Health Education England’s international office works closely with Healthcare UK to ensure that training opportunities for international healthcare providers are of the highest quality.

9. UK partnerships in action

9.1 UK-based training for overseas students

The Medical Training Initiative (MTI) Scheme for overseas doctors

The MTI enables overseas doctors, particularly from developing countries, to work in the NHS for up to two years before returning to their home country. The scheme works under the Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange visa arrangements, with strategic sponsorship from the Department of Health. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges promotes the MTI and works with partners to assure individual visa applications. Between April 2010 and October 2012 there were:

• applicants from over 50 different countries
• 700 new MTI placements
• 50 different specialities covered

Health Education England’s International Postgraduate Medical Training Scheme

The International Postgraduate Medical Training Scheme enables overseas doctors, by arrangement with international governments, to undertake full speciality training (from ST1/CT1 through to completion of training) in England before returning home to put their new skills into practice.

The programme is a full replication of the NHS competence-based speciality training scheme, and is delivered to the same high quality and standards as training for our own future workforce.

Training programmes are available across a range of specialities including:

• Anaesthetics
• Emergency Medicine
• Ophthalmology

If you are interested in learning more about the International Postgraduate Medical Training Scheme (IPGMTS), please contact Health Education England

Bespoke onsite or in-country training: Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

The Royal Free trains international healthcare professionals in diverse areas and through different delivery formats. Examples include:

• arranging observerships for doctors and nurses from China
• training specialist nurses from Hong Kong in infection control, intensive care and care of the elderly
• development programmes for doctors and nurses from Pakistan in hepato-biliary and liver transplantation and intensive care

9.2 Fellowships and training courses within UK institutions

Medical physics students and oncology nurse training: Leeds Cancer Centre

Leeds Cancer Centre (LCC), part of The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, provides some of the most advanced treatment and care for patients with cancer.

The centre is one of the largest in the UK and is internationally renowned for the skill and expertise of its staff. In 2013 the Trust won a 2 year contract with Malta to train their student medical physicists in anticipation of a new oncology hospital that is nearing completion on the island.

The success of that initial contract enabled the Trust to gain the opportunity to bid for a second cohort of students and that programme commenced a few months ago.

The good working relationship that has developed between The Leeds Teaching Hospitals and senior medical staff in Malta is leading to other areas of commercial collaboration: One such area is in nurse training where the Maltese authorities are keen to draw upon the advanced techniques and expertise developed in the LCC for their new oncology hospital.

Working closely with nurse colleagues in Malta, LCC has developed a comprehensive chemotherapy training package. Over a 2 week period, this has been delivered on-site by trainers from LCC. It is anticipated that further training requirements will emerge as the new hospital comes on stream.

Nursing education in China: Northumbria University and Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Northumbria University and Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine have worked together for more than 12 years to enhance nursing education.

Students from Shanghai who have gained a nursing diploma can attend a one-year top-up programme in Northumbria to complete an honours degree in nursing science, with the opportunity to progress to masters-level study.

Collaboration between academic staff from both institutions includes reciprocal visits for personal development, research and participation in classroom activities. The Chinese Ministry of Education highlighted this activity as an example of good practice in developing their healthcare workforce.

Northumbria University is also registered with the State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs (国家外国专家局) for short-course delivery.

Re-building the Iraqi health care system: Iraqi Ministry of Health and Sheffield Hallam University

Launched in 2012, Sheffield Hallam University’s education programme for senior Iraqi medical staff and medical physicists supports the country’s efforts to rebuild its healthcare system. Doctors, nurses, medical physicists, dentists and pharmacists from across Iraq have visited Sheffield to learn about British healthcare, gaining hands-on experience in areas such as oncology, radiotherapy, cardiology, intensive care, renal, trauma and paediatric care.

On return to Iraq the participants disseminate their learning to colleagues through a programme with the Ministry of Health which means that over a thousand Iraqi healthcare staff have now benefited from the knowledge and skills developed on the course.

Training fellowships between Leeds Cancer Centre and King Hussein Cancer Center, Jordan

Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) in Jordan, there is an intent to develop a long-term relationship to share training and research expertise.

Initially, Leeds has agreed to host fully-funded fellowships and three doctors from KHCC are already in place, with further placements under consideration. It is recognised that the Middle East is a region of rapidly-developing healthcare needs and the relationship with KHCC is seen as an important strategic alliance for the future.

Supporting Hamad General Hospital Foundation Care Services with the introduction of ECMO: Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

The Guy’s & St Thomas’ (GSTT) Intensive Care Unit offers a highly specialised extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) national programme, which provides support for patients with severe cardio-respiratory failure.

GSTT manage more than 100 adults with severe cardiac and respiratory failure every year, making the programme one of the largest in the world, and provide ECMO for 20% of the UK, performing over 100 retrievals of the sickest patients by road, sea and air. The GSTT ECMO survival rate is consistently between 70 and 75%, one of the best in the world.

In 2013 the intensive care units of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) invited GSTT to form a partnership to develop an ECMO programme in Doha, Qatar.

The creation of a severe respiratory failure centre, with an ability to provide ECMO, at Hamad General Hospital, was a significant undertaking requiring investment in both equipment and staff training. Together, GSTT and HMC developed a hybrid model of theory and practical training (both bedside and simulation) delivered in the UK and in Qatar.

This was coupled with an appropriate governance structure, in line with international best practice, that was designed to work on the ground in Doha. The first patient with severe respiratory failure was admitted to the new centre in mid-2014, with GSTT providing an interim clinical support service both on the ground and long distance.

The Extracorporeal Life Support Organisation have classified the partnership as outstanding.

Teaching the Teachers: University College London Medical School Education Consultancy (MSEC) and Ningbo University, China

UCL MSEC is currently hosting its third cohort of 16 medical educators from Ningbo University. During the 4 month placement, participants develop their teaching skills, including the use of English in medical teaching. The placement is personalised for each participant, observing teaching and clinical practice in their speciality and exploring their approach to teaching and curriculum development.

9.3 Post-graduate training and qualifications

Advancing surgical care in the UK and internationally: the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS)

The RCS is a membership organisation, working in the UK and internationally to improve surgical care and outcomes. It has members from over 90 countries and is actively engaged in supporting the advancement of surgical standards in the UK and abroad, benefiting its members and their patients, through the following services:

• supporting the raising of surgical standards through rigorous assessment: the MRCS exam is available in over 50 countries
• developing surgical training through our range of specialist short courses, workshops, and curriculum development
• maintaining standards by accrediting training centres and courses
• providing opportunities for surgical training in UK through its International Surgical Training Programme
• making extensive online information resources available to members everywhere

International expertise on family medicine: the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP)

With more than 47,000 members, the RCGP is a professional membership body with unrivalled access to expertise in all aspects of family medicine, expertise that is available to develop training and development programmes around the world.

Exam accreditation

The MRCGP[INT] framework accredits post-graduate examinations in other countries, giving the same academic rigour as the MRCGP in the UK but with content suitable for local needs. Successful candidates also get the right to apply for international membership of the RCGP.

International advisory services

The RCGP works with international partners to develop sustainable and self-sufficient primary care programmes.

Their approach is to build a strong infrastructure of primary care leaders and teachers with the ability to take forward their own workforce training. These ‘Training of Trainers’ schemes enable the fast delivery of cost-effective primary care development programmes to a large workforce. This model was used in Kuwait and proved highly successful.

Additionally the RCGP is supporting the development of a Diploma in Family Medicine in West Bengal State in India, and undertakes health systems strengthening projects across Sub-Saharan Africa and India.

9.4 Consortia of UK organisations

Collaborating to meet whole-system needs: China Healthcare Education Consortium UK (CHECK)

No single institution has the resources to support every aspect of China’s healthcare workforce needs, which is why CHECK was established. The consortium currently comprises 8 UK universities whose combined resources and expertise enable any training and development needs to be met. With 1,500 highly qualified staff at its disposal (including 83 professors), CHECK is a one-stop healthcare partner for Chinese public and private agencies.

It currently educates 4,500 post graduate and 17,000 undergraduate healthcare students. Unique in its breadth and potential scale of delivery, CHECK’s services include:

• healthcare education and research opportunities for every type of healthcare professional
• specialist education on multiple topics such as care of the elderly, rehabilitation, chronic conditions and dietetics
• consultancy services
• bespoke delivery according to need, for example through degree programmes, short courses, online learning, research and evaluation or ‘train the trainers’

9.5 Bespoke in-country courses delivered by UK tutors

Training partnerships in India: the University of Northampton

The University of Northampton has a long history of collaborating to support postgraduate programmes for Indian healthcare professionals. The university works with the University of Madras and DY Patil University in Mumbai on projects that include:

• continuing professional development for Indian doctors in diabetic foot care, supported by leading diabetologists in Mumbai and Chennai and delivered in India by podiatry staff from Northampton.
• a modular MSc in advanced occupational therapy delivered in India

International training programmes: School of Health and Social Care, Teesside University

The School of Health and Social Care at Teesside University provides a broad range of post- and undergraduate education programmes focused on the non-medical professions in healthcare. These include:

• nursing education
• health management education
• dental education
• physiotherapy
• diagnostic radiography
• occupational therapy
• midwifery
• social work
• paramedic
• clinical psychology

The School also offers healthcare management programmes. The university’s international projects include:

• professional education in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, medical imaging and nursing to over 1000 students in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) in the last 14 years
• an undergraduate healthcare training programme in both clinical and leadership skills attended by 120 students in in Lusaka, Zambia

Transforming nurse education and healthcare leadership in Egypt: Northumbria University

Northumbria University played a major role in an EU-funded programme to transform nurse education in Egypt. They helped to develop a new curriculum, trained nursing staff in hospitals across Egypt and delivered staff development programmes to around 1,000 senior nurse teachers.

The university also delivered healthcare leadership programmes on its own campus to more than 200 senior Egyptian health officials including doctors, pharmacists and nurses.

Northumbria University is a major centre for the training and education of healthcare professionals. Its facilities include the impressive Clinical Skills Centre where healthcare professionals and educators from around the world can undertake simulation training using high-tech mannequins.

9.6 In–country campuses

Opening a new medical school: Imperial College London and Nanyang Technological University

Imperial College London and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have established the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in Singapore.

Jointly managed by the partners, the school admitted its first cohort of students in 2013 and awards joint degrees from the 2 institutions. The School also plays a major role in advancing medical research and cultivates a progressive scientific culture by combining expertise in medicine, engineering, technology and business.

Tackling the shortage of nurses: Glasgow Caledonian University and Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing, Bangladesh

The Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing in Dhaka addresses the shortage of trained health professionals in a country with high maternal and child mortality rates.

The College is part of the partnership between the Grameen Trust (established by Nobel Peace Prize Winner Professor Muhammed Yunus) and Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU).

Professor Yunus sought GCU’s help on the basis of similar projects successfully delivered by the university in developing nations such as Kosovo and Tajikistan. The college takes 50 students per year onto the programme and also plans to offer BSc nursing programmes validated by Dhaka University.

9.7 Blended training: online, distance and face-to-face learning

NHS Leadership Academy in partnership with KPMG UK

Working with the NHS Leadership Academy, KPMG UK formed and currently leads a consortium of consultants, UK and international academics, and experts in learning technology, design and marketing, and patient representation, to successfully co-design and co-deliver the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Programme (EGAP) and the Nye Bevan Programme (NBP), 2 of the largest healthcare professional leadership development programmes in the UK.

The EGAP is a 2 year programme for clinical and non-clinical middle managers looking to lead large-scale, complex projects, departments or services, whilst the NBP is a one-year programme for clinical and non-clinical leaders aspiring to board level executive roles.

The programmes apply a number of innovative delivery methods blending on-line education using immersive scenario- and simulation-based learning and residential workshops. The experience is delivered via a bespoke ‘virtual campus’ learning environment that is easily accessible via computers, tablets and smartphones, which is facilitating learning and networking. The programmes are also innovative in terms of assessment, with traditional academic assessment blended with peer assessment and assessment of participants’ progress by NHS staff and patients.

Over 3,000 NHS staff members have now undertaken the programmes and feedback has been exceptional. There has been global interest in the programmes and government and non-government organisations around the world are now interested in developing similar approaches and programmes for their own circumstances.

Consultancy services for medical training: UCL Medical School Education Consultancy (MSEC)

MSEC harnesses University College London Medical School expertise to offer a range of consultancy services to create and support high-quality, scientifically rigorous and patient- focused education and training for doctors. Solutions are developed in close collaboration with partners, combining face-to-face courses, online and blended learning resources, tailor-made training and support packages, and visiting consultancy.

Diabetes training: the University of Dundee in partnership with the Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait

The University of Dundee Medical School works with the Dasman Diabetes Institute to deliver postgraduate training to improve diabetes healthcare provision and reflective practice throughout Kuwait. The Cert/Dip/MSc in Diabetes Care, Education and Management is modular in nature.

A team from the University of Dundee and NHS Tayside delivers face to face teaching in Kuwait 3 times a year, followed by online, interactive learning. Students do a work-based development project after each module.

Developing postgraduate training in China: Health Education England, the University of Birmingham and Peking University Health Science Centre

Health Education England and the University of Birmingham have been working in collaboration on the development of postgraduate training with Peking University Health Science Centre and other medical schools in China, including in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Since 2009, the West Midlands-based team have been providing NHS primary care education and training to groups of Chinese doctors, managers and governmental officials. The exchanges include clinical attachments to British GP training practices, GP trainer courses and educational updates as part of the development of General Practice in China. An annual postgraduate conference as part of the collaboration allows the 2 countries to share expertise and experience around the wider aspects of medical foundation, speciality and academic training.

Joint UK-China pharmacy course: The University of Nottingham and Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

The University of Nottingham and Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TUTCM) are launching the first UK-China joint pharmacy course, starting in September 2016.

The School of Pharmacy at Nottingham, ranked joint number one in the UK for research quality and eighth in the 2015 QS World Rankings for Pharmacy and Pharmacology, will run the new BSc in International Pharmacy, with TUTCM, a top 10 institution in its field. The 5 year course has been developed to create highly qualified hospital pharmacists for China and to help put pharmacy on an equal footing with other health professions.

9.8 FutureLearn

FutureLearn is an advanced social learning platform and partnership, facilitating courses from top universities with unrivalled levels of knowledge-sharing between learners. FutureLearn is backed by over 70 of the world’s leading universities and educational institutions, who work in partnership to develop and deliver authoritative and highly collaborative online courses to between 5,000 and 400,000 learners anywhere in the world, including the world’s pioneer of distance learning pedagogy and practice, the UK’s Open University.

These courses can provide pathways into formal professional qualifications, drawing upon many of the world’s leading medical schools, as well as NHS England, to deliver continuing medical education and support blended pathways. Students anywhere can obtain evidence of their participation in high-quality academic courses and even validate their learning by taking a physical, invigilated exam.

Courses on FutureLearn can be delivered as either

• open courses, free to anyone with options to purchase proof of learning
• private courses that can train pre-selected individuals within or across organisations.

Access to UK training expertise via e-learning: eIntegrity

International healthcare organisations can obtain licenses to use the same e-learning programmes used by the UK’s National Health Service. Issued by a company called eIntegrity, the licenses allow healthcare professionals throughout the world to benefit from the same high quality training as their counterparts in the UK. The e-learning programme provides a total of 25 different courses, regularly updated in line with the latest evidence.

The courses cover acute medicine, advanced radiography, anaesthesia, audiology, dentistry, dermatology, ophthalmology, radiography, radiology, renal medicine, surgery and ultrasound. There are also programmes available that focus on other aspects such as end-of-life care, safeguarding children, laser safety, healthy child programme, and sexual and reproductive health.

Nurse training in Hong Kong: the University of the West of Scotland

The University of the West of Scotland has been delivering distance learning programmes since 1995 when it began delivery of its BSc Health Studies top up degree for nurses in Hong Kong. Working with a local partner in Hong Kong, it recruited approximately 1,000 nurses for this programme. Students were provided with core material in paper and electronic formats and were supported online by 40 tutors based in Hong Kong.

The university has now been delivering online programmes for 20 years, supporting several thousand students from over 30 countries. Support is currently provided by UK tutors based at the University of the West of Scotland.

As technology has progressed, the need for paper-based materials has decreased and more interactive online support is provided. The university currently has 17 distance learning programmes which make use of the most modern methods in open and flexible learning. This helps to provide an excellent education in a convenient, flexible and cost-effective manner.

WellKom International and wellness profiling, development and reporting in Asia-Pacific

Over the last 14 years, WellKom International has developed a range of multi-lingual solutions to enable individuals and organisations to improve their performance through better understanding and management of wellness.

In the Asia-Pacific region a public body responsible for leadership development in education profiled a national cross section of their leaders using WellKom’s validated multi-lingual Wellness Profiling, Development and Reporting software. This software generated for each leader a highly personalised self-development plan statistically proven to enable a very significant improvement in overall mental and physical health.

Simultaneously, WellKom was able to analyse over 100 metrics through the Whole Life – Whole Organisation approach to provide many unique insights into current levels of wellness and their impact on performance and risks (operational and health), as well as ways to improve them, both individually and organisationally.

Through this process there is a rebalancing of what employees can do for themselves (Personal Wellness Management) and what the employer can do, as well as a move from Human Resources to Human Being Management.

9.9 Curriculum development

Developing the nursing workforce: Ministry of Health, Kuwait and Sheffield Hallam University

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health and the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing at Sheffield Hallam University are working together to develop nursing services in Kuwait, with a particular focus on the growth of nurse leadership qualities. Reciprocal visits, including observation of nursing practice in Kuwait, enabled the partners to identify specific training needs for primary and secondary healthcare settings.

10. Healthcare UK

The UK is internationally renowned for delivering excellent healthcare. Our National Health Service (NHS) is the world’s largest integrated health system. It has provided high-quality services for nearly 70 years, supported by academia and innovative commercial healthcare companies. This partnership creates breadth and depth of expertise that no other country can match.

Healthcare UK is your route to access this expertise. Whatever type of health facility, service or training programme you are planning, we can bring together the right UK organisations to meet your needs.

Our position in government gives us an excellent platform to support and promote international collaborations, working with UKTI’s (UKTI) international network of offices in 107 markets around the world. As a joint initiative between the UK government’s Department of Health, the NHS and UKTI we connect UK expertise to business opportunities, drawing on our broad network across the NHS, the private sector and academia.

This brochure is one of a set of 7 that explains the benefits you gain by partnering with UK healthcare organisations. The full set comprises:

• education and training
• healthcare infrastructure services
• digital health
• clinical services
• health systems development
• genomics and personalised medicine
• improving the quality and safety of patient care

To find out how you can draw on UK expertise to extend, improve and transform healthcare provision in your country email Healthcare UK

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Published January 2016 by UK Trade and Investment

UKTI/2016/05