News

Brighton helping health changes in China

Published 26 October 2012

The University of Brighton is influencing radical changes to health services in China, providing bespoke courses to their senior health professionals by showing them how NHS services are delivered in the UK.

This week the university hosted a delegation of high profile health ministers from the Chinese State Council and 24 provinces. They were here to investigate the university's provision and discuss developing links further.

China has major problems dealing with a rapid rise in chronic diseases and with supporting an ageing population due, in part, to their fast economic growth. This has increased life expectancy and led to the adoption of lifestyles associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.

The delegation of health ministers was formally welcomed to the University of Brighton by Colin Monk, Pro-Vice Chancellor for business and marketing, and Professor Shirley Bach, head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery.

Dr Rekha Shah, County Oak Medical Centre, taking the blood pressure of Mr Zhang Handong, Director General for the Healthcare Reform Office of the State Council, with Susannah Davidson, Business Development Manager, Faculty of Health and Social Science at the University of Brighton and Xu Anchong, Vice Chairman of Shanxi Development and Reform Commission.

This was followed by a presentation on the NHS, the patient journey, a day in the life of a GP and 'Introduction to Community Health Care in the UK', a course run by the university's School of Nursing and Midwifery in collaboration with the Brighton and Sussex Medical School's Division of Education and Innotech Ltd, a company which develops innovative business ideas. The course has been running since 2008, educating nearly 100 senior health professionals from Shanghai and Beijing, and already the Minhang district has implemented a new GP service with the Minhang model now viewed as a beacon of innovative service delivery in Shanghai.

Shirley Bach, head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, said: "We were delighted to welcome such distinguished visitors and we look forward to future collaborations. By sharing our experiences of primary health care services we aim to improve health and wellbeing beyond the boundaries of countries and cultures."

The delegation visited County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton, which works closely with the university to provide insight to the GP patient relationship and GP system in the UK, before they embarked on a tour of the Sussex coast and countryside.

Delegates were guests at an evening event hosted by Dr Chulin Xia, Director of Innotech Ltd at the Cumberland Hotel in Eastbourne. Guests included Councillor David Tutt, leader of Eastbourne Council; Colin Monk; Professor David Taylor, Dean of the university's Faculty of Health and Social Science, and Professor Bach. Delegates earlier visited the Department of Health, Houses of Parliament, the Royal College of GPs and the University of Oxford.

Zhang Handong, Director General for the Healthcare Reform Office of the Chinese State Council, said: "I am deeply impressed with the course offered by the University of Brighton, and the heart felt welcome from everyone."