Integrated care training for Hong Kong nurses

Kingston University and St George's University of London have been working with the Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HKHA) in the field of integrated nursing care. Integrated care is a worldwide trend in health care reform which aims to bring together and coordinate services in response to the often fragmented delivery of health and social services systems.

The HKHA sends three groups of nurses to London each year to cover disciplines over four weeks including: integrated healthcare, community nursing and psychosocial nursing. The programmes include both training and practical visits to St George's hospital. In addition, senior staff are assigned as mentors to help the nurses to gain insight into higher level clinical management.

The delegates write a final report to link their learnings to their local way of practice, with a view to improving services in Hong Kong. The November 2016 cohort thoroughly enjoyed their study trip and reported that:

• Overall, they found this to be a very useful training opportunity to help them understand community settings and services in the UK.
• The training program provided plenty of opportunities for them to meet with different leaders and managers and to share experiences with them.
• The programme coordinator at the University was very helpful, informative and supportive.
• They liked that the course allowed them to join different activities related to their specific interests and background.
• Particular highlights noted include: the rapid response team, multi-disciplinary meetings, nurse-led clinic (Warfarin clinic) and dementia friendly programmes.

"This precious learning experience at Kingston University and St George's University of London has really enriched the nurses' knowledge and experience in integrated care nursing services. Please kindly accept my heartfelt thanks to the team for the support on this training programme." Bobo Chung, Manager (Nursing), Hospital Authority Hong Kong.

The 2017 Guardian league table ranks Kingston and St George's in the top ten in the UK and number one in London for nursing and midwifery.