Information on health links

 1.  What is a Health link?

Health link is a true partnership of people working together to exchange knowledge, skills and develop friendships for mutual benefit and ultimately to improve health care.

2.  Who benefits?

A well-structured and coordinated link will bring about important benefits to the individuals involved as well as the organisation within which they work and ultimately the patients that they look after.

3.  Type of links?

Links can be:

1.  Training the trainers.

2.  Development of curriculum.

3.  Collaborative research.

4.  Clinical audit.

5.  Learning through electronic means.

6.  Strengthening existing services.

7.  Professional development and in-service training.

8.  Postgraduate and undergraduate training.

9.  Introducing new techniques

10.  Finally assistance with equipment provision.

4.  How to develop links?

1.  By invitation of the host country informing us about their needs.

2.  Planning the link with the host partner and ensuring that there is a local person that one can communicate with.

3.  Coordinating the link between the host person in the developing world and the UK.

4.  Plan a visit to the developing countries.

5.  Invite visitors from the developing countries for targeted training or development of particular need.

6.  Establishing the needs that are required in the developing country.

7.  Managing the changes that are implemented.

8.  Introducing other workforce allied to your speciality e.g theatre nursing ,anaesthetics, equipment engineers etc.

9.  Organising funding.

10.  Working in a manner which the link will become self-sustaining.

11.  Ending a link either due to :a) the link no longer required or b) if there is concerns and problems regarding the link

12.  Avoiding risks regarding the link.

Useful link

You may like to visit THET website:  An International Health Links Manual by Maia Gedde 

Written by:

Miss Kokila Lakhoo, IAC- BAPS