The Chinese Observeship Programme

In 2018 Alder Hey Academy was pleased to announce a partnership with the Beijing Huatong Guokang Foundation. Through this partnership the Academy has been facilitating a series of Observerships in which groups of doctors, nurses and pharmacists from all over China spend 12 weeks with our world class clinicians in a variety of departments and settings.

Chairman Chen Ran, the leader of the BHGF foundation  described the programme as ‘highly significant’ for the doctors, nurses and pharmacists who will participate in the programme whilst adding ‘The Alder Hey Academy provides access to world-class healthcare education and training programmes delivered by some of the UK’s leading experts and their international colleagues in paediatric care, treatment and services.’

So far we are pleased to have facilitated doctors visiting from:                       

• Hebei
• Shanxi
• Shaanxi
• Sichuan
• Hubei
• Henan
• Hunan
• Guangdong
• Guangxi
• Jiangxi
• Jiangsu
• Zhejiang

(Provinces we have collaborated with so far)

Not only are the observers here to experience life in a UK hospital, they are also able to sample the rich culture that the city of Liverpool has to offer, including its strong links with China and Shanghai in particular.

The reception to the programme has been overwhelmingly positive from the observers who visit us in Liverpool and has attracted the attention of news outlets such as Granada Reports who featured us on their programme in the summer of 2018.

In February 2019 the programme won the Greater China Educational Links Award through the Department of International Trade. This was a remarkable achievement for a programme that had only been running for eight months and something that we are really proud of.

(Academy Team after winning Educational Links Award)

Head of Academy, Catherine Kilcoyne said ‘this award is imperative to the future success of international business opportunities for Alder Hey Academy and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital both in China and worldwide.’

Whilst we are really pleased with the way in which the programme has worked so far, we are constantly looking for ways to improve and further develop and build on the amazing partnership we have built with China and BHGF in particular so far.

Further to the Observership programme, we are working with our partners in China as well as the various universities in Liverpool to provide further training opportunities for interested parties in China and further afield.