HOPE for healthcare

Finland has an admirable record in the field of cancer prevention and care, especially in respect of patient survival times for all cancer types. The European HOPE Exchange Programme for healthcare professionals enabled David Spratt FIBMS to visit the land of the midnight sun for five very hectic but extremely worthwhile weeks.

After reading an article in Health Management (the journal of the Institute of Healthcare Management) in 2002, I applied to take part in the European HOPE Exchange Programme for healthcare professionals. This exchange visit to Finland, which took place in May/June of last year, was one of the most valuable experiences of my professional life. In sharing it with readers of The Biomedical Scientist, I would encourage everyone to apply for a place on the programme, which enables one not only to learn about other healthcare systems but also to share their own experiences with professional colleagues throughout Europe.

Hospitals for Europe
The Standing Committee of the Hospitals of the European Union was created in 1966 to promote, among other things, improvements in the health of citizens throughout the countries of the European Union (EU). The acronym ‘HOPE’ stands for Hospitals for EurOPE.
The Standing Committee has seven principal philanthropic, scientific and educational objectives that can be summarised as follows to:

HOPE exchange programme
The HOPE exchange programme for young workers was started in 1981 and was funded until 1993 by the EU. Since 1994 the programme has provided an opportunity for hospital ‘professionals’ (the recognised designation for those taking part in the programme) to undertake four weeks’ managerial training in another European country (not just EU member states).

The programme is no longer funded by the EU and, apart from the closing conference, the participating professional and the host organisation now provide the financial support required. The professional also has to have the support of his/her employer in order to be released for the exchange.

Each year, a total of 150 participants (professionals) are able to take part in the programme. Applications for participation in a particular year must be submitted by the preceding September, and a tight schedule of required actions (programme planning, reconfirmation of participation, booking for the closing conference etc) must be conformed to in order to secure participation.

Applications are scrutinised by the national coordinator in the country chosen and the final list of successful applicants is ratified. Applicants are then informed of the committee’s decision.

Aims of the programme
The main aim of the HOPE programme is to give healthcare professionals an opportunity to learn about health systems and management in other European countries. In addition, participants can spend some of their time researching a health issue in which they are particularly interested, and in an area of healthcare provision decided on by the Standing Committee. Thus, there are three aspects to placement: familiarisation with the healthcare system in another European country; research on a healthcare issue of personal choice; and research into a subject determined by HOPE.

Obligations of the professional
Those selected to take part in the programme have certain obligations placed on them: some are prerequisites to participation, some are met during the placement, and others must be met before the formal closing of the programme the following July.

In brief, the participant must be involved in designing (in collaboration with a local coordinator at the host institution) a programme of activities that embraces an overview of the host country’s healthcare system, the management of the host institution, and the areas of personal interest that the participant wishes to pursue. Beyond this, the professional must prepare a scheme that will allow them to obtain as much information and benefit as possible from the placement.

It is required of the participant that they understand their obligations and, among other things, realise that they must behave as an employee of the host organisation (ie in respect of behaviour, dress code, timekeeping etc).

Two other obligations should be mentioned. First, each member of a team of participants in a host country – there will usually be professionals from a number of countries in one host country – will be working on a ‘common’ research project decided by the Standing Committee. The combined result of this research must be presented at the closing conference, which is also the HOPE annual conference. Second, an individual report must be submitted to the programme by the end of July. Only when this is done is a certificate of participation presented to the professional. No report, no certificate!

Obligations of the host organisation
An organisation that commits to act as host to a HOPE participant is making a major commitment in terms of time, personnel and financial resources. It is for this reason that a professional taking part in the programme must take their responsibilities seriously. The host makes senior staff available, provides working space for the professional, and even finds people prepared to provide social input to enhance the professional’s stay in their country.

How was it for me?
I was fortunate to be selected to visit Finland on the 2003 exchange programme. My host was Tampere University Hospital, a tertiary care facility in the so-called ‘City of the Lakes’, some 140 kilometres north of Helsinki. It is the administrative centre for the Pirkanmaa Hospital District, which serves a population of some 55,000.

I chose Finland because of my interest in cancer prevention and care, and the country’s admirable record in this field, especially in respect of patient survival times for all cancer types. It was this area of study that I chose as my personal research project, and Tampere was identified for me as my host because of its expertise in this field.

While on the placement, I visited seven other healthcare institutions in the Pirkanmaa Hospital District, and also had meetings with staff at all levels of management within the organisation. For anyone who works routinely within the confines of a directorate structure, the opportunity to become acquainted with all the functions of a major healthcare institution is most rewarding, and a wonderful exercise in professional and personal development.

It is expected that professionals will share their own knowledge and experience with the staff in their host institution. I did this through two presentations: one to the staff of the Centre for Laboratory Medicine on the UK National Health Service in general, and pathology in particular; and the other to the directors, management and administrative staff of the Pirkanmaa Hospital District on my own trust, answering questions on the comparative structures and functions of the two institutions.

I was amazed at the amount of work that could be packed into a relatively short time when a programme is well prepared in advance. My local coordinator in Finland worked extremely hard to ensure that all areas of the programme were covered, and the staff at Tampere University Hospital and the other hospitals I visited gave generously and freely of their time.

At the closing evaluation meeting, held in Luxembourg, the Finnish team won second prize for their presentation on the HOPE Committee’s chosen area of research Healthcare in Europe: free movement and cross-border cooperation. This meeting, which is held in a different European country each year, brings together all the professionals, national coordinators, HOPE committee members and invited speakers under one roof. It is a most stimulating and rewarding event, which leaves one with a feeling of belonging to a truly international family of healthcare professionals. It is an experience that I would recommend to anyone.

Although five weeks seems a relatively short period of time, with a full programme and an enthusiastic host, much work can be undertaken – including a lot of travelling. So, prepare well and stock up on energy and enthusiasm before you go. At the end of five weeks you will be exhausted but very happy.

I owe a debt of thanks to my employer (Epsom & St Helier University Hospital NHS Trust) for releasing me to take part in the programme, to Professor Mike Richards (Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust) who assisted me with funding, Tuula Koivisto (my local coordinator in Finland), Ritva Larjoma and Roger Morris (my national coordinators), the staff of Tampere University Hospital and the other hospitals in the Pirkanmaa Hospital District who gave so freely of their time and expertise, and my seven colleagues from six European countries, all of whom epitomised the spirit of HOPE. More information on HOPE and the exchange programme can be found on its website (www.hope.be).

David Spratt is a Fellow member of the Institute of Biomedical Science laboratory manager in cellular pathology at Epsom General Hospital, Surrey.

This article first appeared in the March 2004 issue of Biomedical Scientist - the monthly publication of the Institute of Biomedical Science.