From December 8th to 11th, 17 French healthcare professionals made a study visit to London to explore how
outpatient care is organized. The participants came from different backgrounds, including institutional representatives and care and management professionals, and over the four days they benefited from a real sharing of experience with their British counterparts.
It was through these exchanges with the management, staff, and caretakers at the
National Health Service, Britain's publicly funded health care, and the country's famous
University College London Hospital, that they could familiarize themselves with how the
British care system works, as well as the challenges and the social, economic, and health issues around developing outpatient care.
By visiting day hospital services (emergency room, oncology, etc.), the participants were directly immersed in the local context and could gain a firsthand understanding of how patients were managed under a care plan, the protocols and procedures involved, and the general organization of services.
Finally, a visit to
MATTU, an international training centre located in Guildford, gave them an opportunity to learn about the most recent advances and
innovations in minimally-invasive surgical techniques, which are essential for surgery in an outpatient context.