Experts from Birmingham Heartlands Hospital hosted a team of leading medics from Xinjiang Medical University in China, in a one-off visit to the Hospital’s Diabetes Centre and MIDRU research team this week.

Based at Heartlands, the leading research active centre is one of the largest in the UK, with the diabetic unit seeing and treating a wide range of patients from across the region.

The day gave delegates the opportunity to learn from medics leading in specialist fields, along with the chance to familiarise themselves with the UK’s approach to healthcare, its medical services and equipment. Research teams, represented by Professor Donald Milligan, Research Director at the Hospital and clinical specialists hosting the event, spent the day presenting and demonstrating how clinical research and diabetic health care is practiced at the Midlands Hospital.

Leading the visit, Dr Sri Bellary, Clinical Director for Diabetes at Heartlands said: “The exchange visit gave us the opportunity to share our experiences with the delegates and to discuss the differences and similarities between specialist care in the two countries and a great opportunity to look into clinical and academic collaborations between both centres.

“The visit covered many different areas from across the country, so it was a great opportunity for us to have discussions on the latest medical innovations here in the UK. By sharing our joint learning, it will help us to identify the UK’s partners with the People’s Republic of China on a wide range of perspectives.”

The 12 members of the Chinese delegation incorporated the visit as part of a month-long UK study tour of leading Universities and Hospital Trust’s, led by Professor Hua Yao, Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice Director of the first teaching Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University.