A delegation from Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has visited the University of Warwick to learn about healthcare in the UK.

The delegation of 23 senior officials were welcomed by the Dean of Warwick Medical School, Professor Sudhesh Kumar. The purpose of the visit was to find out about how the NHS tackles public health and was part of a delegation was hosted by Imperial College London’s global health & development team.

The Royal Thai Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) oversees all public medical services provided to the Thai population and is one of the largest government ministries. It oversees over 20 different government healthcare agencies and responsible for over 800 hospitals. The delegation was lead on their visit to the UK by Dr Tawekiat Boonyapaisarncharoen, former director general health inspector at MoPH and has also worked as provincial chief medical officer in Thailand.

The officials were hosted at the University of Warwick by Dr Paramjit Gill who is both a professor of General Practice at the University of Warwick and a practicing GP in Coventry, and has previously worked with the Thai Ministry.

Professor Gill said: “The visit was a great opportunity to highlight the great work being done by the NHS in the UK and to explain the challenges our health service faces. “It was also a chance to tell the delegation about some of the research and teaching that takes place at Warwick Medical School.”

After visiting the University the delegation were taken to the Priory Gate Practice based in the City of Coventry Healthcare Centre; and to the Coventry & Rugby GP Alliance. The delegation was especially keen to learn about the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), the NHS voluntary reward and incentive programme for GP practices in England. The scheme recognises quality of care practices provide to their patients and helps standardise improvements in the delivery of primary care, the results of which are published every year.

The tour which took place on Thursday 8 March was part of a wider visit to the UK where the delegation spent two days at Imperial’s Hammersmith campus hearing talks from Professor Tony Rudd CBE, national clinical director for stroke, on stroke prevention in the NHS; Professor Antony Morgan, acting dean, Glasgow Caledonian University on evidence-based approaches to improve health and wellbeing; and Professor Neil Squires, director of global health for public health England on health promotion policy.

26 March 2018

For further details contact For further details contact Nicola Jones, Media Relations Manager University of Warwick 07920531221 or N.Jones.1@warwick.ac.uk