The teams from Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) welcomed Fumiaki Yasukawa, a professor from Yokohama City University, and Akiko Hamada, a registered nurse and President of Nurse Career Support in Yokohama, as part of a research trip into how community services in the UK are delivered. The pair flew in from Japan to spend a day in Grantham, followed by time in London and Buckinghamshire.
The insight they gain will help to shape the future of community nursing services in Japan. While in Grantham, they spent time with Heart Failure Nurse Specialist Katharine Theabould, Occupational Therapist Gina Tuck and Community Nurse Bernadette Raddon. It included visits to patients' homes and a local care home.
Professor Yasukawa said: "We have been looking at a model for introducing home care. This research is being funded by the Government and my university who are working together. We would like to understand what happens in the UK as we would like to learn from you."
Jenny Hinchliffe, Head of Clinical Services at LCHS, added: "The NHS is not only well-loved in the UK, but is a well-respected brand internationally. We were pleased to be able to support both Fumiaki and Akiko with their research and show them the quality of services we are able to offer in our patients' homes in Lincolnshire. “We were able to offer the chance to take part in visits with one of our specialist heart failure nurses, see how we help rehabilitation through our therapists in our Independent Living Team and accompany one of our community nurses. It was fascinating to hear the differences between practice here and in Japan."
To find out more about the services LCHS offers please visit: https://www.lincolnshirecommunityhealthservices.nhs.uk/Public/content/phoenix-stop-smoking-service