INTERNATIONAL KNOWLEDGE-SHARING


Exchange scheme fosters innovation and learning


Mica Moore, a Business Support manager at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, who last year spent four weeks working in hospitals in Greece as part of a European exchange programme that offers healthcare professionals the chance to share learnings and experiences, outlines some of the key benefits. Most recently, she explains, two overseas healthcare professionals – from Poland and Spain, were hosted under the programme by Vital Services, a wholly owned Trust subsidiary for which she works.


Vital Services (VS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust (BWC), was once again honoured to participate in the HOPE (Hospitals of the European Union) Exchange Programme this year, for the second year running. We welcomed two professionals for a four- week placement during May. The HOPE Programme is a unique opportunity for healthcare professionals across Europe to share experiences, learn from each other’s systems, and foster cross-border innovation and improvement in patient care, infrastructure, and leadership. Vital Services’ Estates Department remains the


UK’s only estates department to host participants within both Estates and Medical Engineering – offering an unmatched insight into how non-clinical services underpin and enable the safe and effective delivery of outstanding patient care. This approach not only showcases the expertise and complexity involved in maintaining modern healthcare facilities, but also reinforces the importance of technical services in the wider healthcare ecosystem. This year, we proudly hosted Dawid Budny, Deputy director for Administrative & Technical Staff at Bieganski Regional Hospital in Poland, and Mercedes Perez Andres, Occupational Health & Safety coordinator and qualified Industrial Engineer from the Murcia Health Service in Spain. Over the course of their placement, they were fully embedded within our Estates teams, and had the opportunity to experience first-hand the complexities, challenges, and innovation, involved in maintaining and improving the hospital environment.


A personal reflection Last year, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the HOPE Exchange Programme myself, spending four weeks in Greece visiting both the General Hospital of Larissa, and the Papageorgiou Hospital in Thessaloniki. It was a truly eye-opening experience – one that gave me a fresh perspective not just on how hospitals operate abroad, but also on how culture, infrastructure, and values, intersect within healthcare systems across Europe. One of the most enriching aspects of the programme


was that I was paired with a colleague from Italy. This meant that while I was absorbing the intricacies of the Greek healthcare system by day, I was also learning about Italian healthcare in the evenings, as we exchanged our thoughts, challenges, and observations over dinner. It felt like I was gaining two international perspectives at once.


October 2025 Health Estate Journal 103


Resilience and adaptability noted What struck me the most during my time in Greece was the resilience and adaptability of the workforce. Despite financial and resource constraints, teams were incredibly resourceful and driven. The way that estates and facilities teams approached infrastructure challenges – many similar to those we face at home, particularly around ageing buildings – was familiar, and yet tackled with different tools and priorities. It gave me fresh ideas and a renewed appreciation for the flexibility and innovation required in our field.


I also gained a deeper appreciation of how cultural


context influences priorities. For example, energy efficiency was a higher priority in Greek hospitals, partially due to climate and cost pressures, while patient communication and user-centred design seemed more pronounced in the UK. These differing priorities allowed for rich discussions and comparisons that truly helped all participants grow. The experience made it clear that while healthcare


systems vary widely across Europe – from funding models to digital infrastructure – the core mission remains the same: delivering safe, compassionate, and efficient care.


The General Hospital of Larissa and the Papageorgiou Hospital in Thessaloniki, where Mica Moore spent time last year participating in the HOPE Exchange Programme.


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