About us

We work closely with local NHS and local government stakholders to bring European leanring, practice and policy to the local healt community.

What we do

Established in the late 1990s, our speciality is project development and support for the health and social care sectors in Kent and Medway. Through this in-depth work, we have developed a unique and profound understanding of how health and social care systems operate in Europe and how innovation can be practically transferred and implemented between countries. Our experience and expertise can benefit organisations across the UK so any health, social care or educational organisation – whether statutory or voluntary – is welcome to contact us.

Here are some of the services we currently provide…

If you would like to know more, or think you may want something a little different, please get in touch. We pride ourselves on being able to offer every customer a service that is tailor-made for them…

• Opportunities for learning and sharing good practice across Europe through workshops, conferences, study tours and exchanges
• Practical examples of different ways of working in other countries
• Promotion of local health and social care providers to key decision-makers and institutions in the European Union
• Advice and support to develop, implement and manage EU-funded projects
• Regular briefing papers on specific health and social care topics
• Advice on EU policy developments
• Workforce development through deployment to EU countries and involvement in EU learning programmes

Alice Chapman-Hatchett – Health and Europe Centre Director

Alice started her professional life as a translator before becoming interested in European Affairs. She joined the Health and Europe Centre in January 2009, having previously worked for the European Affairs Group at Kent County Council.

She has extensive European and public sector experience and has developed projects and partnerships in Europe and further afield and is very familiar with how the EU works and how new EU policy evolves.

As director, Alice focuses on promoting co-operation with health and social care experts in other EU countries to develop EU funded projects, explore evidence of good practice and create links for exchanges and shared learning. She co-ordinates the work of her team and is also responsible for all management aspects of the Centre.

Where we came from

Since 2005, we have developed and managed more than €66.6 million of European projects, organised study tours and staff exchanges with our international partners and kept our stakeholders up-to-date with relevant policy issues in the European Union.

We see our job as:

• providing training and learning opportunities through collaborations with colleagues from other countries
• working with European partners to assess the impact of new legislation on stakeholder organisations
• enabling partners and stakeholders to stay up-to-date with developments in health and social care across the world
• helping people and organisations reach health networks, institutions and other relevant bodies outside the United Kingdom.

The Health and Europe Centre is an active member of several EU networks. For more information, or for access to any of our networks’ documentation, please contact us.

The Europe and Health Programme began in April 2001, based at the University of  Kent, with an initial two-year programme of research and development funded by the National Health Service (NHS) Kent Health Authorities.

It was established to provide a European service which would develop understanding, build knowledge and practical expertise about the opportunities for the health and social care sector in Kent & Medway to become involved in European health initiatives, for the benefit of patients, carers and their relatives. The programme of work was also designed to give ‘front-line’ staff within the health and social care sector an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience by collaborating on European health programmes, or through the exchange of good practice with colleagues in other European Countries.

Over the years, the programme of work significantly developed and a decision was taken in late 2005 to transfer out of the University of Kent and mainstream the work into the NHS ‘family’  As part of this mainstreaming exercise,  it was agreed that the most fit-for-purpose vehicle for continuing the work of the Health and Europe programme would be a stand-alone Social Enterprise (a not-for-profit-company) to be called The Health and Europe Centre.