Ministry of Health and Department of Health and Social Security: Supply Division:...

BN 76

1965-1981

Selection of reports of overseas visits by staff of the Department of Health and Social Security Supply Division, Industries and Exports Branch (formerly Production Authority and Research Branch of the Ministry of Health Supply Division, Branch C).

The reports were distributed to, amongst others, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the British Council, and the British embassies in the countries visited. Copies were also supplied on request to United Kingdom companies, and, in the case of the report on Canada, to the Canadian officials who requested the visit.

Public Record(s)

English

• Department of Health and Social Security, Supplies Division, 1968-1988
• Ministry of Health, Supplies Division, 1947-1968

86 file(s)

Subject to 30 year closure

Topics

International

Trade and commerce

Americas

This material has been selected to represent the variety of events which instigated the visits and to exemplify the assessment of healthcare systems abroad by Department of Health and Social Security professionals.

The official visits by staff of the Ministry of Health and Department of Health and Social Security Supply Division were made for a number of purposes -

to support exhibitors at trade exhibitions;

to assist the commercial departments of embassies to assess the prospects of increased exports; in response to invitations arising from interest in the British healthcare system;

to make contact with procurement and importing organisations;

to study healthcare supply systems; in response to requests from the Ministry of Overseas Development under the Technical Assistance Scheme;

to evaluate the market for the export of medical equipment and pharmaceutical products;

to obtain information about hospital building programmes;

to study the planning, organisation and operation of health services;

to open up direct channels of communications, and establish relationships with central health authorities and healthcare establishments;

to harmonise information for companies engaged in hospital buildings;

to examine the potential for participation by United Kingdom firms and in the export of health sciences, pharmaceutical products, medical technology and medical equipment.