A DELEGATION of Chinese officials visited Colchester General Hospital yesterday, to sign a training agreement.

The six-strong group met representatives from the Iceni Centre, the hospital’s surgical training and resource venture which is a joint project between Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust and Anglia Ruskin University.

The group includes two surgeons from the Changzhou No 1 People’s Hospital, in Jiangsu, the province which Essex County Council has worked in partnership with for more than 25 years.

Clinical director of the Iceni centre, Tan Arulampan, said: “I first visited Jiangsu province in 2008 as part of a trade mission co-ordinated by Essex County Council.

“Since then, surgeons from China have visited Colchester General Hospital.

“I went to the Changzhou No 1 People’s Hospital earlier this year and I am really confident we can both learn a lot from each other.”