Following the success of Jawda program and already being at the forefront of quality regulation regionally, the Department of Health (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, is embarking upon a path of further improving the quality of care in Abu Dhabi and making its healthcare a world class one through international collaboration with world-renowned names globally.  

Today is marked the signing of two groundbreaking agreements at UK UAE Business Council between the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi with the Department of Health and Social Care – England on behalf of the English Care Quality Commission – England and Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority – England. 
With signing the agreements with Department of Health, it is the first time for the CQC and HFEA to enter into agreement of cooperation and collaboration internationally. Through these agreements, we aim to cooperate to building the best regulated healthcare system in the region and globally by taking Jawda program as a baseline and doorway to reach that. 

The signing of agreements saw the presence of H.E. Sheikh Abdulla Bin Mohamed Al Hamed, Chairman of Department of Health - Abu Dhabi, UAE ambassador to the UK, CQC Chairman and CEO and HFEA Chairman. Mr. Mohamed Al Hameli, Acting-Undersecretary of the Department of Health, signed these two agreements, that one with UK DH signed by Lord O’Shaughnessy, Undersecretary of UK DH, and one with HFEA signed by Peter Thompson, CEO of HFEA. 

In this regard, H.E. Sheikh Abdulla Bin Mohamed Al Hamed, Chairman of Department of Health Abu Dhabi said: “We are delighted with the signing of these two agreement. This is all to follow in the footsteps of our founding father Sheikh Zayed, to bring the best of the world to Abu Dhabi and UAE people. We thank the UK-UAE business council, the UAE Embassy in London and our colleagues at the DoH, UK DH, CQC and HFEA for making this happen. Our relationship with the UK in terms of healthcare is deep rooted in the common culture of striving to provide the best of care to our patients and their loved ones.  These two agreements will allow the sharing of knowledge to cement Abu Dhabi standing as a global leader in the quality of care regulation, systems and provision”

The agreements aim to cooperate in establishing and developing programs planned for the continuous improvement of healthcare quality and developing a better way of quality regulation for the two countries. 

Commenting on that, H.E Sulaiman Hamid Almazroui, UAE ambassador to the UK said: “Health care has long been fundamental pillar of building human capital, the UAE’s greatest wealth, it was among the principles that Sheikh Zayed's believed, and strived for by investing in providing integrated continuum of health care services for all the members of the society. Today, we are witnessing a starting point for a new phase that aims to strengthen the position of Abu Dhabi as a leading global healthcare destination and among the best cities in the quality of health care services.” 

Mr. Mohamed Al Hameli, Acting Undersecretary of Department of Health Abu Dhabi said: “We are striving at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi to provide a world class care to our population and beyond. With signing the agreements, the benefits will be cleared to see, on strengthening the trust that our population places in the system, better regulatory system that is built on the best of the world innovation and thinking and encourage high quality system to a transparent effectively regulated system”

In addition, these agreements will help to contributing to building Abu Dhabi brand as a place where the best of the world thinking, processes and systems are put to practices to make its healthcare a world-class one. 
These agreements will not only drive innovation and knowledge sharing but also will open doors to encourage high quality investments to Abu Dhabi where a high quality and resilient system located. 

As the Chair of the Healthcare Working Group of the UK UAE Business Council, Mr. Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi CEO of United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical) said, "we are indeed proud to have liaised between the Department of Health Abu Dhabi and two key organizations in UK. This is part of the council's role and objectives to improve and maintain UK and UAE business relations and help establish new strategic long term partnerships in the healthcare sector. We trust that the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, CQC and the Department of Health and Social Care of UK significant MOU signing will elevate quality measures in Abu Dhabi. Moreover, we are confident that DoH and HFEA new partnership will improve fertility services and treatments in the emirate of Abu Dhabi as key healthcare providers continue to spearhead fertility services using the latest technologies not only to the UAE population but for the MENA region as well. With DoH's efforts, Abu Dhabi has become an medical attraction for many specilaties including fertility. "

Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Director of Healthcare Quality in the Department of Health Abu Dhabi added: “Signing these two agreements will strengthen the great and innovative work that Department of Health – Abu Dhabi been doing over the last few years. These two agreements will take our efforts with Jawda program in competing internationally to the next level, and will set the basis for improving its efficiency to glam the global reputation of our quality regulatory framework. It is a great day and this is only a start of many initiatives Abu Dhabi government, AD DoH, the different players of healthcare sector are doing to world class future of healthcare in Abu Dhabi for the benefit of its population and the region.”

The Department of Health will work with its colleagues at the HFEA and CQC on how to translate the objectives of these agreements into programmers and projects that will involve training of personnel, policy development, inspection support, methodology developments and benchmarking. 

CQC is the foremost organization that engage in quality regulation and assurance globally, it is well respected internationally. The experience it has in developing valid methodology and robust inspection is the single best approach at a national level internationally, whereas HFEA is the UK's independent regulator for assuring fertilization and reproductively technology. 

The Abu Dhabi Healthcare Quality Index – JAWDA was launched in 2014 with the aim to improve the quality of healthcare services provided to nationals and residents in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Considered the first-of-its-kind in the region in terms of comprehensiveness and effectiveness, the quality index metrics cover four main areas: safety, effectiveness of care, timeliness of service delivery, and patient-centric delivery of care.

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