The objectives of the National Exchange Co-ordinators are to:

• Promote professional General Practice vocational exchanges in their country.

• Liaise with other National Exchange Co-ordinators & the VdGM Exchange Liaison Person.

• Establish a National Exchange Team by appointing a team of Regional Exchange Co-ordinators within their country to work alongside them and support exchange activities regionally.

• Liaise with national educational organisations with the long term aim of incorporating international GP exchanges to training.

• Ensure their country details are regularly updated on the VdGM website.

• Co-ordinate national ventures to secure funding for General Practice exchange programmes.

• Feedback to their VdGM Council Representative (if a different person).

• Attend the annual VdGM Exchange meeting at the Annual WONCA Europe conference.

• Encourage GP-trainees/Junior GPs to go on a Hippokrates exchange to another country & for these doctors to advertise their own practices as host practices.

• Work towards recruiting new hosts to the Hippokrates Programme and maintain current hosts.

• Approve the educational content of Hippokrates exchanges.

• Keep a record of incoming and outgoing exchanges. 

• Work towards facilitating further types of international professional primary care exchanges.