TWO women from Malvern have been chosen to take part in the trip of a lifetime to see how their careers are practiced abroad.

Grace Rollason, a GP, and Hannah Newrick, activities co-ordinator at the town’s Court House Nursing Home, have been selected for a prestigious Rotary Club trip and will travel to America this spring to spend four weeks in North Carolina.

The aim of the group study exchange trip is to allow ambitious young people the chance to study institutions and ways of life in another country and see how their own professions are carried out. Participants will be hosted by local Rotarians and will give presentations about life in Malvern to several clubs during their stay.

Miss Newrick, aged 27, works with adults who have complex disabilities including multiple sclerosis, Huntingdon’s Disease and early onset dementia.

“Professionally I am really interested to see something of how the health and social care services work in North Carolina as it seems that the UK is aligning its own health service with the American model, despite Government assurances that the NHS will not be privatised,” she said.

“I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity to meet new people and experience life in a different part of the world.

“Working and talking with people in our care setting, sometimes at the end of their lives, has taught me that opportunities should be grasped with both hands.”

Dr Rollason, 36 and a locum GP based in Malvern, said she was delighted to be chosen for the trip.

“It’s an opportunity to compare health systems and it will be interesting to see the reality of the American system and how it compares to ours. You always learn a lot by sharing different experiences with colleagues.”

Malvern has provided two participants for previous trips with Clare Boswell, of the Spa Housing Association, visiting Illinois, USA, and Jason Cox, of QinetiQ, travelling to Brazil.

A group from America will be visiting the UK before the return trip.

Malvern Rotary Club is one of 67 which will be hosting the US visitors during their month-long stay which runs from February 9 to March 9.