Rambam Hospital in Haifa and Hackney's Homerton Hospital have been twinned since the cities partnered in 1968, with formal week-long medical exchanges taking place between the two institutions since the 1980s. Samantha Rose, trustee of British Friends of Rambam, described it as “an exchange of learning” and said the “multicultural diversity” of the two boroughs made for a natural partnership. Anita Alexander-Passe, Director of British Friends of Rambam Medical Centre, explained how the partnership first came about. “Rambam hospital was associated with the British government under the British Mandate. He described how medical staff “shadowed” each other, and “lectures were arranged whereby visitors spoke formally to a host group of medical staff.