Connections Newspaper Issue 22

THE NEWSPAPER FOR NHS LOTHIAN STAFF SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007 ISSUE 22
Connections
YOUR AWARD-WINNING NEWSPAPER
MEETING
THE STAFF
PAGE 3
JAMMY
JOGGERS!
PAGE 15
PRAISE FOR NEW
CANCER WARD
Health secretary
‘impressed’
during tour of
refurbished unit
VISIT:
Nicola
Sturgeon
chats with
a patient
HEALTH secretary Nicola
Sturgeon paid a whistle-stop visit
recently to the new-look ward at
the cancer centre at the Western
General Hospital (WGH).
She met staff and patients at the
£2.6 million unit, which has been
named the Macmillan Day Treatment
Centre after backers of the charity
raised £1m to help refurbish the
facility in Ward One at the hospital.
Ms Sturgeon was met by NHS
Lothian chairman Charles Winstanley
and Macmillan Cancer Support
director for Scotland Dr Elspeth
Atkinson. They were accompanied
by NHS Lothian acute services and
workforce director James McCaffery,
clinical director Dr Grahame Howard
and charge nurse Caroline McKinnel.
The health secretary was shown
the new facilities – designed in
consultation with patients – and spent
some time discussing the revamped
centre with them.
Dr Atkinson said: “The health
secretary was particularly impressed
with the quality of the environment
in the centre. It’s great that she was
able to see first hand how Macmillan
used our expertise and experience to
work in partnership with NHS
Lothian, and provided the additional
funding of £1m to make the
environment for people having
treatment and for staff working
here as good as it could be.”
Caroline McKinnel said: “Ms
Sturgeon met a wide group of
patients and staff and spoke
personally to them about their
experiences of the care journey.
“I think what she found interesting
was the positive messages she got
from the patients. They praised the
centre staff and the care and
attention they had received.
“Their experiences were very
positive – and many of them told
Ms Sturgeon it was a shame that
you only ever hear the bad news
about the NHS in the newspapers.”
Grahame Howard added: “The
h e a l t h s e c re t a r y w a s v e r y
complimentary about the work that
had been done and our staff were
proud to show off the building to her.”
She was introduced to
representatives of the four cancer care
I think what the health secretary
found interesting was the positive
messages she got from the patients
Caroline McKinnel, charge nurse
teams at the centre: staff nurse
Kirsty Peebles of haemotology,
staff nurses Shelley-Marie McKinley
and Shona Glen of medical oncology
and clinical trials lead research
nurse Janyne Afseth.
Elizabeth Preston, head of
service for cancer care who also
met Ms Sturgeon, said: “Receiving
chemotherapy is an anxious time for
patients and their families and
while a lot of attention goes into
preparing patients, their first visit
is daunting.
“The extra space we’ve generated
in the refurbished centre allows
private consultations to take place,
which is extremely important if
patients have any questions to ask
during the course of their treatment.”
Others introduced to the health
secretary during her tour included
Dr Janet Jenkins, associate medical
director, Dr Anna Gregor, cancer
clinician and chief nurse for cancer
and palliative care Claire Smith.
NHS Lothian’s lead pharmacist for
cancer services, Ewan Morrison also
talked to Ms Sturgeon about the
aseptic treatments for cancer patients.
Improvements in
waiting times for
A&E treatment
BUSY Accident & Emergency
(A&E) teams across NHS
Lothian are making progress
towards treating patients
within the four-hour target set
by the Scottish Executive.
The target is to achieve 98
per cent compliance with the
maximum four-hour wait (from
arrival in A&E to admission,
discharge or transfer for
treatment) by December 2007.
“Our staff have introduced
new ways to achieve
impressive results in the face
of an increasing workload,”
said Jim McCaffery, director of
acute services and workforce.
“In August, for instance,
A&E units across NHS Lothian
achieved 97 per cent of
patients seen, treated and
admitted or discharged within
four hours.
“To have achieved such an
improvement with such high
activity levels is a real tribute to
our staff. We know we have
more to do, but I am confident
we are well on the way to
achieving the 98 per cent target
across Lothian by the end of
the year.” The Royal Hospital
for Sick Children regularly sees
99+ per cent of its patients
within the four-hour maximum.
But to help cut waiting
times, the public’s help is
needed. Every year our A&E
teams treat more than 175,000
patients, many of whom don’t
need to be there.
That’s why NHS Lothian has
launched a publicity campaign
reminding the public that A&E
is for emergency situations
only. It urges people to ask
themselves – “Does my injury
really need A&E?”
The campaign comes after
record numbers turned up at
the A&E unit at the Royal
Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE)
in August.
Catriona Rostron, chief nurse
and head of service for general
medicine in the University
Hospitals Division, said: “Many
Continued on page 5 >>
2
NEWS
September/October 2007 Connections
Comment Jenifer Stirton
Acknowledging the commitment of our staff
A
Jenifer Stirton, editor
s you’ll read in these pages,
we’ve a lot of good news to
report. Health secretary Nicola
Sturgeon visited our newly refurbished
Macmillan cancer treatment centre
at the Western General Hospital, while
her colleague, public health minister
Shona Robison looked in at the
cardiology department in the Royal
Infirmary of Edinburgh.
Both politicians seemed impressed
by what they saw and spoke to staff
and patients about their experiences.
The public has been asked to give
its views on our proposed new
Dalkeith Health Centre and local
children have been involved in the
project. They’ve helped to produce a
3-D model of the existing building so
that people can compare the
two facilities.
THANK YOU
Once again I want to congratulate the
big-hearted volunteers who help to
make life more pleasant for patients
in some of our hospitals. On the centre
pages, you’ll read about the work that’s
Making space
for stories
AS part of NHS Lothian’s
partnership with Artfull*, staff
and service users are invited to
a unique event at the Scottish
Storytelling Centre.
Space for Stories: The Life
and Work of Tim Stead, takes
place on 24 September between
2pm and 4.30pm.
This free event is aimed at
exploring and celebrating
narrative as a vehicle of personal
and community development.
It is part of Space for Stories,
a partnership project with
Lothian’s Joint Mental Health
and Wellbeing Programme.
To reserve a place, please
contact Linda Irvine on: 0131 536
9095, e-mail linda.ir vine
@lhb.scot.nhs.uk, or contact
Scottish Storytelling Centre
43-45 High Street, Edinburgh (tel.
0131 556 9579).
*Artfull is a national initiative
developed with the aim of
articulating, developing and
promoting the arts and the role
they play in improving the
mental health and wellbeing of
people living in Scotland. For
more details: www.artfull.org
OFFICIAL OPENING:
Dr Harry Burns with
NHS Lothian staff
Improved education
centre at St John’s
ST JOHN’S Hospital in Livingston
has officially launched an upgraded
education centre to benefit staff
across NHS Lothian.
The investment in the centre was
a result of St John’s gaining
university hospital status and a
£50,000 cheque for the work
from the University of Edinburgh
last year.
The improvements include extra
teaching space, new IT equipment,
such as projectors and PCs, and new
furniture, such as chairs.
Dr Duncan Henderson,
postgraduate tutor, said: “We have
a huge throughput of NHS and
university staff. We had more than
Connections
Editorial board:
Jenifer Stirton, Robert Aitken, Gillian Amos, Morag Barrow,
Duncan Blyth, John Boyce, Alexis Burnett, Shona Cameron,
Stewart Cameron, Noreen Clancy, Grahame Cumming, Eddie Egan,
Wendy Fenemore, Anne Gilchrist, Linda Haggarty, Jean Harnes,
Shirley Johnston, Anne Laing, Karen Lee, Angela Lindsay, Gordon Lynch,
Dave Proudfoot, Lesley Reid, Jim Sherval, Kathryn Sinclair,
Tom Waterson, Moira Wainwright, Sally Westwick, John White.
Contact the editor:
[email protected]
0131 536 9432/9355
0131 536 9013
Staff Newspaper, Communications Dept, Deaconess House,
148 Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9RS
Editorial and production:
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Printing:
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30,000 people go through the
centre last year. For us, the upgrade
enhances our ability to deliver quality
education to staff.
“We now have better facilities and
better equipment, and with an extra
room, we have a slight increase in
capacity. The whole hospital
community uses it as well as
people from elsewhere in NHS
Lothian. It’s a popular facility.”
On 23 August, chief medical
officer for Scotland Dr Harry
Burns officially opened the
upgraded centre and gave a talk to
hospital staff on Scotland’s
Health, which Dr Henderson said,
“was superb”.
been going on in the therapy garden
at Astley Ainslie and the garden at
Murray Park at Corstorphine Hospital.
Our health improvement
programme at Bridgend community
allotment has also been in the
news. It took first prize in the UKTV
Gardens national competition
“Digging for Victory”.
THANK YOU
It’s a real boost when patients are
complimentary of staff and the care
they receive. Once again we have had
more letters from patients who
want to thank and pay tribute to the
staff who cared for them and a couple
of the letters are featured on page 6.
Can I also add my thanks to our
self-referral physio department at
Tollcross Health Centre who helped
my recent back injury. The service was
quick and efficient and relieved me
of a great deal of pain. It’s a
wonderful service and although I hope
not to have a need to use it anytime
soon, I would certainly use it again
and thoroughly recommend it.
CUTTING DOWN
PAPER TRAILS
TRAKHEALTH, the new integrated,
web-based patient management
system, continues to be rolled out
across NHS Lothian’s acute
hospitals.
The £6.8 million initiative, to
improve patient care and benefit staff,
replaces ageing, separate and largely
incompatible systems across the
health authority area. It will also
benefit primary and communitybased sites, such as Leith Community
Treatment Centre.
It aims to support clinicians
and staff involved in patient care by
allowing them swift access to
patient information, with the ability
to electronically share this
information with colleagues across
NHS Lothian.
It also aims to free staff from
frustrating paper chases and make
sure information is available where
and when medical staff need it.
Bill Alexander, TrakHealth
programme manager said: “The
patient administration module
has now been implemented at the
Royal infirmary of Edinburgh,
the Western General Hospital
and the Royal Hospital for Sick
Children. We’re due to implement
the module at St John’s Hospital
in early 2008.”
The software for managing
outpatient waiting lists under the
“New Ways” initiative was
introduced in August at the Western
General’s health records department
and will now be used to roll out
this initiative across those sites
using the TrakHealth system.
Joint testing has begun with
TrakHealth staff on “New Ways”
inpatient software. The aim is to
have this available to support the
rollout of inpatient “New Ways”
from October.
Bill added: “We’ve also just
started the work to implement the
Radiology module at WGH, which
needs to be in place by the end of
O c t o b e r t o s u p p o r t PAC S
(Picture Archive Communication
System) rollout.”
See page 4 for more on PACS.
Presidential honour for Colwyn
AN NHS Lothian consultant has been
recognised for his commitment to
community dentistry by being appointed
as head of a prestigious national body.
Alongside his role as consultant in
dental public health, Colwyn Jones is now
President of the British Association for
the Study of Community Dentistry
(BASCD), the only national dental
public health association in the UK, for
a one-year term.
Colwyn believes he was chosen for the
role because of his commitment to dental
public health, training and education, his
research interests and by being an
“outspoken promoter” of effective
public health measures such as
water fluoridation, anti-tobacco and
anti-poverty.
“It is a great honour to be recognised
by my fellows within BASCD,” he said.
“My role will involve responding to
consultations, writing press releases,
providing press comments, lobbying and
NEW ROLE: Colwyn Jones pins the past president’s badge
on Sue Gregory after his inauguration
organising the bi-annual conferences. As
well as working to raise the profile of the
association across the UK, I will also plan
to help modernise it.”
Colwyn was appointed at the
Association’s AGM and conference at
the Royal College of Physicians of
Edinburgh, which featured speeches by
the chairman of NHS Lothian, Charles
Winstanley, and Scotland’s chief medical
officer, Dr Harry Burns.
E For more information on the
Association, visit www.bascd.org
Connections September/October 2007
NEWS
3
Chief nursing officer visits NHS Lothian
VISIT: Paul Martin and Heather Tierney-Moore, right, meet staff
SCOTLAND’S most senior nurse
visited the NHS in West Lothian
recently to learn about the work
of its staff.
Paul Martin, chief nursing officer
for Scotland, visited two sites in
We s t L o t h i a n i n Au g u s t ,
accompanied by NHS Lothian
director of nursing Heather TierneyMoore. They heard formal
presentations on best practice
and innovations across the area.
At the Strathbrock Partnership
Centre, Mr Martin learned about
its health improvement
initiatives and how it is addressing
health inequalities.
At St John’s Hospital, he was told
about local best practice for nursing
and integrated care, as well as the
models of care that are being used
for mental health and wellbeing.
Chief nurse for West Lothian,
Doreen Trainor, said: “This visit gave
Paul and Heather a wonderful
opportunity to meet with frontline
staff to discuss and highlight areas
of professional interest and initiatives.
“It was an excellent day thanks
to the commitment and enthusiasm
of NHS Lothian staff, and Paul and
Heather were impressed with high
levels of motivation, innovation and
evidence of integrated care.”
PRAISE FOR
HEART TRIAL
PUBLIC health minister Shona
Robison saw at first hand the
pathway taken by patients presenting
with chest pain when she visited the
cardiology department at the Royal
Infirmary of Edinburgh.
Her visit coincided with the
publication of waiting times figures
for heart patients.
Ms Robison said: “It is extremely
good news that patients are now
being treated more quickly than ever
before for heart conditions.
“This is making a real difference
to the lives of patients and their
families and I commend NHS staff
for their hard work in achieving this.”
Heart attack patients are to get vital
treatment quicker than ever due to
a joint initiative by NHS Lothian and
the Scottish Ambulance Service.
It means that suitable patients who
can be delivered to a catheter
laboratory in Edinburgh within 60
minutes will be treated using
balloon angioplasty.
This involves threading a long, thin
balloon through the artery and
inflating it to clear the obstruction.
Those who cannot be delivered
within the hour will be given vital
clot-busting drugs by paramedics and
taken to their nearest hospital.
Paramedics will carry out ECG
tests to determine the kind of heart
attack a patient suffered and then
consult a coronary care expert by
mobile phone to decide the best
course of action.
Scott McLean, cardiac nurse
specialist, said: “Lothian is leading
the entire UK in providing the best
and fastest possible treatment for
these patients. “It is a fantastic
example of joined-up working
between the ambulance service
and NHS to make sure patients get
the best possible care.”
Scott added: “Within the next three
months, we will have valuable
data confirming that this process is
saving lives. The cardiology
community across the UK will
look closely at the results of this
initiative, which combines the best
options for heart attack patients.”
Patients encouraged to
give feedback on services
Margaret’s
bumper
surprise!
WHEN Margaret Currie received a
text message on holiday to say
she’d won a “substantial” amount
of money in Lorna’s Lottery, she
hoped she might have won the
top prize of a few thousand
pounds.
But luckily for
Margaret, her first-ever
win in the staff
lottery was in the
July mega prize
draw – and her
winnings were a
massive £10,000!
Margaret, who works
as a healthcare assistant at
the Lanfine Unit at Liberton which
treats MS patients, told
Connections: “I got a text
message from a colleague to
say I’d won, but when I found
out how much, I nearly fell off
my seat!”
Now she and her delighted
family – husband Terry and
sons Shaun, 13, and Ross, nine –
PRAISE: public health minister Shona Robison meets cardiac
physiologists Linda Bernadin, left, and Pam Gullane on the ward
THRILLED: Margaret Currie,
winner of the July mega prize
of £10,000, with her son Ross
are looking forward to
spending their winnings
on a trip of a lifetime,
perhaps to Australia
or a safari.
Margaret said: “I’ve
been doing Lorna’s
Lottery for 17 years and
I’ve never won anything in
my life before.”
Other July winners were:
FIRST PRIZE – £3,500
Hazel Finlay, domestic assistant,
Western General.
SECOND PRIZE – £1,250
Gillian Logan, staff nurse, theatre
recovery, St John’s.
THIRD PRIZE – £750
Sharon Forsyth, clerical
assistant, nurse bank.
INDEPENDENT help is to be offered
to members of the public to access
healthcare services and have their
views represented.
NHS Lothian has set up a new advice
and support service in partnership with
the Citizens Advice Bureaux.
The new scheme comes as NHS
Lothian received praise from the
Scottish Health Council for the quality
of work already under way in involving
patients in developing new services.
The Scottish Health Council
recently published an audit of NHS
Lothian’s patient focus and public
involvement work.
Heather Tierney-Moore, director of
“NHS Lothian places
great emphasis on
involving patients
and the public in
shaping and
influencing our
healthcare service”
Heather Tierney-Moore,
director of nursing
nursing, NHS Lothian, said: “NHS
Lothian places great emphasis on
involving patients and the public in
shaping and influencing our healthcare
service and it is pleasing to see that
the Scottish Health Council has
recognised that we are broadly
successful in that aim.
“We publish the feedback we get
from patients and others on a regular
basis and every service has to
demonstrate strong patient involvement
so we can be sure that we provide
quality care.
“This new independent advice and
support service will be a valuable
addition to people wishing to comment
on our services.”
The Scottish Health Council said
NHS Lothian had presented strong
evidence of patient focus and public
involvement to its audit team.
The council highlighted examples
such as the involvement of patients
from NHS Lothian’s Patient and
Public Partnership Network in a hand
hygiene promotion, and the
involvement of the public from
two deprived areas of Edinburgh as
part of the Prevention 2010 (Keep
Well) project.
Director
appointed
NHS Lothian has appointed
Lynne Douglas as associate
director of allied health
professions (AHPs).
This new post has been
created within the nursing
directorate in partnership
with the Scottish Executive
Health Department, initially
on a 12-month basis, as part
of the implementation of
“Building on Success”,
which recommended that all
NHS boards in Scotland
appointed an AHP director.
There are 1100 whole-time
equivalent AHPs in NHS
Lothian who cover the
following professions:
art therapy, dietetics,
occupational therapy,
orthotics and prosthetics,
orthoptics, physiotherapy,
podiatry, radiography
(diagnostic), radiography
(therapeutic) and speech
and language therapy.
The primary role of this
post is to lead the strategic
development of AHP
services within NHS Lothian
and to deliver strategic and
professional leadership for
AHPs across Lothian.
Lynne said: “We will
maximise the opportunity
this post brings to Lothian to
ensure that AHPs are firmly
on the agenda both locally
and nationally and I look
forward to the benefits
this will bring to both staff
and patients.”
Radio Lollipop
has a ball!
A BLACK tie ball in aid of Radio
Lollipop is being held at the Sheraton
Hotel in Edinburgh on 12 October to
raise funds for the charity.
Radio Lollipop’s volunteers provide
care, comfort, play and entertainment
for sick children during evenings
and weekends.
The radio station provides
competitions, jingles, fun and games
for sick children – both in their beds
and on studio visits.
Volunteers spend time with
children on the wards while Radio
Lollipop works its magic, helping take
young minds away from the stress
and pain of being unwell.
If you’d like to help with their work,
tickets for the ball cost £50, which
includes a champagne reception,
three-course meal, ceilidh and disco.
E For more information,
contact Graham Barr at
[email protected]
or call 0131 464 6100.
4
NEWS
NHS pharmacists invited to
become honorary lecturers
PHARMACISTS from NHS Lothian
have been invited to become honorary
lecturers at the University of Strathclyde
– teaching the next generation of health
professionals.
The 13 practitioners who have
been offered the unpaid appointments
work mainly in Lothian’s hospitals and
Community Health Partnerships.
They will contribute to clinical
teaching and research supervision over
the next three years as members of the
university’s Institute of Pharmacy and
Biomedical Sciences in Glasgow.
NHS Lothian director of pharmacy
Pat Murray and Moira Kinnear, head
of pharmacy education, research and
development, will play a key role in
taking the initiative forward.
Moira said: “This is a significant
development in our relationship with
Strathclyde which goes back more
than 15 years, and which was recently
Moira Kinnear
extended to include five other health
boards in Scotland.”
She said: “NHS Lothian and
its partners have set up an
NHS university board to support
undergraduate and postgraduate
pharmacy education, research
and practice development.
“We are also in the process of
working out a job description for a
principal pharmacist who’ll be funded
by the university and work at NHS
Lothian as a member of my team to
support academic education and
research activity within NHS Lothian
and the other health boards.”
She added: “NHS Lothian recently
signed a service level agreement
with NHS Education for Scotland
(NES) to provide pharmacy
education and training services for the
east region.”
Moira said: “The development of
education, training and development
activity in partnership with Strathclyde,
NES and Telford College supports the
delivery of quality education and
training that will meet the needs of
pharmacy practitioners in the health
service in Scotland.
“It demonstrates our commitment
to the expansion of education
and training for not just the academic
side of pharmacy, but also the
vocational side.”
New director
of operations
HELEN LINGHAM is University
Hospitals Division’s new director of
operations. She took up her new
role in April, having come from a
similar role at Southampton
University Hospitals.
Helen is responsible for medical
and associated services including
critical care, cardiac, thoracic,
respiratory and general medicine,
and therapies staff.
Helen said: “I really enjoy working
for NHS Lothian and I have the
pleasure of working with some
very talented colleagues. My role is
to direct services and work with
them to develop what we offer in
line with best practice and within a
cost effective framework.”
Helping people
find the best
way forward
RECOGNITION: Morag, left, and Anne with their commendation
certificate at the Health Promotion and Biomedical Sciences Awards
A festival of football
FOOTBALL was the game and
healthy eating the aim for the Roots
and Fruits stall at the recent
Musselburgh & Windsor Football
Club Festival of Football.
The initiative was a collaboration
between East Lothian Community
Health Partnership, Health
Promotion, Roots & Fruits and
the Musselburgh & Windsor Football
Club.
More than 50 boys’ teams from
under-eight to under-11 and 15 girls’
teams aged between 10 and 12 took
part in the annual tournament.
Despite the bad weather, the
children enjoyed football in front of
a large and enthusiastic crowd.
The health information stall was
set up offering a selection of free fruit
and information on healthy eating
for the children and adults, and was
open throughout the day.
John Boyce, public health
practitioner, said: “It was good to see
so many families supporting their
children to be active. The atmosphere
on the day was the very opposite
of the weather – warm, friendly
and positive.”
Archiving system will
improve patient care
THE Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh will
be the first Lothian site to go live with
the Scottish National PACS solution in
early November.
PACS (Picture Archiving and
Communications System) enables
images such as X-rays and scans to be
stored electronically and viewed on
computer screens so that doctors and
other health professionals can access
the information and compare it with
previous images at the touch of a button.
PACS technology allows for a near
filmless process, with all of the flexibility
of digital systems. It also removes all the
costs associated with hard film and
releases valuable space currently used
September/October 2007 Connections
for storage. Most importantly, PACS has
the potential to transform patients’
experience of the care they receive.
PACS enables clinicians always to be
able to access the right image in the right
place at the right time to support an
efficient, high quality and well
communicated diagnosis. Digital
imaging allows:
Faster delivery of medical images to
the clinicians who evaluate and
report on them. This can lead to
speedier availability of results and no
lost or misplaced images, which
means fewer patients being
postponed or cancelled due to
images not being available.
NHS Lothian and an employment
agency are working together to help
people on incapacity benefit get back
on the road to real jobs.
The “Best Way Forward” scheme,
which has already helped some 30
long-term unemployed people in
West Lothian to take up voluntary
work or training, has been awarded
a Big Lottery grant of £447,968 to
help it develop its work over the
next three years.
The project was also shortlisted
last year in the national Health
Promotion and Biomedical
Sciences Awards.
Morag Brydon is head of
occupational therapy in West
Lothian. She helped develop the
vocational support scheme with
employment specialists Intowork
West Lothian, and is pleased with
its progress so far.
She said: “The local Jobcentreplus
asked us to devise the scheme and
funded the start-up costs. We
target harder-to-reach individuals
who are on benefits and who are
not yet at the point where they
can consider a move into
full-time work.”
Some of the people helped by the
scheme have gone to get jobs with
local companies. But that’s not the
real measure of its success.
Morag said: “Most of our clients
are a long way from being able to
take up paid employment. We
encourage them to consider
voluntary work or take courses that
will boost their confidence and help
them prepare for the next step.”
She added: “Our eight-week pilots
have been very successful and the
Big Lottery grant will fund senior
occupational therapist Esther Milne
for the next three years.
“It also means that we can expand
the scheme so that partners outside
the health service can also refer
clients to Intowork West Lothian.”
Manager Anne Reid, from
Intowork, said: “The Big Lottery
award is excellent news for those
people in West Lothian who want
to return to work after experiencing
mental health issues.
“It will see the further development
of a ground-breaking service
delivered by a range of partners and
designed to meet the needs of job
seekers and potential employers.”
FOLLOW THE PATHWAY TO WORK
BETTER SERVICE: PACS will
benefit both staff and patients
Flexible viewing with the ability to
manipulate images on screen, which
means patients can be diagnosed
more effectively.
Instant access to historic images and
patient records.
Better collaboration, as PACS can be
viewed from multiple locations by a
range of clinicians.
The Department of Work
and Pension’s Pathways
to Work initiative is being
rolled out across the UK
and will reach the Lothians
later this year.
Pathways to Work, like the
Intowork scheme in West
Lothian, is aimed at getting
people currently on incapacity
benefit back into work. In
Edinburgh there are currently
22,045 people receiving
incapacity benefit.
This year, Working Towards
Health, a partnership project
between Edinburgh CHP and
Jobcentreplus, has already
begun to demonstrate that
joining health and
employability services can
help benefit recipients on the
way to recovery.
To date, more than 1000
people have been referred to
the project. Many of them
have taken the opportunity to
work with senior health
practitioners addressing the
health barriers they face.
The Pathways to Work
provisions are scheduled to
be implemented in Edinburgh
in December 2007.
Connections September/October 2007
NEWS
5
A&E targets
More dental
surgeries in
Bonnyrigg
>>Continued from page 1
illnesses or injuries can be
appropriately managed by seeing
a GP in the next few days, going
to a minor injuries clinic or
contacting NHS 24.
“Many patients who go to A&E
at the RIE may be seen more
quickly in the minor injuries
clinic at Edinburgh’s Western
General Hospital.”
She added: “Our staff have
worked very hard to achieve our
improved record while maintaining
and improving quality of care.”
The new publicity campaign
reminds people of NHS Lothian’s
network of out-of-hours care:
For minor illness and injuries –
including minor cuts, small
burns, infections, stings and
small bone breaks (from shoulder
to fingers and knee to toes) – go
to the minor injuries clinic at the
Western General Hospital, or
contact your GP. The minor
injuries clinic treats adults and
children over one year old and is
open 8am-9pm every day of the
year. No appointment is
necessary. Call 0131 537 1330.
Community pharmacists provide
advice and information on a wide
range of minor illnesses and
ailments and the remedies
available to treat them.
Community pharmacies across
NHS Lothian now provide a
minor ailment service for adults
and children who don’t pay
prescription charges.
If you need medical advice out of
hours (weekends, public holidays
and between 6pm-8am) and you
think you can’t wait for your GP
practice to open, call NHS 24 on
08454 24 24 24.
If you think you need an
emergency ambulance for a lifethreatening condition, call 999.
OPEN WIDE: the
number of dentists in
Lothian is at its highest
level for a decade
FILLING THE GAP
THE number of NHS dentists
working in Lothian is at the highest
level for 10 years, according to
newly released workforce data
from the Information Services
Division of NHS National
Services Scotland.
NHS Lothian had 478 dentists in
September 2006 – up 18 per cent on
the numbers working a decade
ago, when it was 404. The number
of salaried dentists has more than
doubled over that period, increasing
from 15 in September 1996 to 37
in March 2007.
Colwyn Jones, consultant in
dental public health in NHS Lothian,
said: “The steady increase in
the number of dentists in
Lothian over the last 10 years
Increase in the
number of NHS
dentists working
in Lothian
reflects our local commitment to
NHS dentistry.
“There has, and continues to be,
major sustained investment in
the provision of NHS dental
services across Lothian.
“We must also acknowledge
that the Scottish Executive has
helped with the introduction
of various incentives and
allowances available to dentists
employed in all of our services.
“It is also important to note
that NHS Lothian has comprehensive
emergency dental services available
for anyone in pain, so children and
adults will be seen quickly for
emergency treatment either at
the Chalmers Street Dental
Centre, or for children during the
day at the Dental Institute, both
in Edinburgh.
“The Chalmers Street Dental
Centre is a daytime walk-in service
where patients are assessed and
treatment arranged.
“Individuals who are resident in
Lothian can also find the nearest
NHS dentist and access urgent dental
care by contacting the dental
enquiry line on 0131 537 8444.”
New standards for
anaesthetic staff
FROM LEFT: Pat Murray, John Jack, Janis Brown, Mike
Grieve, David Bolton, Jim McCaffery, Libby Campbell, Eddie Egan,
Tom Waterson and Janet Jenkins
A busy retirement awaits!
FRIENDS and colleagues gathered
recently to bid a happy retirement to
David Bolton, chief operating officer
of NHS Lothian’s University Hospitals
Division (UHD).
But they are all agreed that there’s
little chance of David putting his
feet up!
Mike Grieve, director of operations
for surgery and associated services
said: “He’s renowned in the division
for being at his desk from 7am till 7pm
every day and I don’t think he will
change now.
“He will take a few weeks off and
then look around for something else
to keep him busy.”
David, who has an MBE for services
to Scottish healthcare and is a Fellow
of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society,
is married with two grown-up
daughters.
Mike, who first met him when they
worked at Bangour Hospital in West
L o t h i a n , a d d e d : “A s d i s t r i c t
pharmaceutical officer, David radically
changed the way pharmacy services
were delivered and went on to become
chief pharmacist for Lothian.
“He moved into primary care in 1992
and did a huge amount for the
development of the primary care
service across Lothian.”
Three years ago, he was appointed
chief operating officer of the UHD.
Jim McCaffery takes over from David
in a new role as director of acute
services and workforce.
A NEW set of standards for
anaesthetic assistants has been
launched in NHS Lothian.
The portfolio of core
competencies and the
accompanying document, core
competencies for anaesthetic
assistants, are now the accepted
standard for all anaesthetic
assistants working in Scotland.
Developed by a multip ro f e s s i o n a l g ro u p , a n d
supported by NHS Education for
Scotland (NES), the portfolio is
a useful learning resource that
will support the education and
development of anaesthetic
assistants in the future.
Any training course for
anaesthetic assistants must be
mapped to these competencies
and endorsed by the Scottish
Multi-Professional Anaesthetic
Assistant Development
(SMAAD) group.
The diploma in operating
department practice, which is
awarded by Glasgow Caledonian
University, is already mapped to
the competency document and
is a recognised anaesthetic
assistant qualification.
Representatives from the
management and education
teams, theatres and anaesthetics
directorate, LUHD, took part in
the national working groups.
The portfolio will be issued to
all anaesthetic assistants in
Scotland as a tool for continuing
professional development (CPD).
For nurses who wish to
develop the role of anaesthetic
assistant, the portfolio can be
completed in conjunction with
the foundation in perioperative
practice, anaesthetic and recovery
module, which will be piloted by
staff from Lothian in October.
This module is delivered by the
education team in the theatres
and anaesthetics directorate,
LUHD, and accredited by
Napier University.
DENTAL services in
Midlothian are about to
receive a boost.
NHS Lothian has won
Scottish Executive funding
to expand its community
service, with five new dental
surgeries in Bonnyrigg.
The service will provide
specialist paediatric dental
services for children, as well
as looking after people with
complex needs, including
learning difficulties.
The services will be
launched next March at the
former Bonnyrigg Health
Centre at 35 High Street.
Robert Naysmith, clinical
director for Community
Dental Services, said: “In a
recent survey we found that
no dentist in the Midlothian
area was prepared to take on
any new NHS patients.
“Now our new purposedesigned surgeries will
assist anyone in Midlothian
who is in pain with
toothache, and who is not
registered with a dentist.”
No truth to
Ramadan
reports
THERE is no question – despite
reports in the national and local
media – that staff in NHS Lothian
have been ordered not to eat at
their desks for fear of offending
Muslim colleagues. Nor is there
any question that NHS Lothian
will be moving vending machines.
However, we have a duty to be
sensitive to the needs of people
of all faiths and no faith.
This story stems from an
e-mail sent to health boards
by a public affairs consultancy
which gave helpful background
information to organisations
across Scotland about
Ramadan, a major Muslim
religious celebration.
The e-mail contained
information on the requirements
placed on Muslim colleagues and
patients in observing Ramadan
and contained a couple of
suggestions for maintaining
productivity.
It suggested that working
lunches could be difficult for
Muslim colleagues who would
be fasting. It also suggested
organisations should consider,
if felt appropriate, temporarily
changing the route of food trolleys
to be sensitive to Muslim
colleagues. These suggestions –
not orders – have been greatly
exaggerated in the media.
The e-mail was forwarded to
a number of senior managers
across NHS Lothian for
background information only. It
was not forwarded as a policy
directive, nor was it in any way an
official NHS Lothian document.
6
NEWS
September/October 2007 Connections
Bus service
extended
FROM 1 October, there will be
more bus journeys linking
St John’s Hospital and the
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
The increase is an additional
four trips a day Monday to
Friday, and will provide
patients, visitors and staff nine
journeys between the two
hospitals on the Health link
400 bus service. The additional
trips have been designed as
“semi-fast” services and will
call at limited stops. On
Saturday and Sundays, there
will be five buses a day, as is
currently the case.
This pilot service will run
for six months and the fare
remains at £4 per return
journey, although bus journeys
are free to those who hold
concessionary bus passes.
An updated timetable will
be available on the intranet
and you can get paper copies
from the logistics office at
St John’s Hospital.
Connections
letters
WE all know of the regular
criticism made of the
National Health Service.
I would like to let you
know that I had occasion
recently to be a “customer”
at the Royal Infirmary of
Edinburgh.
I could not have
experienced more care and
attention at any five-star
hotel anywhere in the
world. In fact, I would
without doubt describe it as
seven-star treatment – not
only for me but everyone
else around me.
I hope you are able to
pass on my grateful thanks
to the management team at
the Royal Infirmary.
Sir Tom Farmer, Edinburgh
HAVING recently been
admitted to hospital, I would
like to pass on my best
wishes to all the staff
working in the NHS.
From the moment I called
NHS 24 to the moment I
left hospital after minor
surgery, the care, respect
and attention I received left
me feeling only admiration
for the work carried out
by all staff. I would to
thank all the staff on
ward 22 at the Western
General in Edinburgh for
their care and patience given
to me.
Their care made an
uncomfortable time pass
comfortably with their
humour and their dedication
to the wellbeing of the
patients in their care.
Mark Bruce, Queensferry
NEW FRIENDS: The
Pilmeny Development Project
organises outings for local men
THERE’S LIFE AFTER 50!
OLDER men in north-east Edinburgh
are being encouraged to improve their
health and wellbeing by becoming
more involved in local activities.
For the past two years, the Pilmeny
Development Project – a voluntary
organisation in Leith – has been
working with local men over 50 to help
break down isolation barriers and give
them new interests in life.
The project was initially funded by
Health Scotland, via the Mental
Health in Later Life initiative. Since
then, Pilmeny has received grants from
the Balance Foundation and
Communities Scotland to fund it until
2009 and is currently seeking
longer-term funding to enable it to
continue its work.
The group, led by community
worker Anne Munro and co-ordinator
Peter Hextall, organises meetings
Voluntary group encourages
new interests for older men
where the members can get general
information about issues such as
testicular and prostate cancer.
They have the chance to discuss
their health and social problems with
experts, and outings to places of
interest are also a regular feature.
Anne said: “Many of these men live
alone and can be hard to reach because
they don’t visit their GP and don’t
attract the attention of social services.
Many of them die before their time.
“Since we started, we’ve made
contact with about 50 of them and
regularly get 10 to 15 turning up at
meetings or on outings to places like
the Falkirk Wheel or Musselburgh
Racecourse, which they help organise.
“At first they were suspicious,
because their experience of groups was
that they tended to be dominated by
women. The male-only environment
suits their needs. As they’ve become
more confident, they’ve spread the
word in the pubs, bookies and
barber shops in our part of Leith.”
One of the group members said:
“Coming to a group with men is
completely different from a mixed
group. I didn’t mix much outside of
here – I enjoy mixing with this group.”
Andrew Gillie, dementia care
co-ordinator for North East Edinburgh
LHP, said: “They are now finding they
have an approachable service –
somewhere they can go that isn’t
intimidating and where people are not
going to grill them too much about
their lifestyle. But if there’s information
they need, they have access to it.”
He added: “If we can encourage
people to get more interested in their
health and wellbeing, it often prevents
a crisis from landing at the GP’s door
months or years later.”
E For further information
contact the Pilmeny
Development Project, 19-21
Buchanan Street, Leith EH6
8SQ. Tel: 0131 553 2559
or e-mail: peterhextall
@btconnect.com or
[email protected]
New guide to brain injury services
Focusing on
mental health
THE Community Rehabilitation &
Brain Injury Service has recently
completed a guide to services
for people with acquired brain
injury (ABI) and their carers in
West Lothian.
The guide draws together
information about services and
help available throughout the
Lothians to individuals with ABI
and their families. It is hoped
that this will also be a useful
resource for professionals
working with or in contact with
EASTER Road Stadium was the
venue for an event focusing on
Lothian’s Joint Mental Health and
Wellbeing Strategic Programme.
“Not Tomorrow But Now –
Tackle Stigma: Remove Barriers:
Improve Access” was a one-day
seminar to explore issues and
initiate action in the area of black
and minority ethnic (BME) mental
health in Scotland. It was organised
by NHS Lothian’s Mental Health and
Wellbeing Programme.
The event attracted those with an
interest in and commitment to
improving the mental health and
wellbeing of people from black and
minority ethnic communities,
including children and young
people and older people.
Linda Irvine, strategic programme
manager, mental health, said:
“This event was an opportunity for
stakeholders across Lothian to
come together and address how we
tackle stigma, remove barriers
and improve access to improve the
mental health and wellbeing of
people from black and minority
ethnic communities across Lothian.
“The programme comprised of
presentations from both a national
and local perspective, with each
presentation followed by facilitated
group discussions.”
individuals with ABI.
Acquired brain injury is a
traumatic event for the person and
their families. It is sudden in onset
as a result of head injury, stroke
(haemorrhagic or ischaemic),
interruption of oxygen to the brain,
(eg due to cardiac arrest) or
infection (eg meningitis, encephalitis).
Common problems following
ABI include physical (eg impaired
movement), communication (eg
speech, language or swallowing
difficulties), cognition (poor memory,
concentration, reasoning, judgement),
emotion (depression, short temper),
or behavioural disturbance
(disinhibition, aggression, apathy).
E For further information, please
contact: Janet Foggo, service
manager, CRABIS, The Ability
Centre, Carmondean Centre
Road, Livingston EH54 8PT
Telephone: 01506 774046
Fax: 01506 774049
E-mail: janet.foggo
@wlt.scot.nhs.uk
Edinburgh Headway celebrates its silver jubilee
HEADWAY, which offers support and
advice to those affected by acquired
brain injury, celebrates 25 years of
success this year with a civic
award ceremony honouring its
founders Bill and Jean Bryden in
Edinburgh this October.
The Edinburgh Headway Group
has grown and developed over the
years into a comprehensive service,
meeting the needs of those affected
by acquired brain injury and
their families.
As Headway celebrates its
anniversary, it is looking to the future
by expanding the client group to
include people and families affected
by non-traumatic brain injuries.
This expansion seeks to reiterate the
philosophy of the original Headway,
of inclusion for those whose needs
do not come under an umbrella of
other organisations.
The value of this organisation is
immeasurable, with 16,500 adults
each year in Scotland sustaining a
brain injury.
These life changes can be
overwhelming, leading to
unemployment, family breakdown
and social isolation.
By providing access to
rehabilitative therapies and expertise
at the centre, Headway hopes to
minimise any impact on an
individual’s life, permitting them to
realise their full potential.
Today there are now seven paid
members of staff offering advocacy,
befriending and outreach services.
They are supported by a number
of volunteers who assist with the
daily activities that take place in
Headway, which is open Monday
to Thursday, 9am-4pm.
E For further information on
Headway, please contact
0131 537 9116 or e-mail:
office@edinburgh
headway.org.uk
Connections September/October 2007
NEWS
7
NHS DIRECTOR OFFERS THE
ULTIMATE HELPING HAND…
Pics © Touch Bionics
New ‘electric’
hand improves
quality of life
for amputees
PATIENTS across the globe, from a
retired welder to a US marine, are
getting to grips with a revolutionary
new prosthetic hand that has its origins
in NHS Lothian.
The company Touch Bionics,
which spun out from NHS Lothian
in 2003, has just launched its i-Limb
hand product worldwide.
Inventor David Gow, director of
rehabilitation technology in NHS
Lothian and director of technology for
Touch Bionics, where he is on
secondment two days a week, said that
what makes the new prosthesis so
revolutionary is the concept of the
“powered digit”. Each “Prodigit” on
the i-Limb hand has its own motor,
inside the finger space itself.
“It is the world’s first electric hand
with bending fingers,” David said. “It
offers the user a choice of grips,
whereas conventional electric hands
are like electric pincers. The thumb
and fingers are opposed to each other
and move in a fixed way, which
means you have just the one grip
posture. That isn’t appropriate for a
lot of activities.”
He continued: “The very fact
that the fingers and the thumb are
human-like – that they move and bend
independently of one another –
gives this hand a lot of aesthetic and
functional advantages.”
Already, the hand is proving to be
of huge benefit to patients who tested
the new technology.
INVENTOR: David Gow, left.
Above, Donald McKillop, right, is
fitted with the innovative i-Limb
Retired welder Donald McKillop
from Kilmarnock has been taking part
in testing prostheses for 30 years, since
his right hand was amputated in 1977.
He was one of the first patients to
receive the i-Limb hand.
He said: “It feel like a replacement
for my missing hand. It is now natural
for me to pick up all sorts of objects.”
The hand has its roots in work
undertaken since David Gow joined
NHS Lothian in 1984 from a similar
role in Edinburgh University. The
turning point in the development of
CASE STUDY
On February 2005 Sergeant Juan
Arredondo of the US Army was on
patrol in Iraq with two other soldiers
when an explosive device blew
through the door of his vehicle. The
blast tore through his left hand, just
before the elbow.
Racing from the vehicle, Sgt
Arrendondo grabbed his severed
hand, but on reaching the Army’s
MASH hospital, doctors discovered
that there was just too much
damage to reattach the limb.
During recovery, the loss of his
hand severely affected Juan
physically, emotionally and mentally.
Today, he has found that the i-Limb
hand has made a difference with
regular tasks. “Every day that I have
the hand, it surprises me,” he said.
Using the
prosthesis,
he can more
easily hold
rounded
objects,
open doors
and he can
even point
a finger
to type.
“I can pick up a Styrofoam cup
without crushing it,” Juan said. “With
my other myoelectric hand, I would
really have to concentrate on
how much pressure I was putting
on the cup.
“The i-LIMB hand does things
naturally. I can just grab the cup like
a regular person.”
the i-Limb product came, however,
when a company was formed to
market it in 2003.
David said: “We have been doing
prosthesis work in NHS Lothian for
some time, but until recently, we lacked
a way of getting the ideas and the
prototypes to product. That’s why
TouchBionics is ideal. Ideas
spring from the NHS, but have
to be taken to market and
manufactured to a product, which
is what Touch Bionics does.”
The hand isn’t the only “first”
for David and Touch Bionics. They
developed an electronic shoulder
joint and fitted the first “bionic” man
in Edinburgh in 1998.
David believes it should only be
a matter of a few years before the
hand, which currently costs £9,000,
will be available on the NHS.
In the meantime, the biggest
market for the company, of which the
NHS is a shareholder (via Scottish
Healthcare Innovations Ltd), is the
USA, where there are hundreds of
prosthetic clinics.
David said: “The hand is a great
credit to the NHS in Scotland and I
hope it will be a worldwide success.”
Model way to have your
say on new health centre
AN innovative method of seeking
views on the planned, new
Dalkeith Health Centre is being
used by Midlothian Community
Health Partnership.
Local children from Dalkeith
Link Up Youth Group have
built a 3D model of the existing
health centre.
Using the model, residents
in the community were invited
to give their views on the
present and proposed Dalkeith
Health Centres.
The first event was attended by
80 people on Saturday 11 August.
The model was also on display at
the recent children and families’
festival in Woodburn.
Gerry Power, general manager,
Midlothian Community Health
Partnership said: “We were
delighted to have the help of the
local Woodburn Youth Group in
building this model.
“It helps people visualise the
existing health centre and hopefully
makes it easier to tell us what they
think of it currently and what they
would like to see in our planned
new health facility.
“It’s important that people in the
community are involved in the
provision of their local health
services and we want them to hear
their views on the layout, design,
facilities and services of the new
Dalkeith Health Centre.”
Dalkeith Link Up Youth Group
is part of Dalkeith community
VISUAL AID: visitors study the model of the health centre
learning and development team’s
provision for the area.
Gael Belton, community learning
and development worker said: “We
were very pleased to be able to
help out with this project.
“It is important that the
views of young people are
t a ke n i n t o a c c o u n t w h e n
developing new facilities for the
area which they will use.”
Members of the Midlothian
Community Health Partnership are
available to visit other groups
and organisations keen to give
their views.
E All interested parties should
contact Catherine Evans on
0131 561 5527.
A great LEAP
forward to
help addicts
NHS Lothian is planning
to make a big leap forward
in drug addiction treatment
through the launch of an
innovative programme
funded by the Scottish
Executive.
The Lothians and
Edinburgh Abstinence
Programme (LEAP), the first
in Scotland, is a two-year
pilot project headed up by
Dr David McCartney in
partnership with the City of
Edinburgh Council and
“Transition”, a charity that
helps recovering addicts
with training, education and
work-related placements.
The 12-week LEAP
programme is based on
intensive intervention for
people who are really
motivated to live a drugfree life.
Individual care plans are
developed for all patients
who also attend workshops
and group therapy sessions
on issues related to addiction
and recovery, such as relapse
prevention, relationships,
and anger management
as well as relaxation
techniques.
“The best way
to engage
recovering
addicts is to get
them discussing
issues with
their peers”
Dr David McCartney
The powerhouse behind
the project will be
the group therapy.
David said: “Research
shows that the best way to
engage recovering addicts is
to get them discussing
issues with their peers and
for them to challenge each
other about their behaviours.
“Recovering from
addiction is all about change
and our therapy helps
addicts confront their
addiction, understand how to
abstain and to support them
through the difficult weeks
of early abstinence.
The council is working
with the NHS Lothian team
by providing sheltered
accommodation for some of
the 20 patients that will be
treated in the first tranche of
the 12-week programme, and
“Transition” will work with
them once their conditions
have stabilised to find
vocational experiences.
The NHS Lothian team
of 10, including therapists,
nurses, a pharmacist and
two administrators, began
the LEAP project in
September at the newly
refurbished Malta House in
Stockbridge, a former
Church of Scotland site.
8 NEWS
We’re investing
in our people to
ensure excellence
PEOPLE are the lifeblood of any
organisation – which is why
NHS Lothian is set to extend a
set of standards to support and
develop staff performance.
It is planning to become one
of the largest organisations in
Scotland to achieve the
Investors in People (IiP)
accreditation.
Lothian NHS Board at
Deaconess House has already
had this status since 2002,
which was renewed in 2005 for a
further three years.
However, the IiP standards
have changed and according to
David Lee, associate director,
Workforce Development: “The
time is right for the board to
seekand lead accreditation for
all of NHS Lothian.”
David continued: “There will
be planning and commitment
needed from everyone to
secure whole organisation
accreditation of the Investors
in People standard, but given
the investment being made, first
and foremost in our staff, this
undertaking is indeed an
opportunity to consolidate and
celebrate our achievements.”
As part of the process
towards achieving the IiP
accreditation, NHS Lothian will
undertake an electronic survey
of a representative sample of
staff members, to show where
the organisation is meeting the
standards and where more work
needs to be done.
“The aim is to ensure that we
identify our current strengths
and areas of good practice
across our single system
enterprise and transfer them to
underpin those areas of the
standard with which we are not
yet compliant, and develop
focused action plans for our
development needs and areas
thereafter,” David said.
“The important thing to note
is that this is not about creating
additional work. It is about
testing and doing what we
already have declared we will
do for all our staff, in
partnership. Beyond attaining
the Standard, there are levels of
excellence for us to pursue on
an evolving basis.”
The electronic survey is
expected to be launched by
early autumn and paper-based
versions will also be available.
Something’s stirring in the undergrowth across NHS Lothian – teams of green-fingered volunteers on a garden makeover mission
KIND HEARTS TO THE RESCUE!
Garden party at
Murray Park’s
‘room’ with a view
GROUND FORCE: the green-fingered volunteers at Astley Ainslie
MANY hands make light work – that’s
certainly been the case recently for
the Astley Ainslie therapy garden as
different groups joined together to give
it a new lease of life!
Gardening is a popular pastime for
many of us and using it as part of a
rehabilitation programme so that
patients can get fit to return to work
or for leisure pursuits can be very
rewarding and beneficial.
The garden at Astley Ainslie is used
by the hospital’s occupational
therapists to rehabilitate patients who
have suffered conditions such as brain
injuries, heart attacks or strokes.
It is also used by amputees –
gardening can help them build up
muscle and get them outside in the
fresh air. The garden is also useful as
a place of relaxation and it’s close to
the wards should any patient need
medical assistance.
But looking after a garden the size
of the one at Astley Ainsley so that
it’s easy to maintain and suitable for
rehabilitation purposes is a big job.
Deputy head of occupational
therapy Katherine Anderson said: “It’s
a big garden, so it isn’t a job for
one person. We were approached
by the Capital Bank section of
HBOS, who were looking for a
community involvement challenge
they could do.
“A team of 20 came along in July
and did a lot of the ‘grunt work’ – they
weeded all of our paths, shifted our
compost bins, moved benches,
cleared away rubble and rubbish and
painted one side of the bothy – among
other tasks.
“They also arranged for a group of
fencers to come in who were here for
three days putting up new fencing.
“The team were lucky on the day
that it wasn’t sunny because it can
get very hot in the garden so we
didn’t need to cart any of them off
to the Royal Infirmary suffering from
heat stroke!”
Through fundraising, HBOS has
also donated £1,800 to be spent on
the garden.
Katherine added: “We’d like to
Lorna is a Lieutenant Colonel in
205 Scottish Field Hospital, TA. She
was nominated by David White,
general manager at East Lothian CHP.
Brian is a Major in the 205 Scottish
Field Hospital, TA, and was
nominated by Gill Wood, chief
professional for theatres and
anaesthetics.
Lorna told Connections: “We
have both completed mobilised
service in Iraq. Brian has been twice.”
She added: “The visit to No. 10 was
very enjoyable. We met Tony Blair and
had a tour round Downing Street.”
TRANSFORMATION: the fabulous new-look garden
say a big thank you to HBOS –
the team worked really hard.”
But the help didn’t stop there. The
South Queensferry Guides and
Health Improvement Scotland have
volunteered to do regular maintenance
work in the garden.
In addition, the League of
Friends, which has previously
supported the garden, has donated
money that will be used to repair
The team were lucky it wasn’t very sunny,
so we didn’t need to cart any of them off
to the Royal Infirmary with heatstroke!
Katherine Anderson, deputy head of occupational therapy
the pond and to help buy a new
greenhouse.
Ross McDonald, from Capital
Bank Motor, said: “At HBOS, we
a re d e d i c a t e d t o c o m m u n i t y
involvement and we were delighted
to be able to help patients at Astley
Ainslie Hospital.
“This project gave us the chance
to show we are willing to dig in and
get our hands dirty to show the
importance of giving something back
to our local community.
“All those involved with the project
rose up to the challenge and the
result was a memorable day out of the
office and a truly beautiful garden to
show for it.”
GREEN FOR GO: the team worked hard to create a wonderful garden
Bridgend Allotment is Digging for Victory
Staff invited to Downing Street
NHS Lothian staff Lorna Martin and
Brian Jacek met the outgoing Prime
Minister Tony Blair in London
earlier this summer.
The PM and his wife had invited
staff from health boards across the UK
who’d been involved in the treatment
of injured military personnel to a
special reception at 10 Downing Street.
Lorna, who is clinical services
development manager at Herdmanflat
Hospital in Haddington, and
University Hospitals Division lecturer
and practitioner Brian, went to
the event.
NEWS 9
Connections September/October 2007
EVERYTHING’S ROSY: from left, allotment holder Harriet Warden,
Dr Anne Jepson and presenters Chris Collins and Hannah Genders
EDINBURGH’s innovative Bridgend
Community Allotment has won a top
UK gardening award.
And the £2000 first prize will be used
to buy and erect a wooden building
that can be used by all of the
allotment holders.
The project, which is successfully
linking health and wellbeing with
growing food and gardening,
entered a competition to find the
“best allotment site in the UK”, run by
UKTV Gardens, the satellite and
cable channel.
The “Digging for Victory” awards
featured nine UK allotments and what
they are doing to promote organics,
sustainability, biodiversity, community
involvement and health promotion in
the community.
The programmes were presented
by TV gardeners Chris Collins and
Hannah Genders.
And Bridgend, which also recently
featured on BBC TV’s Beechgrove
Garden programme, really wowed the
judges with its focus on promoting the
benefits of physical activity and green
space for people’s physical health and
mental wellbeing.
Dr Anne Jepson, who manages the
health project at Bridgend, said: “We
are delighted to have won the top prize.
Bridgend is the first totally organic
allotment site in Scotland and is
proving very popular with local people.”
The project is hosted by the
Edinburgh Community Health
Partnership (CHP) in collaboration with
City of Edinburgh Council, and is
currently seeking Big Lottery funding
to enable it to continue its work.
“Bridgend is the
first totally organic
allotment site in
Scotland and is
proving very
popular with
local people”
Dr Anne Jepson, Bridgend
Community Allotment
THE residents’ garden at Murray
Park Home in Edinburgh has been
transformed – thanks to bighearted local people and
companies who gave their time,
toil and materials to the makeover.
Murray Park, at Corstorphine
Hospital, is home to six people
with profound learning disabilities.
Recently, the father and friends of
one of the residents donated £2000
to house funds to be used for the
benefit of the residents.
Staff nurse Ian Stables told
Connections: “The staff decided
the cash should be used to
revamp the garden. It was just a
big expanse of grass unsuitable for
wheelchairs, which means some
of the residents couldn’t use it.
“We teamed up with the British
Conservation Trust for Volunteers
Scotland (BCTV), who said they
would help with the work, and my
sister, Carol White, who is a garden
designer, drew up the plans.
“Then BCTV were approached
by the Bank of Scotland and
Morgan Stanley who offered to
send their people along on a teambuilding exercise to help transform
the garden at no extra cost to us!
It was a wonderful gesture that all
of us appreciated.
“When the work was done, we
h a d t w o l a rg e d e c k s a n d a
beautifully landscaped garden.
“Then the residents got involved.
They wanted to donate money
they get through their living
allowance to buy a summerhouse
to erect in the grounds.”
NHS Lothian funded a fence
around the garden to keep it safe
and secure for the residents.
To celebrate the completion of
the project, the staff and residents
invited everyone who’d taken part
to a garden party – what else? –
along with family and friends.
Ian said: “The landlady of our
‘local’, the Corstorphine Inn, is
very good to the residents and
always has a warm welcome when
they visit. She came along with
her husband to the garden party
and brought loads of plants for
the garden.
“The garden is now fully
accessible and the residents and
staff have been taking full
advantage of their new ‘room’ this
summer despite the poor weather.”
VERY WARM WELCOME:
families enjoyed the open day
10
NEWS
Specialist
role for Toni
EDINBURGH has a new
specialist whose role it is to get
the message out about alcohol
awareness to the city’s different
ethnic groups.
Toni O’Toole of NHS Lothian’s
Health Promotion Service will be
working specifically with black
and minority ethnic groups to
develop relevant alcohol
awareness courses and other
appropriate materials on alcohol.
Toni said: “Edinburgh is home
to a wide variety of people
from many backgrounds and
cultures. It is important to
acknowledge this when it comes
to communicating alcohol
messages, as one message
does not fit all and different
audiences require different
approaches.
“Sometimes people drink too
much without realising they may
be affecting their health. If
someone is drinking too much,
one approach may be to stop
drinking completely. Another way
may be to reduce their drinking
to within sensible limits, although
this approach is not for everyone.
“I would like to invite people
from BME backgrounds to join
us on our steering group. We
would welcome your views on
current service provision and
what you feel would be helpful
within your local communities.”
E To become involved ,
contact Toni at Health
Promotion Services, 3rd
floor, Lauriston Building,
Edinburgh EH3 9HA. Call
0131 536 3527 or e-mail
[email protected]
Mental health
services move
MIDLOTHIAN’S adult mental health
services are moving to their new
home soon – at the former Bonnyrigg
Health Centre.
Refurbishment work is already
under way at the centre, in the
town’s High Street, to prepare for
the team of 40 health and social
work staff who will be moving in
next March.
Robert Clement, clinical nurse
manager for the Midlothian service,
told Connections: “The move was
planned as part of the redesign of
local adult mental health services and
will bring together two teams that
were previously located in different
parts of the county, along with social
work colleagues.”
He added: “The new centre will be
an administrative base for medical,
nursing, occupational and
physiotherapy, psychology and
social work, providing users of
mental health services in the
Midlothian area with much-enhanced
community services.”
September/October 2007 Connections
THE IMPORTANCE OF
INTERNET SECURITY
IN BRIEF
NHS Lothian is in the final stages
of an intensive review of its
policy on eHealth and
information management and
technology (IM&T) security. The
updated policy is going through
the approvals process, with full
partnership involvement and
eHealth has produced a security
and confidentiality newsletter
that will be distributed to staff.
NHS Lothian encourages its staff to
use the internet for clinical, business,
and training purposes. As an
employee of NHS Lothian, you are
entitled to that access by right of
your employment.
But that right of access also carries
responsibilities, as Ted Boyle,
systems administration and
security manager for eHealth,
explained: “The organisation needs
to protect staff and our infrastructure
from malware and other dangerous
material that’s likely to come in via
the internet.
“To help us to do that, we block
a number of sites where there is
probability that such material may
be stored. These include social
engineering sites such as Myface,
M y s p a c e , e B a y, B e b o a n d
You Tube.
“These sites serve no business
purpose and their use often
endangers our clinical systems.”
If you come across a site that is
blocked, but which you may require
access for business or clinical
purposes, the eHealth security
team can arrange to release it after
discussions with you.
It’s also important that, if you
find a site that has been blocked,
you don’t try to bypass those
blocking filters using outside
sources (called proxies) or any
other means.
Ted added: “While we don’t
monitor individuals, we constantly
monitor our systems to make sure
that our infrastructure is not at risk.
“Sometimes monitoring identifies
a situation that we have to investigate
further and individuals breaking or
attempting to circumvent the policies
may be identified.
“One of the greatest risks to our
infrastructure is caused when a
member of staff opens their own ISP
mail account – such as Yahoo or Blue
Yonder – as these services bypass
NHS Lothian’s antivirus screening.
“And we urge people to be
extremely wary about opening e-mails
from unknown sources at
their desks.”
Healthier options on the menu
NHS Lothian vending machines no
longer sell sugary carbonated drinks.
The drinks have been removed from
machines to encourage people to
choose healthier options. As a vital part
of a healthy diet, the availability of water
is also being promoted – still, sparkling
and flavoured – with fizzy diet drinks
still readily available.
Marjory Chirnside, NHS Lothian’s
head of catering, said: “There are
vending machines in all NHS Lothian
hospitals for staff and visitors.
We’ve replaced the sugary carbonated
drinks with more water and diet
drinks and we’ve also de-branded the
vending machines.”
But the move is only part of the effort
to increase the choice of healthier menu
options available in hospital dining
rooms, which includes offering a range
of fresh fruit in the vending machines.
Marjory added: “We are encouraging
all of our staff catering outlets to apply
for the Healthy Living Award, an
initiative of the Scottish Consumer
Orthotic service
under review
NHS Lothian has initiated a
review of its own orthotic services.
A multi-disciplinary
steering group, representing the
relevant services and professions,
held its first meeting in June,
chaired by Robert Aitken,
assistant general manager of
Edinburgh CHP.
The group was given
presentations on the Scottish
Orthotic Service Review (SOSR)
report and Lothian’s current
operational service model.
Initial tasks arising from the
formation of the group were to
consider its membership, remit
and operational structure.
From this meeting a working
group was established which met
for the first time in July.
Ongoing tasks are a scoping
exercise of the existing service
and an audit against the 14
recommendations of the
SOSR report.
The next meeting of the
steering group will finalise the
remit, which is being sponsored
b y J a c k i e S a n s b u r y,
NHS Lothian’s director of
strategic planning.
Although the remit is still to be
finalised, early work indicates that
organisational structure, regional
planning and accommodation
needs of the service will play a
significant part in the work of the
review group.
The accommodation needs of
the service will consider the need
for the in-house orthotic
department to be appropriately
housed and review the location
of clinics on a Lothian health
board area basis.
E Further informationon
Council and the Scottish Executive.
This scheme rewards the efforts by
outlets to make it easier for customers
to eat healthily when eating out.”
the orthotics review can
be obtained from:
Kirk Lakie, muskuloskeletal
service manager –
[email protected]
Giving staff the knowledge to progress
THE Knowledge and Skills Framework
(KSF) plays a key role in pay
modernisation in the NHS.
KSF is essentially a development tool,
and also contributes to decisions that
are made about pay progression. It is
used to identify the skills and
knowledge that employees will need in
order to carry out their roles effectively.
KSF project manager at NHS
Lothian, Dave Grigor, said: “Every NHS
post covered by Agenda for Change will
have a KSF ‘post outline’ that captures
the main knowledge and skills areas in
any given post.
“It helps staff be clear about what
knowledge and skills they need and how
to apply them to meet the demands of
their job.”
He added: “At least once a year, a
staff member and their reviewer will
use the KSF outline for their post as
the basis for their development
review.
“While the outlines reflect the
demands of the post itself, each
person will have his or her own personal
development plan (PDP) to reflect the
CONTACTS
You can also contact the KSF
implementation team:
Dave Grigor
KSF project manager
Tel: 01506 523046
[email protected]
fact that we each have different
development and learning needs.
KSF will be at the heart of future career
and pay progression. Never has
learning and development featured so
highly on the national agenda.”
The Agenda for Change agreement
gives everyone a firm commitment to
ongoing learning and development
throughout their working life.
It aims to provide a fair and
objective framework on which to base
an annual review.
NHS Lothian recently topped the
NHSScotland staff survey results for
KSF awareness and its KSF e-module
has been adopted by the NHSScotland
induction pilot programme for roll out
across Scotland’s health boards.
If you would like to attend a KSF
awareness session, speak with your local
KSF Trainer who can help. Alternatively,
you can access the KSF e-module on
the intranet.
If you have any queries about KSF,
contact your local KSF trainer in the
first instance (contact details on
intranet) or visit the Agenda for
Change/KSF intranet site, which has
a section on FAQs.
Stephen Hook
KSF project officer
Tel: 01506 523046
[email protected]
Tracy McBurnie
Staff-side lead for KSF
Tel: 07930 984192
[email protected].
nhs.uk
For information on the new
PDPR system, please contact:
Yvonne Marshall
Tel: 01506 523430
[email protected].
nhs.uk
Connections September/October 2007
NEWS
11
Health board works in partnership to support those who are struggling to cope
LOTHIAN SUICIDE FIGURES
DROP TO A 17-YEAR LOW
THE number of people
committing suicide in Lothian has
dropped to a 17-year low,
according to new figures
published by the information
services division of NHS National
Services Scotland.
There were 89 deaths in Lothian
caused by intentional self-harm in
2006, compared to 116 for the
previous year. Of these, 63 involved
men and 26 women.
This is the lowest figure since
1989, when there were 82 selfinflicted deaths.
Dr Alison McCallum, director
of public health, NHS Lothian,
said: “Every case of suicide is an
avoidable tragedy for that person,
their family and for society in
general.
“We are working very hard with
our partners to ensure that we
can support people in coping
with often desperately-difficult
personal circumstances, with the
aim of minimising the toll taken
on our communities in Lothian
by suicide.”
Alison added: “If you are worried
that someone is suicidal, ask them.
It could save their life.
“If you are feeling suicidal, don’t
hide it. Talk to someone you trust or
phone a helpline.”
NHS Lothian works with a
number of partners in supporting
people experiencing severe emotional
disturbance.
Breathing Space is available on
0800 838587 (6pm-2am). It is aimed
at anyone who is experiencing low
mood or depression, or who is
unusually worried and in need
of someone to talk to.
Encouraging
people to
Choose Life
DID
YOU KNOW
About two people
commit suicide in
Scotland every day and
it is the biggest killer
of young
Scottish men
DESPITE the number of
suicides reaching an all-time
low in the area, NHS Lothian
and partners continue to
highlight the issue, and
particularly during National
Suicide Prevention Awareness
Week, which runs from
10-17 September.
The four Choose Life
co-ordinators in Lothian
have organised a number
of events during the week,
from conferences to a minifilm festival, to raise the profile
of suicide prevention.
At the centre of this week
is the Choose Life conference
at Loanhead Miners’ Welfare
Club. This will include
presentations from the
National Choose Life
initiatives and showcase the
work of local projects in
Midlothian, including
workshops discussing the work
of the new Early Intervention
and Crisis Response Service
run by Health in Mind.
There will also be a focus on
how physical activity and social
interaction, particularly
volunteering, can improve
mental health and wellbeing.
A film festival is being
organised at the Edinburgh
Filmhouse featuring two
films that explore issues
of suicide, “The Bridge”, a
poignant look at the lives
affected by suicides from
the Golden Gate Bridge,
and “Grow Your Own”, a
British comedy based on a
real-life project in Liverpool.
LGBT events ensure that Your Mind Matters
AN innovative programme of events
and workshops for people who
identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or
transgender (LGBT) and with an
interest in their emotional and
mental health is being run over the
next four months.
“Your Mind Matters” has been
organised by the LGBT Centre for
Health & Wellbeing at its offices at
9 Howe Street, Edinburgh.
LGBT Mind Matters was born from
the dialogue and partnership between
representatives from both the LGBT
and mental health sectors and
members of the LGBT community.
NHS Lothian has part-funded the
LGBT Mind Matters pilot project,
which will be evaluated by the
Scottish Development Centre for
Mental Health.
Events include workshops on
mental health and relationships,
talking about recovery, talking about
self-harm and suicide.
Other sessions on offer include
managing conflict and stressful
situations, crisis planning, ageing and
identity, food and mood, safer
sex and spiritual needs in a mental
health context.
Courses include the new Living Life
to the Full programme facilitated by
Depression Alliance Scotland and an
eight-week course on transition, goal
setting and change for transwomen.
For bookings, further
information and a full list of
LGBT centre partners, check out
www.lgbtmindmatters.org.uk
Write to LGBT Centre for Health
& Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street,
Edinburgh, EH3 6TE. Tel: 0131 523
1100 or e-mail admin@
lgbthealth.org.uk
THE PROGRAMME INCLUDES:
Talking about “recovery” in mental
health – 3 September 5.30-8pm.
Living life to the full – eight-week
course on Wednesdays from
12 September until 31 October
5.45- 8pm.
Managing conflict and stressful
situations – 15 September 9.304.30pm. Lunch will be provided.
Talking about self harm – 8 October
6.30-8.30pm.
Safer sex, mental health and
relationships – 29 October 6.30-9pm,
5 November 6.30-9pm, 12 November
6.30-9pm.
Food and mood – 7 November 6.309pm; 14 November 6.30-9pm.
Talking about “recovery” in mental
health – 10 November 1.30-3.30pm.
Suicide talk – 19 November 5.30-8pm.
Young men
given safe
sex message
NHS Lothian is harnessing the
internet to connect with young men
in the fight against sexually-transmitted
infections.
A new video can be seen on the
NHS Lothian website to encourage
young men aged 16-19 to use postal
testing kits to check if they may have
chlamydia, one of the most common
sexually transmitted infections.
The kits, pioneered in Lothian, are
now available in four other health
board areas after proving popular with
young people. They can be picked up
from non-health or medical locations
where young people go, such as dropin centres for young people.
Research has shown that getting
tested by post – rather than accessing
a test through a genito-urinary
medicine clinic – is a popular option
for young men.
Dr Anna Glasier, lead clinician,
Sexual Health, NHS Lothian, said: ”We
know that men are less likely to use
health services, so we are trying to
raise awareness of chlamydia infection
in at-risk groups. We also know that
the internet is a good way to reach
young men to promote the benefits
of postal testing kits, which are already
popular with men.”
She added: “Many young people
like the fact that they can pick up the
postal testing kits without any hassle
and without having to be seen by a
healthcare worker.”
GUM clinic’s
service
is praised
SEXUAL health awareness
services in Lothian have been
commended for offering help
quickly to people with concerns.
The Genito-Urinary Medicine
Clinic at Lauriston Place, in
Edinburgh, was among 21 GUM
clinics in Scotland to be
“mystery-shopped” by callers
working for NHS National
Services Division feigning
symptoms of diseases such as
chlamydia, genital ulcers and
urethral discharge.
NHS Lothian’s Family
Planning Service at Dean
Terrace, in Edinburgh, was
among 14 clinics also targeted
by the spotchecks.
Calls to the GUM clinic were
answered immediately and the
caller was offered a face-to-face
appointment at a drop-in clinic
within 48 hours in three of the
four mystery calls made.
In the fourth, the caller made
three calls to the service, with the
number being engaged or not
answered, before also receiving
a face-to-face appointment at a
drop in clinic within 48 hours.
12
NEWS
September/October 2007 Connections
New operating
procedure for
clinical policies
IN the complex and dynamic
environment of NHS Lothian, it is
essential to provide a governance
framework for clinical policies,
protocols, procedures, guidelines and
other clinical tools.
To this end, a policy and operating
procedure for NHS Lothian clinical
policies has been developed and was
authorised by the healthcare
governance and risk management
committee in June.
It is available on NHS Lothian’s
intranet under healthcare/clinical
policies/clinical guidance.
If you are involved in the
development or updating of any
clinical policies, protocols,
procedures or guidelines, either
strategic or local, it is important
that you access this document.
It will tell you, step by step,
what you need to do and who
you need to communicate with,
thereby avoiding any duplication
of effort.
The co-ordinating body for all of
this is the clinical policy committee,
chaired jointly by Pat Dawson,
associate nursing director, and
Mike Winter, associate medical
director.
Updates from the committee
will be posted on the intranet,
where it is also anticipated
that a consultation/work in
progress zone will be developed
to facilitate the consultation
process.
E For more information and/or
advice, please e-mail
Anne.crawford@
lpct.scot.nhs.uk or
Carol.crowther@
luht.scot.nhs.uk
CHI TARGET EXCE
Grand gesture
by fundraising
bowling teams
A FUN time was had by all at the
annual Helen Murray Bowling
Trophy competition.
The event took place this year
on 4 August at the Ferranti
Bowling Club to raise money for
the St Columba’s Hospice. Babs
Garner, a secretary ward at the
Western General Hospital (WGH),
and her family organise the event
every year in memory of their late
mother, who died at St Columba’s
Hospice. Other NHS staff,
including five lab van drivers who
are also based at WGH, helped
out on the day.
The event included food and
drink, raffles and a disco and
more than £1000 was raised. To
date, the family has raised more
than £10,000 for the hospice in the
16 years it has been running.
The magic of MELA
EDINBURGH MELA is one of
the highlights of the capital’s
calendar – a dazzling intercultural
festival with displays of
international and local talent.
This year’s event – held on
1 and 2 September in Pilrig Park
– featured the added attraction
of a colourful stall featuring
information on a range of NHS
Lothian projects.
The projects involved were:
equality and diversity; the
proposed new hospital for
children and young people in
Edinburgh (including a
children’s drawing competition);
Keep Well information – health
checks including blood pressure;
Lothian Alliance Against
Depression – including recruiting
for Mental HealthFirst Aid
courses run by the Mental
Health and Wellbeing Team;
Alcohol Awareness, and
Minority Ethnic Health Inclusion
Project – general health
information, including a display
on five key messages for
cancer prevention.
FOR the second month in a row,
NHS Lothian has exceeded its
target for using the Community
Health Index (CHI) number on
attendance letters for people using
outpatient services.
The CHI number is the national
unique number given to every
patient either at birth, or when they
register for the first time with a GP.
It is the number that’s used
to identify each patient and should
b e p re s e n t o n a n y h e a l t h
communication relating to
that person.
Using CHI helps to ensure that:
patients can be correctly identified
more quickly and more easily
a more complete picture of
a patient’s healthcare can
be accessed
more informed decisions can be
n
n
n
made about a patient’s care.
As part of NHS Lothian’s
commitment to attaining 97 per cent
use of CHI on all of its patient
communications, as of July, its
monthly national reporting for all
monitored services at NHS Lothian
hospitals for outpatient attendance
letters had been 99 per cent for two
consecutive months.
CHI project manager Ivor Watkins
Increasing awareness of nutrition
PEOPLE who are undernourished
are at risk of suffering from a number
of other conditions, including
respiratory problems, falls, fractures
and mental issues.
With this in mind, community
dietitians, in collaboration with
speech and language therapists,
ran training events aimed at increasing
awareness of nutrition in care homes
for the elderly.
A total of 58 members of staff from
local authority, charity and private
homes, including managers, nurses,
care staff and cooks, were trained.
The three-hour sessions looked at
nutrition of the elderly and the
methods used to identify risks. The
particular needs of patients
with swallowing difficulties were
discussed, led by a speech and
language therapist.
This was followed by a
demonstration of the techniques
that can be used to make food
“People who are
undernourished are
at risk of suffering
from a number of
other conditions,
including fractures”
easier to swallow and more
nutritionally substantial for
undernourished residents.
A workshop was held using scales
and tape measures, when participants
were able to calculate their own
BMI and then use this new skill to
think about what they would do
with residents suffering from
eating problems.
Contact with participants following
the sessions showed that they were
using what they had learned in the
training sessions and they felt that they
had a better understanding of the
needs of elderly people in their care.
In addition, community dietitians
Mary Deans and Jill Docherty
have been training nutrition
champions from care homes, as
part of a national training
initiative. The five-day training
involved 27 members of staff
and explored health issues
such as diabetes, dysphagia
and under nutrition.
Participants looked at
practical solutions and shared
good practices from their own
establishments. They also spent
two of the five days working on a
project that each person had
identified as a way of improving
practice at their own workplace.
E Further training opportunities
are accessible through the PDU
programme at Edenhall Hospital,
Musselburgh, 0131 536 8006.
NEWS
Connections September/October 2007
Unique number helps
reduces clinical risk
NHS Lothian is monitoring the use of the Community
Health Index (CHI) numbers on requests to the area’s
laboratory services as part of its campaign to meet its
nationally set target of 97 per cent of CHI on all patient
communications.
The health authority has been set a rising target
for HEAT* target performance indicators, which are
reported every month to the SEHD.
For July, the CHI compliance figure for
laboratory requesting stood at 83 per cent – below
its projected target.
Ivor Watkins, CHI project manager, said: “To
ensure the correct patient is identified on requests
and so reduce clinical risk, the CHI number must
be on all laboratory requesting where possible.
“NHS Lothian’s laboratory services use the
individual patient’s CHI number as the primary
patient identifier, so using the CHI number is
essential when placing a laboratory request.
“The use of the electronic ordering system on
some hospital wards to place laboratory requests
has already shown CHI compliance of more than
90 per cent, and this facility should be used
wherever it’s available,” he added.
In areas where staff have to complete manual
laboratory request forms, they should not
handwrite the patient’s details, but always use the
patient labels to stick on the forms since these will
contain the CHI number where it’s available.
E For further advice and information on the
use of CHI, please contact the CHI project
team on extension 27335.
* HEAT stands for the Health Improvement,
Efficiency Access to Services Treatment
Appropriate for Patients initiative.
EDED AGAIN
said: “As a result of this
achievement, NHS Lothian no
longer has to report nationally on
these monitored figures for
outpatient letters following their sign
off by the Scottish Executive
Health Department in July.
“However, we will be monitoring
the figures as normal until
March 2008 to ensure that NHS
Lothian’s continues to work
towards the 97 per cent target for
CHI usage for all patient
communications.”
He added: “The CHI project team
would like to thank staff involved
at all sites for their hard work in
meeting this target and their
continued efforts to ensure that the
CHI number is used on all patient
communications throughout
NHS Lothian.”
13
Staff absence rates
lower in NHS Lothian
HEALTHCARE staff in Lothian
have lower rates of absence due
to illness than the Scottish
average for staff in similar roles,
new figures have revealed.
The sickness absence rate
in NHS Lothian is 5.04 per cent,
compared to the Scottish
average of 5.55 per cent.
The figures were published by
ISD Scotland and cover
the period from April 2006 to
March 2007.
Jim McCaffery, director of
acute services and workforce,
NHS Lothian, said: “These
figures confirm that NHS
Lothian has one of the lowest
rates of absence for health
boards in Scotland.
“By working with staff as a
good employer, we have been
able to reduce the use of agency
staff and have introduced a
Discharge
lounge has
new look
PATIENTS at St John’s Hospital
in Livingston who have been
discharged can now wait in comfort
thanks to a makeover of the
discharge lounge.
Staff from the lounge, which is
located in a bay off Ward 22, raised
£100 to make the area more
comfortable for patients.
They approached Voluntary
Services manager Agnes McKenna
to look at what could be done.
HSBC Bank staff offered their
services to help with the makeover
and a call went out to staff and friends
for any donations of suitable
furniture for the project.
The makeover team also asked
local shops if they could donate
range of family friendly policies
and flexible working options in
partnership with our staff-side
organisations, which have had
positive benefits in terms of
reducing staff absence through
illness.
“We have seen particular
progress over the last year, with
the rate moving from 5.4 per
cent to 5.04 per cent.”
The figure is an average for
the year. The figures for March
2007, the most recent month
covered by the report, show an
absence rate for that month of
4.66 per cent.
This achievement is
particularly commendable given
that healthcare workers are
advised to report sick rather
than continue to work if they are
suffering ailments which could
jeopardise patient safety.
anything suitable for the makeover.
Once the room had been cleared
and decorated by the estates
department, the volunteers set to
work. Thanks to their efforts,
patients now have a more relaxed
environment in which to wait on the
day of discharge, with comfortable
seating, dining area, fish tank,
television, radio and toilet facilities.
Light snacks and refreshments
such as tea and coffee are also
available and there’s a free telephone
for patients to contact anyone
in relation to their discharge
arrangements.
The staff at St John’s thank all the
people who volunteered their time
and worked hard to make such a
difference to the Discharge Lounge.
They also thank ever yone
who made a donation, including
The Pier in Almondvale who
donated all the dishes, pictures
and soft furnishings, B&Q
Livingston, who donated house
plants, and Pagazzi, who gave a
discount on lamps.
Weigh2Go to shed pounds successfully
PROMOTING easy and sustainable
ways to reduce your weight is the aim
behind a south Edinburgh project.
Weigh2Go is the brainchild of
community staff nurse Carol McArthur,
senior community dietitian Mary
Deans and community staff nurse
Becky Arnott, who knew there was a
need for a service to help patients
make healthy changes to their lifestyles
in order to avoid the health risks linked
to obesity.
They started up Weigh2Go classes
in Gracemount Medical Centre in
June last year as afternoon drop-in
sessions between 2pm and 3.30pm
providing regular weigh-ins, information
and leaflets for those wanting to lose
weight. The Edinburgh Community
Food Initiative provided cheap fruit,
vegetables and pulses for participants
to buy.
Those attending get a record card of
their weight and a food and activity diary.
Staff work out if what they are eating
meets their nutritional needs and
suggest easy ways they can improve
their diet and levels of activity.
The target for most people is a weight
loss of between five and 10 per cent of
their weight in three months. Waistline
measurement is also taken to help
motivation and prevent fixation on
weight only.
“Weigh2Go is an easy way for people in
deprived areas to get advice without
having to go to their doctor. Clients
find the informal atmosphere helpful”
Mary Deans, senior community dietitian
From June last year to May this year,
120 individual clients have sought
support in weight management, with
59 people losing weight.
Senior community dietitian Mary
Deans said: “Weigh2Go is an easy
way for people living in deprived
areas to get free advice without having
to go to their doctor first. Clients find
the informal and friendly atmosphere
at Weigh2Go particularly helpful.
“Many clients expect to be given a
diet sheet to stick to, but we explain that
research has indicated the best way to
lose weight and keep it off is to make
gradual and positive changes to your
lifestyle which you can continue with,
rather than getting fed up with and
abandoning a prescribed diet.
“The format is readily transferable and
several practitioners have visited our
Wednesday sessions to see how it works,
so it may be put in place in other areas.
This service will link into an overall NHS
Lothian weight management strategy.”
IN BRIEF
Murray
moves on
MURRAY DUNCANSON, chief
executive of the former Primary
and Community Division (PCD)
at NHS Lothian, has decided to
move on now that the division’s
workload has been redistributed
to Lothian’s Community Health
Partnerships.
Friends and colleagues
gathered to say their farewells
at a reception for Murray at
Eskhill House, Inveresk Village,
at the end of August.
NHS Lothian non-executive
board member and former
chair of the division, Robin
Burley, said: “Murray has played
an important role in the
provision of health services in
Lothian since he moved here
over five years ago. We wish him
well for the future”
Murray said: “The primary
care organisation at NHS
Lothian has been ver y
successful in keeping patient
care standards high, while
consistently delivering on
financial, waiting times and
delayed discharge targets.
“ Pr i m a r y c a r e a l s o
implemented a new mental
health strategy, while gaining an
excellent reputation for the
way it delivered the new Lothian
Unscheduled Care Service, the
GMS contract and its track
record on drugs expenditure.”
He added: “The efforts of
colleagues has helped us to
achieve a great deal and I am
sure as the system builds on
Care with Pride and the
Lothian Way, patient care
will improve even further.”
Connections
up for award
CONNECTIONS has been
shortlisted for yet another
prestigious award – the 2007
CIPR PRide awards in
November.
NHS Lothian’s staff
newspaper has been nominated
in the Best Newspaper or
Magazine category, which
featured the highest number of
entries. NHS Lothian’s website
has also been shortlisted in
the Best Website category, and
the communications team is
hoping to retain the Public
Sector Team of the Year title.
Young
Scotland
nominations
NOMINATIONS are being
sought for members of NHS
Lothian staff to take part in the
2 0 0 7 Yo u n g S c o t l a n d
programme. This professional
development opportunity is
open to anyone over 18 and in
the early years of their career.
The closing date is 15 October.
E For more information, visit:
www.youngprogramme.org
14
LIFESTYLE
DAY IN THE LIFE OF… Tracy McBurnie
Tracy McBurnie has been involved in the
implementation of the Knowledge & Skills
Framework (KSF) in NHS Lothian for the
past three years. In her dual role as a KSF
trainer and staff-side lead for KSF, Tracy
freely admits that life is never dull!
WHAT IS YOUR JOB?
I am one of 160 accredited
KSF trainers who deliver
KSF training and support
staff in developing post
outlines. We look after the
needs of nurses and
colleagues who work in
the lab, admin and clerical,
estates and facilities, catering,
porters and cleaning
departments.
TELL US ABOUT A
TYPICAL DAY…
There’s no such thing! I
could start the day at a KSF
meeting discussing national
KSF issues and end it
explaining to staff how KSF
can help them in their
work. Or I could be working
with staff to develop their
post outlines at a district
hospital in Musselburgh.
WHAT DID YOU DO
BEFORE KSF?
I was a medical secretary and
I’d never delivered training
in my life until I joined the
KSF team. Every day is
different and I am enjoying
the challenge.
As well as delivering
training, I provide telephone
support to health service
workers looking for specific
information about
KSF-related issues. And
I’m also available to visit any
of NHS Lothian’s many
workplaces to assist staff
with outline development,
and to provide support to
managers and staff in
relation to the outline
development from a staff-side
perspective.
DOES KSF REALLY MAKE
THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE?
Many of the people who’ve
worked in the NHS for years
may not have received
training for their posts
other than mandatory
September/October 2007 Connections
BEAT THOSE
It’s that time of year again when
colds and influenza strike but
there are ways to help yourself
courses, such as manual
handling orfire safety. KSF
will assist NHS Lothian in
meeting the Staff
Governance Standard by
enabling staff to become fully
trained and fully competent
in their posts, and will help
make NHS Lothian the
employer of choice, which
can only be a positive thing
for staff and NHS Lothian.
See page 10 for more
information about KSF.
n To appear in the Day In
The Life feature, or After
Hours, where staff talk
about their unusual pastimes,
contact Connections at
[email protected].
nhs.uk
THE thought of winter might
send a shiver down your
spine, but it’s only a couple oif
months away. Now is a good
time to think about the best
steps to take to try to avoid
catching the cold or flu.
The cold is one of the most
common respiratory diseases
and is caused by many different
viruses. People tend to get more
colds in winter because we
spend more time indoors so
we’re in closer proximity to
other people and their germs.
The viruses are ver y
contagious, but there are steps
you can take to make your body
a little less attractive to those
nasty cold germs! Fight germs
by washing your hands properly
and often, and keep your
immune system strong by
taking regular physical activity,
including plenty of fruit and
vegetables in your diet and
getting enough sleep.
You can’t cure a cold, but a
pharmacist can advise you what
medicines can lessen symptoms
such as a persistent cough or
sore throat. Most people can
treat a cold at home by getting
lots of rest and drinking plenty
of water.
If you are tired, in poor
physical condition, exposed to
some air pollutants, or have a
chronic lung disease such as
asthma or chronic obstructive
pulmonary disorder (COPD)
you may be more susceptible to
colds. People with asthma
and COPD who get colds
should see their doctor if
symptoms do not improve.
Be kind to your friends and
colleagues by reducing their
chances of catching your cold by:
covering up coughs and
sneezes
washing your hands
properly and often.
The symptoms of flu – a high
fever, a “shivery” feeling,
headaches, aching limbs and
n
n
lack of energy – are different
from a cold and they tend to
come on much faster.
If you get the flu, you will
probably feel very ill and have
a temperature for up to a week.
For most people, the flu is just
a nasty experience, but it can
lead to more serious illnesses
such as pneumonia, which will
need to be treated by a doctor.
What to do if you get
the flu:
stay at home, keep warm
n
LIFESTYLE
Connections September/October 2007
FLU BUGS!
and rest, as this will help
you recover more quickly in
the long run
drink plenty of nonalcoholic liquids to replace the
fluids you lose through sweating
eat what you can
if you live on your own, tell
a friend or neighbour that you
are ill so that
they can
check up
on you
a n d
n
n
n
bring you in food if necessary.
You do not need to contact
your doctor, but frail or
elderly people are at more risk
and should contact their
doctor if they are worried.
Consult your doctor if your
temperature doesn’t settle
after four or five days, your
symptoms get worse or you
develop chest pain or become
short of breath.
A flu vaccination is
recommended if you
TAKE IT EASY: if
you have flu, resting
and keeping warm
will help your recovery
are 65 or over or have:
a chronic heart or chest
complaint, including asthma
or bronchitis
chronic kidney disease
diabetes
lowered immunity because
of disease or treatments such
as steroid medication, for
cancer, or you have no spleen
or splenic dysfunction
any other long-term medical
complaint.
Va c c i n a t i o n i s a l s o
recommended if you live in a
place where there is a high risk
of the flu spreading quickly,
such as a nursing home.
Va c c i n a t i o n s a r e n’ t
recommended for people
under 65 who don’t have the
medical complaints listed
because flu isn’t a serious risk
for them.
In addition, anyone who has
a serious allergy to hens’ eggs
or is pregnant shouldn’t get
the vaccine.
The vaccine is effective and
most people who get it won’t
catch the flu.
Appointments for
vaccinations usually take
place between late September
and early December.
n
n
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n
JAMmy’s six of the best in
aid of premature babies
JOHN SMITH, Andrew Jeske and Moira Nicol
put their enthusiasm for running to good use
this summer – they ran six 5k races in three
weeks and raised £600 for charity.
The three, pictured, who are based at the
Royal Infirmary site at Little France, teamed
up to take part in this year’s jogscotland 5k
challenges to raise money for Simpson’s
Special Care Babies Unit.
They called themselves the JAMmy – John,
Andrew and Moira, geddit? – Little Francers
team and challenged friends and colleagues
to guess the amount of time it would take the
entire team to run the six races, donating a
pound to do so.
The money will go towards the purchase of
two new ventilators for the Special Care Babies
Unit at the Royal Infirmary. The ventilators
provide life-saving support
for premature babies.
The races took place
in Melrose, Glasgow,
Edinburgh (where
there were two on
one night), Moray
and Ellon and
the team’s final
time was six
hours, 30 minutes
and five seconds –
an average time of
21 minutes and
40 seconds per race.
John, Andrew and
Moira are all
jogscotland leaders at
Little France and take
regular lunchtime
groups out running.
Andrew, a lab technician said: “We
decided to do the six races for charity two
months before the challenges started. It was
a good laugh doing it. I usually run marathons,
so it was a challenge to run short, sharp races.
“The Glasgow Green course was nice
and flat with Moira and John managing
personal bests and we all finished within the
top 10 for the Moray race, Moira being first
lady finisher.”
Jogging is a great way to get fit – it increases
your stamina, tones you up and strengthens
your bones. Many people also report a
lasting, beneficial effect on their moods and
state of mind.
The Little France jogscotland group meets
on a Monday evening, and Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday lunchtimes.
Don’t worry about being super fit – jogging
is all about finding a comfortable pace and
the jog leaders start you off on a gentle
walk-jog programme until you can run
10 minutes without stopping.
WIN an exclusive signed
Scotland rugby jersey
Sporting fans have the chance to own a little bit of history thanks
to Connections and Scottish Rugby! Together we are delighted to offer readers
the chance to win a signed Scotland jersey.
Scotland’s home internationals in RBS Six Nations 2008 are against France
and England. With no tickets to the England game available for public sale, the
international against France on 3 February could be the only opportunity some Scots will have
to see their team play at home – and you could be there wearing your own unique shirt!
How to enter…
To be in with a chance of winning the signed shirt, answer this simple question:
At which stadium does Scotland play its
home international rugby matches?
Send your answer to
Connections, NHS Lothian,
148 Pleasance, Deaconess
House, Edinburgh EH8
9RS, by Friday 12 October.
The winner will be the
first correct entry drawn
from the hat
Answer
Name
Job title
E-mail address
Work tel. no.
To buy tickets for the match, which are priced from £30 for adults and £15 for
U18s and children, call 0131 346 5100 or log on to www.scottishrugby.org
Do your bit for the environment by swapping your traditional light
bulbs for energy efficient replacements.
We have two sets of five low energy bulbs up for grabs courtesy of Changeworks.
The Edinburgh-based sustainable development charity’s Warm and Well project
aims to help people whose health could be affected by cold, damp, draughty
housing by giving advice on how make energy savings around the home.
For a chance to win, answer this simple question:
Which gases harm the environment? (A) Greenhouse (B) Shed (C) Garage
Send your answer to the address above by Friday 12 October.
Winners will be the first two correct entries drawn out of the hat.
For more information on Warm and Well, visit www.changeworks.org.uk and click on
Energy and then Warm and Well or call free on 0800 512 012.
Issue 21 competition winners
E The winner of the Wimbledon designer sunglasses is Kenneth Deed, travel expenses
officer, Stevenson House.
E The winner of the £25 Love2Shop voucher is Vicky MacHirant, administration secretary,
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
Wordsearch colds and flu
Can you find which word from the list is missing from the wordsearch? There’s a £25 Love2Shop
voucher up for grabs, courtesy of our publishers, Connect Communications. Send your answer to
Connections, NHS Lothian, 148 Pleasance, Deaconess House, Edinburgh EH8 9RS by Friday
12 October. The first correct entry drawn out of the hat will win.
THE MISSING WORD IS…
Name
Job title
E To find out more, contact
Moira Nicol on moira.nicol
@ed.ac.uk or John Smith on
[email protected],
or visit www.jogscotland.
safety.ed.ac.uk/LF/page2.shtm
to read the story and see the
pictures of the JAMmy’s tour.
Donations can still be made on
https://sscb.workwithus.org
/Fundraising/Donate.aspx?page=1434
For other jogscotland groups
across Scotland, check out the
website www.jogscotland.org.uk
15
E-mail
Work tel. no.
H
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E WINTER ILLNESS E FATIGUE E COUGHING
E SNEEZING E SNIFFLE E ACHE E HOT DRINK
E TISSUE E BED REST E KEEP WARM E FLU JAB
16
PEOPLE
September/October 2007 Connections
How does our
Mary (MBE)
find the time?!
Saddle-sore
fundraiser’s
efforts pay off
NHS play specialist receives
Royal accolade in recognition of
her many community activities
AN NHS Lothian play specialist has
been given an MBE for services to
the community in Livingston.
For more than 30 years, Mary
Benson has taken part in a
number of voluntary activities to
benefit the people of Livingston, while
working in a day job and bringing
up two sons.
Not only was she a member of the
Children’s Panel for 13 years, but she
was also a member of its advisory
panel, which recruits new panel
members, for a further six years.
From when her sons, now 36 and
29, were at school to the present day,
Mary has been, for periods, a
member of the Harrysmuir Primary
School and Inveralmond Community
High School Board and School
Council. She has also been involved
in fundraising efforts for the local
boy’s football team, brass band,
orchestra and Boy’s Brigade far
beyond her sons’ graduations.
For four years, Mary was also a
Justice of the Peace and, as
chairperson of her local community
council, has, along with others,
helped to organise Christmas parcels
for the elderly and pantomime
treats for local children.
“I’ve been in Livingston for 36
years,” Mary said. “When we first
came out, we were like pioneers
coming out to a new town and I
chose to get involved with many
community activities. I’m shocked
COMMUNITY
STALWART:
Mary has
been presented
with an MBE
that I have received this award as I
never expected such an honour. I am
one of these people who just gets on
with it and does it, because it needs
to be done. I think that we can all
do our bit and help.”
Mary continued: “I think a lot
of the skills I’ve learned from
being on the children’s panel and
its advisory committee, as well
as from other activities, have
been transferable to my workplace
and vice versa.”
Mar y is a play specialist
co-ordinator at the Children’s Ward
in St John’s Hospital. Part of her role
is to help provide safe and stimulating
play for children and young people
during a period of hospitalisation,
which may include preparation,
distraction and diversion for invasive
or intrusive procedures.
KAREN LEE, formerly an
executive assistant at
Lothian NHS Board, raised
a remarkable amount of
money for a family friend
through a sponsored cycle
ride – despite doing no
training for the event.
Karen and a friend
biked from Mussellburgh
to North Berwick and back
– a distance of about 40
plus miles – on 29 July to
raise money for a mutual
friend who has been
diagnosed with dementia
at the age of 36. Their
efforts raised £3,240.
Karen, who now works for
a GP practice in Mayfield
Road, Edinburgh, said: “We
were lucky because it was a
really nice day. The first half
of the cycle ride was fun,
but I was starting to get stiff
and sore on the way back –
it was sheer determination
that kept me going. Of
course, it might have
helped if I’d done some
training for the event!
“We’re already thinking
of doing something again
to raise money for my friend
next year – though maybe
not on a bike this time!”
Connections inspires
an African adventure
Round-island bike ride raises
£7200 in memory of RIE patient
FOR visitors to Millport, a
sightseeing cycle round the
island is a must, but one
group of cyclists had more
important matters than
local landmarks on their
minds – they were on a
fundraising mission.
And thanks to their
efforts, they were able to
present a bumper cheque
for more than £7000 to the
Vascular Research Fund
at the Royal Infirmary
of Edinburgh.
The money was raised by
Pauline MacKay of
Saltcoats and her friends
in memory of Pauline’s
husband John. He had
undergone successful
surgery for a thoracoabdominal aneurysm at the
RIE, but sadly died a few
months later.
Rod Chalmers,
consultant vascular
surgeon and director of the
National ThoracoAbdominal Aortic
Aneurysm Service, said:
“We were delighted to
receive the donation from
Pauline. This contribution
will greatly help our
research and educational
endeavours over the
coming years.”
The vascular surgical
service at the RIE is the
centre for the Scottish
National Service for the
treatment of thoracoabdominal aneur ysm
disease. More than 20
patients from across
Scotland are treated there
each year and since its
official inception in 2000,
the service has gone from
strength to strength.
Pauline, second right, is
pictured handing over
the cheque for £7228.20
to, left to right, clinical
support worker Maureen
Suttie, Rod Chalmers,
Mary Sowersby, secretary,
and staff nurse
Caroline Duguid.
COMMUNITY health visitor Lisa
Drayson has left her family and
friends to fly half way across the
world – thanks to an article she
spotted in her copy of Connections.
Lisa aims to spend the next
two years in Malawi as a nurse
educator, working with student
nurses and midwives in the northern
town of Mzuzu.
She has joined Voluntary Services
Overseas (VSO), the international
charity that aims to help people
in developing countries in the
Third World.
Lisa, who has worked in NHS
Lothian for the past six years as a
midwife and latterly as a qualified
health visitor in the Haddington
area, said: “I saw an article in
Connections calling for health
service people to get involved in
training overseas.
“I decided that I needed a new
challenge in my life, so I applied to
VSO and was accepted on to
the programme.”
Volunteers like Lisa aim to
pass on their expertise to local
people so that when they return
home to the UK their skills remain.
Volunteers can be aged between
20 and 75 years old and must
have a formal qualification – Lisa
is a qualified nurse and midwife –
and some work experience.
Regular postings are for two
years and volunteers are
provided with accommodation
and a local level allowance as
ALL SMILES: Lisa is looking
forward to working in Malawi
well as airfares and insurance.
Lisa said: “I’ve already met a
couple of the people who will
travel to Malawi with me, although
we won’t be working together.
When I get there, I’ll have a couple
of weeks of training before I
move up to Mzuzu.”
She added: “The prospect of
living and working in a totally
different culture is both nervewracking and exciting, and I can’t
wait to get there.”
E If you would like to raise funds
for VSO’s work overseas, or
become a volunteer with the
organisation yourself, you can
visit the website at: vso.org.uk