Pulse November-December 2012

Transcription

NEWS FOR NHS LANARKSHIRE STAFF • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
Pages 10-11
Page 14
Get vaccinated
for winter
Help towards
those First Steps
PATIENTS’
12-WEEK
PROMISE
Special pride in Clyde
CHRISTINE Gilmour has a special
reason to be proud of Clyde, the
2014 Commonwealth Games
mascot. The Chief Pharmacist’s
12-year-old daughter, Beth, beat
4000 entries with her design.
Clyde, the patriotic and
adventurous thistle, will be the
friendly face of the Games.
Beth said: “I still can’t believe
that my entry is now the Glasgow
2014 mascot – it’s amazing!”
Treatment time guarantee now in place
PATIENTS in Lanarkshire are
now guaranteed to receive
treatment within 12 weeks.
The Treatment Time Guarantee
(TTG) was introduced on
1 October 2012 and places a legal
responsibility on NHS Boards to
deliver treatment to all inpatients
and day case patients within
12 weeks of the patient agreeing
to treatment.
The new guarantee was part of
the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act.
It means that patients who agree
to treatment on 1 October will
have to begin that treatment by
24 December 2012.
Alan Lawrie, interim director
of acute services, said: “We are
now expected to ensure that no
patient waits more than 12 weeks
once they have agreed to their
treatment.
“This is a challenging target and
all staff have a role to play in
ensuring that waiting lists are
managed effectively to achieve it.
ALSO INSIDE
“Managers and clinicians
need to work together to
improve theatre scheduling and
prioritisation.”
He added: “It is also about clear
communications with patients and
knowing what to do when patients
are or become unavailable, as this
will affect their waiting times.”
The Act also places
responsibility on patients to ensure
they attend their appointment
This is a
challenging
target and all staff
have a role to play
in ensuring that
waiting lists are
managed
effectively to
achieve it
and explains what happens if
they refuse two offers of an
appointment.
NHS Lanarkshire has a new
Local Access Policy that sets out
how patients will receive
treatment and appointments in
accordance with the new Act.
Alan Lawrie added: “We are
committed to improving the
patient journey and patient
experience through improved
process, effective use of new
technology and through
maximising available capacity.
“Effective communication with
patients is essential to achieving
that and we will use all available
options, including letters, emails
and texts to keep in contact
with patients.”
An operation manual for
clinicians and managers is being
developed to support the new
access policy and will be available
on FirstPort by the end of
December 2012.
MASCOT: Beth
Gilmour (left) and
Olympian Rebecca
Adlington give Clyde
a warm welcome
NEWS ACROSS THE DIVISIONS • TRAINING UPDATE • YOUR STORIES • YOUR GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS
2 thePulse GENERAL NEWS
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
Contents
MODEL LOOKS: the public had
a chance to see how the new
centre in Wishaw will appear
HAND HYGIENE:
staff uncover the
hidden germs.
See page 4
2-9 GENERAL NEWS
Public health report shows an improving picture;
screening to be launched for aortic aneurysms;
staff member shows grit in giving up smoking;
patient satisfaction is gauged through surveys; and
events help promote World Aids Day, as well as
the support on offer for chronic obstructive
pulmonary disorder.
10-11 WINTER PLANNING
People urged to get ready for winter by planning
ahead and knowing what services to access if they
become ill.
12-14 LOCAL, DISTRICT, PARTNERSHIP NEWS
Pledge launched for shops, services and businesses
to be dementia friendly; further support for older
people; baby help for new families.
17 STAFF BENEFITS
Win a meal and catch the latest big deals.
20 ACHIEVEMENTS
Staff pay tribute to athletes on a road trip, nurse to
complete 50 5ks and river challenge raises funds.
Editorial policy
As the staff newspaper of NHS Lanarkshire, The Pulse aims to celebrate
the work and achievements of staff and services. It also shares information
about the changes and issues that affect staff at work. We would like to
hear your thoughts and suggestions about the kind of stories you would
like to see in The Pulse. Contact the team (below) with your stories,
comments and ideas.
Got a story?
If you have any ideas, stories
or features you would like to see
included, or would just like to tell us
what you think of The Pulse, please
get in touch with a member of the
editorial team...
Marysia Waters
01698 858105
Michelle Nobes
(Hairmyres)
01355 585325
Christine McNeill
(Monklands)
01236 713065
Yvonne Ross
(Wishaw General)
01698 366558
The deadline for
contributions
to the next issue
of The Pulse
is Friday 23
November.
AT FIRST SITE
Public consulted on three new health centres
THE engagement process on the
proposals to build three new
community health centres in
Lanarkshire is well under way.
Following a two-day event
which took place in Hunter
Health Centre in August, events
were held in Wishaw and Kilsyth
in October to give members of
the public and staff the chance
to see a model of both new
health centres and ask officials
from NHS Lanarkshire and the
architect questions on the
development.
The Wishaw and Kilsyth
community health centre
developments are two of three
new health centres which NHS
Lanarkshire wishes to build after
submitting funding bids to the
Scottish Government.
If all bids are successful, it will
see a 7800m2 centre in Wishaw
and a 2100m2 centre in Kilsyth,
along with a centre in East
Kilbride. The facilities will be
delivered through the Scottish
Future Trusts Hub initiative as
part of the Scottish Government’s
strategy for the provision of
public facilities through a
revenue-funded model.
NHS Lanarkshire’s head of
Those who
attended the
events were able
to get an idea of
the scale of the
developments
management services Graham
Johnston said: “Those who
attended the events were able to
get an idea of the scale of the
developments, how the buildings
will look, and where they will sit
in the landscape.
“They also had a chance to ask
any questions they may have had
on the new developments.”
If all goes to plan, the three new
community health centres will be
built at a total cost of almost
£60 million with the work due to be
completed by the end of 2015.
All three will house a variety of
primary care services, including
GPs, general dental practitioners
and a range of community facilities.
The proposed new five-storey
Wishaw Centre will be built on
the site of Wishaw Library and
will also incorporate North
Lanarkshire Council’s library,
first-stop shop and housing office.
The proposed new Kilsyth
community health centre will be
built on a site adjacent to the
swimming pool in Kilsyth town
centre.
Work begins on Monklands car park
WORK to improve the Monklands
Hospital car park has begun.
This work will create disabled parking
bays outside the front entrance as well
as better drop-off areas with more space
for ambulances.
Colin Lauder, head of modernisation,
said: “The new car park will significantly
improve parking for patients, visitors
and staff at Monklands Hospital.
“We have already recently increased
car parking spaces on site and the
closure of Airdrie Health Centre has also
freed up more public spaces. However,
further work is required to ensure we
have safe drop-off areas for patients
and appropriate disabled parking bays
near the front entrance of the hospital.
“There may be some impact on
availability of spaces while the work is
going on. The work will take place in
phases to ensure there is minimum
disruption, however, anyone travelling
to the hospital should be aware there
may be times when spaces are limited.
“We apologise in advance for any
inconvenience this may cause.”
People will still be able to use the
drop-off area outside the main
entrance while the work is carried out.
Improvements to lighting in the main
car park and to the path between the
David Matthews Centre and the hospital
will also be made during this time.
An additional 50 temporary spaces
have now been created at the hospital.
The spaces will be available for the
duration of the works in the car park.
GENERAL NEWS
thePulse 3
Roadshows highlight
breast cancer signs
A SERIES of roadshows have made
women in Lanarkshire more aware
of the different signs and symptoms
of breast cancer.
The roadshow visited seven
locations across Lanarkshire as
part of the Scottish Government’s
£30 million Detect Cancer Early
programme to improve cancer
survival rates in Scotland.
The new groundbreaking campaign
featured actress and comedienne
Elaine C Smith, whose mother died
from breast cancer, fronting striking
television adverts.
They featured her holding up a
series of placards showing breasts
displaying signs of the disease.
The campaign carries the message
that lumps are not the only sign of
breast cancer and stresses the
importance of going to your GP as
soon as you notice changes to your
breasts, as the earlier cancer is
detected and treated, the better
the chances are of survival.
Dr Jennifer Darnborough,
consultant in public health medicine,
NHS Lanarkshire, said: “One in nine
women in Scotland will be diagnosed
with breast cancer at some point in
their lifetime, so it is vital that we
make people aware of all the signs
and symptoms to look out for – as it’s
not just lumps.
“Early detection is key to improving
cancer survival and our GPs are keen
to hear from anyone who is worried
or concerned that they may have a
symptom of breast cancer.”
Attendees were offered help and
advice on how to spot the signs and
symptoms of breast cancer.
Roadshow staff were available to
provide passers-by with information
on breast cancer and the national
breast screening programme.
An interactive presentation also
helped to bring the different signs of
breast cancer to life visually.
Early
detection is
key to improving
cancer survival
and our GPs are
keen to hear from
anyone who is
worried
Survival story
A CANCER survivor has stepped
forward to tell her story in a bid to
encourage women over 50 to take
up the offer of a free mammogram,
which she says saved her life.
Elaine Dillon, from Coatbridge,
discovered she had breast cancer after
attending a routine mammogram.
Breast cancer affects one in 10
Scottish women at some time in
their lives. If cancer is found at an
early stage, treatment has the best
chance of being successful. To
detect early changes in breast
tissue, breast screening is offered to
women aged between 50 and 70
every three years.
This was Elaine’s second brush
with cancer, having had a
mastectomy at the age of 38 after
precancerous cells were found in
one of her breasts.
Speaking of her diagnosis, Elaine
said: “When you find out you have
cancer, you feel like the bottom has
fallen out of your life. At that point I
didn’t know the cancer type. I
thought that since it was a tiny
growth that it would be fine.
“When I went back for my biopsy
results I discovered that it was a
One woman explains how a free
mammogram saved her life
grade three cancer, which was of
rapid growth and that I would need
chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I
went out to the car and I was
hysterical. All I could think is
‘I’m losing my hair’, ‘I’m
going to be ill’ and
‘How am I going to
keep my job?’ But I
had decided that
this wasn’t going
to beat me.”
The
head
teacher at Wester
Overton Primary
School in Strathaven
decided to tackle her
cancer in a positive way
and decided it
was not
going to
rule her
life.
Elaine said: “I have hundreds of
parents, children and staff who see me
every day. I wanted to show them all
that this can be a positive experience.
There are so many families going
through this and I wanted people
to look at me and see that I
was handling it well. I had
to be in control of my
future in a positive way.”
After having
chemotherapy and
radiotherapy at
Monklands Hospital,
Elaine is full of praise
for the breast care
nurses, whom Elaine
describes as “treasures”.
Elaine tried to
take control of
every aspect of
her cancer: “I
had long hair
at the time. I went to my hairdresser
and told her what was going to
happen. She cut my hair really short
and made it a lot lighter in colour. It
was to avoid the immediate shock of
finding handfuls of hair on my pillow.
“As I went through the
chemotherapy, I started to notice my
hair coming out, so I just shaved it all
off to get control. This wasn’t going
to get me down.
“I got through the whole thing
still being a head teacher. It was
good to come to work to take my
mind off things. I wasn’t sitting at
home thinking things over. I was at
work keeping busy. I worked right
through all my chemotherapy.
“I would recommend that
everyone takes up the offer of a
mammogram. My cancer was so
small that it would have been
impossible to be felt by hand. Look
at me now – I have been well looked
after and I feel fantastic.”
q
To find out more about the breast
screening programme, visit
www.healthscotland.com/uploads/
documents/19267-BreastScreening.pdf
We’re catching
the cancers
IN Scotland, all women aged
between 50 and 70 are
routinely offered free breast
screening every two years.
Breast screening detects
breast cancer at a very early
stage. The first step involves
an X-ray of each breast – a
mammogram. The mammogram
can detect small changes in
breast tissue that may indicate
cancers which are too small to
be felt either by the woman
herself or by a doctor.
Between January 2007
and March 2010, 73,509
Lanarkshire women were
eligible for breast screening,
and 71.5 per cent took up the
invitation to receive a
mammogram.
This screening detected
307 cancers in this three-year
period.
BETTER WELLBEING
Local public health improving, says report
INCREASING life expectancy, fewer
deaths from coronary heart disease
and a birth rate above the Scottish
average are just some of the
highlights from Lanarkshire’s latest
public health report.
The 2011-12 Annual Report of the
Director of Public Health, by
Dr Harpreet Kohli, was published on
24 October. The report looks at the
health of Lanarkshire’s population,
important trends and the work being
done to improve our wellbeing.
Harpreet said: “I hope that the
report will be of interest to the people
of Lanarkshire as it not only shows
areas where health is improving, but
also where action is needed.
“There have been some key
achievements in public health since
the 2010-11 report, including
raising awareness of the importance
of early booking in pregnancy. The
gender-based violence action plan
is now being implemented with
routine enquiries being carried out
in sexual health services.
“The Mouth Matters Programme
was also established in many care
homes to improve the oral health of
older people.”
Harpreet highlighted some of the
key findings of this year’s report,
including the impact of alcohol in
Lanarkshire.
There have
been some
key achievements
in public health
since the 2010-11
report
He said: “Alcohol misuse can lead
to relationship breakdown,
unemployment, poverty, mental ill
health, physical health problems
and social isolation. In 2011, there
were 281 alcohol-related deaths in
Lanarkshire and there were 3,695
episodes of people treated for an
alcohol-related condition.”
The report also looks at oral
health in homeless people.
Harpreet said: “Many homeless
people are coping with a variety of
very urgent and immediate issues.
Dental care can slip down their list of
priorities. Dental examinations carried
out on the homeless population in
Lanarkshire indicated that they have
poor oral health, with more than 45
per cent not having visited a dentist for
more than two years.”
The report also highlights
tobacco, which is a significant cause
of ill health, disability and early
death in Scotland.
Harpreet said: “The multi-agency
Lanarkshire Tobacco Control
Strategy and Action plan aims to
reduce tobacco-related morbidity
and mortality and reduce health
inequalities. Progress to date
includes: an online tobacco learning
resource for primary and secondary
school, training for youth workers
and dentists and the development of
a smoke-free home programme.”
DR HARPREET KOHLI:
‘Report shows improvements
delivered and action needed’
q
Get the report at www.nhs
lanarkshire.org.uk/Services/
PublicHealth/Pages/PublicHealth.aspx
We’re cleaning up
on the scoreboard
NHS Lanarkshire is among the
top-performing health boards in
Health Facilities Scotland’s latest
national cleaning compliance
quarterly report.
It scored above the Scottish
average of 95 per cent for both
the cleaning services and
estates fabric monitoring tools.
The national report covers the
cleaning functions carried
out by domestic staff and
estates staff.
For April to June 2012, NHS
Lanarkshire demonstrated
97 per cent compliance for
cleaning services and 97.8 per
cent for estates fabric.
Each quarterly report covers
monitoring of a proportion of
healthcare premises within
NHS Lanarkshire.
The monitoring regime
includes audits carried out on
a routine basis by domestic services
managers and additional audits
carried out by peer review teams,
which include a member of
the public.
David Browning, general manager
of NHS Lanarkshire’s Property and
Support Services Department, said:
“Staff work hard to ensure our
HIDDEN GERMS:
staff at Kirklands
check the true
cleanliness of
their hands
Hygiene gets a hand
hospitals and other facilities have a
high level of cleanliness. The peer
review audits are helpful in bringing
a degree of independent scrutiny to
our own rigorous monitoring. Credit
to all our staff for maintaining the
high level of performance shown by
these latest figures.”
INFECTION control and hand hygiene
staff organised a series of events
as part of Infection Control and
Prevention Week which ran from
22-28 October.
The message for this Olympic year
event was ‘going for gold standard’
which aimed to promote standard
infection control precautions and
infection control and prevention
issues to staff, public and patients.
Over the course of the week, staff
and public stands appeared at a host
of acute and primary care locations,
including all three acute hospitals, as
well as Airdrie Health Centre,
Newmains Health Centre, Blantyre
Health Centre, Wishaw Health Centre
and Strathaven Health Centre.
Lisa Roy, primary care infection
control nurse, said: “All our staff, and
increasingly more of the public, are
well aware of the importance of
infection control and hand hygiene
issues and while NHS Lanarkshire
rates for both these are among the
best, there is no room for complacency.
“That’s why stands like this are
important to remind everyone of their
responsibilities and to encourage them
to keep up the good work.
“We also want to continually remind
the public that hand-washing in all
settings – not just in hospitals – is so
important to help reduce infections.”
q
For more information, contact
Lisa Roy at elizabeth.roy@
lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk
GENERAL NEWS
thePulse 5
Credit Union
milestone
IDENTIFIED: if George Casey
didn’t have other conditions,
which prompted checks, his
aortic aneurysm may not
have been detected
NHS Credit Union (Scotland and North
England) is celebrating with savings by
members having topped £10 million.
The achievement follows the Credit
Union winning a prestigious national
award this year – while watching its
membership soar.
Credit Union vice-chair Hugh
Sweeney said: “It’s testament to the
loyalty of our members that at a time
when money is tight, they are joining in
growing numbers.”
The NHS Credit Union has given out
more than £35 million in loans, with new
products being added to the range. These
include a mortgage partnership scheme
which resulted in the credit union being
named joint winners in the Innovation
Category at the Unity Trust Credit Union
Awards. The mortgage scheme has helped
members take their first step on the
property ladder.
q
For more information, call
0141 445 0022 or visit
www.nhscreditunion.com
Screening to detect life-threatening aortic aneurysms
‘It’s a ticking
time bomb’
MEN aged 65 from Lanarkshire
are to benefit from a new
screening test, which could add
years to their life.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
screening is a national
programme which will be
introduced in Lanarkshire in
April 2013.
The test involves a 10-minute
ultrasound which checks for a
condition that can affect the
main artery in your abdomen,
which runs from your heart and
through your chest.
As some people get older, the
wall of the aorta can become
weak and balloon out to form an
aneurysm. If a large aneurysm
ruptures, it can lead to lifethreatening internal bleeding.
Aneurysms are unlikely to
cause any symptoms until
they rupture, which can be too
late for many people. The
screening allows aneurysms to
be detected early, allowing them
to be monitored and treated,
reducing the chance of the
aneurysm rupturing.
It is estimated that one in
20 men aged 65 in Scotland have
an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
One man who appreciates how
Untreated,
aneurysms
are dangerous...
older men can
really benefit
from this test
important it is to diagnose and
treat the condition is George
Casey from Uddingston.
George has a history of ill
health. A diabetic, he also suffers
from lung, thyroid and blood
pressure problems.
George said: “In January 2012,
I went to see my GP, who
referred me to hospital.
“They told me that I had
obstructive jaundice. But
because of my health problems,
they did lots of tests to see if I
could survive an operation.
While they were doing that I had
an echo cardiogram and a CT
scan. By doing these tests they
found I also had an aneurysm.
“Discovering I had an
aneurysm was a shock. If I hadn’t
had my other health problems,
they wouldn’t have found the
aneurysm.
“It was 5.8cm and was a
ticking time bomb. It could have
killed me.”
Public health consultant Brian
O’Suilleabhain said: “George’s
story highlights the importance
of the screening programme. It
was only when being tested for
another condition that the
aneurysm was discovered.
“Left untreated, an aneurysm
is very dangerous so we would
encourage men to make sure
they come along to their
screening appointment.
“Abdominal aneurysms are
very rare in women and younger
men. But older men can really
benefit from this screening test,
which is quick and easy to do.”
Get the stats
ARE you working on a report that requires
statistics on the health of Lanarkshire’s
population? Perhaps you are working on
an audit, evaluation or business case for
a service or new development and
need evidence.
The Public Health Information Source
site on FirstPort collates this information in
one place. The topics within the site are:
• Cancer
• Cancer Screening
• CHD (Coronary Heart Disease)
• COPD (Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease)
• Deaths
• Demography
• Deprivation
• Diabetes
• Health of children
• Immunisation
• Mental health
• National Data Sources
• Older people
• Oral health
• Sexual Health
• Women’s health.
Under each topic are contact details for
the key Public Health lead for that area
and links to relevant information.
q
Access this site by visiting
FirstPort> Clinical Services>
Public Health Department>Public Health
Information Services.
In brief…
SMOKE FREE:
Coin McLean has
ditched the habit
e
AS an NHS Lanarkshire
employee, you have the chance
to join a scheme which allows you
to buy a new computer or smart
phone using a tax-efficient salary
sacrifice arrangement.
The scheme order window
will be open for a limited time
period from 1 November until
26 November 2012. During this
period, roadshows are being held at:
• Kirklands Hospital, coffee
shop: 9.30-11am, 13 November
• Beckford Street, Meeting Room 3:
noon-2pm, 13 November
• Douglas Street Community
Health Clinic, Health Education
Room: 3.30pm-5pm, 13 November
• Coathill Hospital, former staff
canteen: 9.30-11am, 14 November
• Monklands Hospital, restaurant:
noon-2pm, 14 November
• Buchanan Centre, Coatbridge:
3.30pm-5pm, 14 November
• Hairmyres Hospital, main
atrium: 9.30-11am, 15 November
• Wishaw General Hospital,
restaurant: noon-2pm, 15 November
• Law House, Meeting Room 1:
3.30pm-5pm, 15 November.
Members of the Home
Computing team will be on hand
to answer questions.
For further information, call
08444 821 860 or visit www.letsconnect.com/nhslanarkshire
e
PEER support within mental
health was on the agenda
when support workers Kristen
Neilson and Donna Barrowman
presented to Lanarkshire Links.
Kristen and Donna work as acute
inpatient forum (AIF) mental health
support workers. Their work is
overseen by Lanarkshire Links – a
service user and carer organisation
to support people to be involved in
the design, implementation and
monitoring of mental health and
social care services.
Kristen, AIF worker for
Hairmyres, and Donna, AIF worker
for Wishaw General, explained
their role in providing peer support
to patients within acute adult
inpatient facilities. The AIF worker
for Monklands is Anne Mathie.
To find out more, contact Liz on
01698 265232, email admin@
lanarkshirelinks.org.uk or visit
www.lanarkshirelinks.org.uk
Stores worker Colin McLean quit smoking – you can too
STUB IT OUT!
TO most people, 18 June 2012,
was just another random day that
came and went.
However, Hairmyres Hospital
central stores worker Colin
McLean, is determined to make it
the day he had his last cigarette.
Colin said: “It was 10.30pm, to
be precise, and I vowed to myself
that I wasn’t going to smoke the
next day.”
A combination of will power
and a nicotine mouth spray
helped Colin fight his early
morning cigarette urge when he
woke the next day.
Five months on, it’s a battle
he continues to win – very
impressive for a man who, by his
own admission, was a hardened
50-cigarettes-a-day smoker.
The 47-year-old continued:
“I can’t lie, it’s been tough at
times, but I made it through these
and I now feel pretty confident
that I’ll never smoke another
cigarette in my life.
“I’ve really felt the benefits of a
smoke-free life over these months
and I really don’t want to go back.
“As a smoker, I would often
stop to catch my breath walking
up the hill to Hairmyres.
“Now I do it in no time and my
whole body just feels so much
healthier and I’m happier.
“I also recently had my carbon
monoxide reading which had
been 45 when I smoked – a very
high figure.
“I felt so pleased with myself
when I discovered it was
now two.”
Colin from The Murray in East
Kilbride started smoking at 15 and
after a serious illness he decided
he wanted to try and give up.
When a work colleague who
e
STAFF are being asked to be
aware of human trafficking,
which is the illegal trade of human
beings for the purpose of
commercial exploitation.
Operated by criminal gangs and
independent opportunists, it can
take many forms including sexual
exploitation, forced labour and
domestic slavery.
As a health worker you are in a
unique position to respond to victims
of trafficking and a short-life working
group is in the process of developing
guidance for front-line workers.
If you suspect an incident of
human trafficking you can seek
advice from EVA Services on
01236 707767.
I’ve felt the
benefits of a
smoke-free life
over these months
and I really don’t
want to go back
also smoked told Colin he had
arranged an appointment with
Hairmyres Hospital’s smoking
cessation group, Colin decided to
join him.
Colin said: “We both went to
the group and the help and
support from the Hairmyres stop
smoking nurse specialist Jackie
McDonald was fantastic. She gave
me a spray to help quell my
cravings and I just decided that I
was going to quit that weekend.
“Over the months Jackie’s
support has been crucial in
preventing me from lighting up.”
However, Jackie McDonald was
quick to deflect the credit back to
Colin. She said: “I really can’t
praise him enough. He’s been so
committed and it’s been a
fantastic achievement by him.
You can really see the difference
his efforts have made as he looks
so much healthier and fitter.”
Asked if he had any advice to
would be quitters, Colin said: “Go
for it. There will be tough times,
but with help and support it can
be done and you’ll never look
back. I’m determined not to.”
q
For information on the employee
smoking cessation service, call
Hairmyres: 01355585502, Wishaw:
01698366466, Monklands: 01236712779.
Better snacks for patients
TEA AND TOAST:
Catrina Laughlin and
Maureen Lochran, both
clinical support
workers, help out at
meal times
NHS Lanarkshire has made further
improvements to the provision of
patient catering.
Inpatients across the three acute
hospitals are now offered an evening
snack of tea and toast with a choice of
jam or marmalade so that they are able
to have something to eat between
dinner and breakfast.
Joan James, divisional nurse director
for the Acute Division, said: “As part of
the Older People’s Inspection, it was
identified that there was a long gap
between dinner and breakfast. The
Food, Fluid and Nutrition group was
determined to address this and
prioritised the introduction of an
evening snack.”
The toast is made by catering staff
outwith the ward area to prevent any
accidental fire alarms. The introduction
of tea and toast was piloted in a
number of wards and was widely
appreciated by patients.
Catrina Laughlin, clinical support
worker and mealtime co-ordinator,
said: “The patients in my ward love it.
Food is so important to aid recovery. As
part of my role, I encourage them to eat.
If the patient doesn’t feel like eating I
find out why and see what can be done
to remedy this.”
GENERAL NEWS
Electronic
transfers
save time
MORE than 90 per cent of Lanarkshire
GP practices are now live with a
system called Electronic Document
Transfer (EDT).
EDT enables GP practices to receive
documents directly from hospitals
electronically without the need for
manual attachment, mailing or scanning.
Ranald Swanson, project manager
for EDT implementation, said:
“Processing documents via EDT saves
considerable time compared with
manual handling of documents,
resulting in quicker communications
between the hospitals and GPs.
“This is convenient in practical
terms for the clinician and from a
clinical governance point of view, but
it is the faster delivery of information
to clinicians that will really make a
difference to patient care.”
More than 10,000 letters are typed
TRANSFER-TASTIC:
Susan Burke, workflow
co-ordinator (left), with
Rena Hall, assistant
practice manager at
Lincluden Surgery
each week in acute hospitals and the
majority of these will go to GPs.
Letters are now being sent typed
from a digital recording and, as soon
as the consultant verifies the letter, it
is sent electronically to the GP
practice. This means information is
getting to GPs a lot faster.
The previous paper method of
sending documents could take up to a
week to reach the GP practice. Now
documents are there within 24 hours.
Rena Hall, assistant practice manager
at Lincluden Surgery in Uddingston, said:
“It is the time savings and streamlining
of processes that is really making the
difference for us.
“In terms of staff time, secretaries
don’t have to fold letters and put them in
envelopes. Staff used to have to open all
the letters and scan them individually
into the system Docman. They are now
arriving straight into Docman so the staff
love the new EDT system.”
thePulse 7
There are new steps to
follow to prevents falls...
A NEW set of procedures will help
staff further prevent avoidable falls in
NHS Lanarkshire.
The ‘Inpatient Falls Standard
Operating Procedure’ guides and
enhances clinical
practice in the
management of
inpatient falls. It
contains a mixture
of policies,
guidelines and
resources.
Every year,
294,000 falls occur
across Scotland,
with a large
number resulting
in moderate or
severe injury. A
proportion of
these occur in
hospital settings.
A fall can cause
pain, distress and loss of confidence
as well as upset and anxiety for
relatives, carers and staff.
The procedure outlines the steps to
follow when an inpatient is identified
as being at risk
of a fall and
also highlights
the assessments
and treatments
that should be
carried out if a
patient does
have a fall.
It also
highlights
guidance on
appropriate
footwear and
policies on bedrails
and walking aids.
The procedures
can be found on
FirstPort.
Survey gauges patients’
satisfaction with services
Patient
opinions
count!
PATIENTS have given their
opinions of the care they have
received across NHS Lanarkshire.
The Better Together surveys
asked people to rate their
experiences at their GP practice
and as an inpatient.
Out of the 68,969 people
registered with a GP practice in the
Lanarkshire area, 14,805 people
returned the survey.
Patients were asked about
their experience of making
an appointment, visiting the GP
surgery, seeing staff, being
prescribed medicines, out-of-hours
healthcare and the outcome from
their NHS treatment.
The survey indicated that
90.3 per cent of patients can
access services within 48 hours.
However, only 70.5 per cent of
patients said that they could book
an appointment more than two days
in advance.
Colin Sloey, executive director for
Primary Care in NHS Lanarkshire,
said: “The survey shows that while
there are some high-performing
practices in terms of patient access,
there are some areas where patients
in Lanarkshire are having problems
accessing GP services. However,
once they are able to access services,
the overall care provided by the
practices is rated as good or
excellent. There was also a 4 per cent
increase in the number of patients
who felt that they had enough time
with their doctor.
“As a result of the survey, work is
being carried out through the
practice managers forum to identify
opportunities to share best practice
to improve patient satisfaction. The
Public Partnership Forums will also
be involved in giving ideas on how
the results can be improved.”
A survey was also carried out among
a sample of patients who had an
TAKING THE PULSE:
patients are asked about
their experiences of NHS
Lanarkshire’s services
inpatient stay between October 2010
and September 2011. The survey in
Lanarkshire was given to 2843
inpatients in the three acute hospitals
and those in Lady Home, Lockhart,
Kilsyth Victoria, Kello and
Parksprings. Of these patients, 46 per
cent completed the survey.
The number of patients who were
happy with the food and drink that
they received increased by 7 per
cent, and those who understood
what their medicines were for
increased by 3 per cent.
However, the number of patients
who said that they understood their
doctor when they explained the
risks and benefits of their treatment
fell by 3 per cent.
Rosemary Lyness, executive
director for nurses, midwives and
allied health professionals, said:
“The survey showed some
improvements since the 2011 survey.
For example, at Hairmyres, an
increase of 8 per cent of patients said
that they had help going to the
bathroom or toilet when needed. At
Wishaw, there was an increase of
9 per cent of patients who said
that they knew who was in charge of
the ward.
The survey
showed some
improvements
since the 2011
survey
“However, there were also
disappointing results. For example,
only 48 per cent of patients
reported that they had been told
how long they would have to wait
in A&E.”
In addition to the national Better
Together Survey, a local patient
experience survey is also in place.
This has been in place now for two
years and involves teams of local
staff surveying five patients in each
ward every month. This survey
covers areas including eating and
drinking, sleeping, personal hygiene,
general care and discharge.
The results from this can be
found on the NHS Lanarkshire
public website. This is also used to
improve the experiences of
acute inpatients.
In brief…
Homeopathy
views needed
NHS Lanarkshire is to ask
patients, the public and staff for
their views on the effectiveness
of the homoeopathy service.
The NHS Lanarkshire board
agreed at its September meeting
that a core group should be set
up to oversee an engagement
process that will start by
identifying all the stakeholders
in the homoeopathy service,
including relevant staff, members
of the public and patients.
Once this is complete,
stakeholders will be contacted
and asked for their views on the
homeopathy service.
NHS Lanarkshire’s director of
public health Dr Harpreet Kohli,
who will chair the core group, said:
“We are only just at the start of
this process, however, we aim to
get the views and experiences of
all the identified stakeholders to
help us measure the effectiveness
of the homeopathy service.
“This feedback – along with an
analysis of all the available evidence
in relation to homeopathy – will be
included in the preparation of any
recommendations we make with
regards to the service.”
The engagement process is
expected to begin soon.
Laughter’s the best medicine
for patients, staff and public
A NEW musical which promises
to deliver an amusing look at
21st century health will be performed
at Wishaw General Hospital on
15 November.
Health Scare – The Musical is a
one-hour show produced and
performed by Scotland’s top stand-up
talent and presents a sideways look at
21st century health.
The musical, which also visited
Hairmyres Hospital in October, is free
and is targeted at patients, staff,
people living in the community with
health problems and the public.
TIME TO CHUCKLE:
performers take a
sideways look at
modern healthcare
Patsy Morrison, director and founder
of Universal Comedy, said: “I want people
with long-term ill health to improve their
quality of life. I hope that people have a
laugh and take life less seriously for an
hour, as well as find out more about the
services Universal Comedy can offer.”
The show features improvisational
comedy, magic and five minutes of
stand up from recent comedy course
graduates with long-term ill health.
q
To reserve a seat, call Universal
Comedy on 0141 564 1200 or email
[email protected]
RED RIBBON DAY
View your
payslips online
STAFF in Lanarkshire will be able
to view their pay details online.
A new ePayroll system will
replace the current Scottish
Standard Payroll System from
30 October 2012. The new system
will be rolled out in phases. Phase
1 will mean that staff can view
their personal details, current and
historic payslips, statement of
earnings and P11D information
online via FirstPort.
Phase 2 will see the
introduction of electronic payslips,
which will reduce stationery costs,
manual handling and distribution
effort within the payroll
department. Staff, however, will
still have the option to receive a
paper pay slip if they do not have
access to the intranet.
From November, staff who
already access eExpenses SSTS or
SWISS will have the additional
option of ePayroll when they log
on to these applications. All other
staff will be issued with a security
envelope with their username
and password early next year.
By summer 2013 it is hoped that
80 per cent of staff will receive an
electronic payslip rather than the
conventional paper payslip.
Head of payroll Roseann
Nelson said: “This new system
will release £1.5m in savings
which will be invested in front
line services.”
Chris Kimber, Terrence Higgins Trust; Betty Mhiripiri,Terrence Higgins Trust; Alison Buesnel, BBV networks co-ordinator, NHS Lanarkshire; Chloe Mulvey,
LANDED Peer Education; Tracy-Ann Kidd, health promotion officer, NHS Lanarkshire; and Nathan Mwesigwa, Waverley Care
THE Blood Borne Virus (BBV) and
Sexual Health Promotion Team
has helped organise a number of
events to promote World AIDS
Day on Saturday 1 December.
Partner organisations such as
both Lanarkshire local authorities,
the Terrence Higgins Trust,
LANDED Peer Education and
Waverley Care – which promotes
sexual health within the African
community – will also be involved
in the promotion of the day.
As well as encouraging staff to
wear red ribbons to promote HIV/
AIDS awareness, red ribbon flags
will be flown above Monklands
Team promotes World AIDS Day with
events to tackle the stigma of the disease
Hospital, North and South
Lanarkshire Council Headquarters
and the University of the West of
Scotland. Information stalls will
also be set up within the three acute
hospitals to allow staff and the
public to get more information.
Tracy-Ann Kidd, health
promotion officer, said: “The red
ribbon is the international symbol
of AIDS Awareness and has been in
existence for over 20 years now.
“It’s a simple and powerful way
to challenge the stigma and
prejudice around HIV and show
support for people living with HIV.
“Our team feel it is important to
use World AIDS Day to raise
awareness among all NHS staff
and members of the public, about
HIV and AIDS. As such, we’d
encourage all our staff to wear a
red ribbon and show their support
for World AIDS Day.”
In Scotland, it is estimated that
there are 4,254 diagnosed HIV
infected people and more than
90,000 across the UK.
These numbers have trebled in
the last 10 years and it is
estimated that over a quarter of
people with HIV are undiagnosed.
Tracy-Ann continued: “These
statistics demonstrate how
important it is that we attempt to
keep HIV and AIDS awareness at
the top of the health agenda.”
q
For information, call Tracy-Ann
Kidd on 01698 377623 or email
[email protected]
Get better
access to the
interpreters
FROM January 2013, NHS Lanarkshire
will be changing how staff access faceto-face interpreting services.
All face-to-face and British Sign
Language (BSL) interpreters will be
provided by NHS Greater Glasgow and
Clyde in-house interpreting service.
Under the new arrangements, staff
will complete an online form that will
be emailed through to NHS Greater
Glasgow and Clyde’s interpreting
service or, in the case of emergencies,
requests will be phoned through.
Hina Sheikh, equality and diversity
manager, said: “Demand for access to
interpreters has grown considerably
and to ensure that all our patients are
able to access an inclusive, professional
and informed service, NHS Lanarkshire
undertook a review of existing services.
“Following this, a number of options
were considered and NHS Greater
Glasgow and Clyde was considered to be
the best option, as it has been running
successfully for more than a year.
“The new service will make it
simpler, more efficient and offer a
wider pool of interpreters.”
The new service is currently being
piloted within the maternity unit at
Wishaw General Hospital.
An awareness campaign will be
launched in December with guidance
on how to use the service distributed
across the organisation in December.
Further information will be
available for staff on the new Firstport
interpreting page. This will include the
new procedure, protocol and leaflets for
patients on the role of interpreters
during appointments.
All requests for written patient
information materials to be translated
should be sent to Rick Edwards, patient
information manager, who can be
contacted on 01698 366627. Information
on the new arrangements will also be
promoted to service users.
q
For more information contact
Hina Sheikh 01698 377816 or
[email protected]
GENERAL NEWS
Dignity and
respect is vital
New policy outlines how
each patient should be
treated as an individual
OLDER people across the NHS
Lanarkshire area are benefiting
from a policy that ensures they
continue to be treated with
dignity and respect.
The policy emphasises the
importance of understanding
that being treated with dignity
and respect will be different for
each individual.
It aims to ensure that
older patients are treated as
individuals and bond with
healthcare staff.
Joan James, divisional nurse
director for acute care in NHS
Lanarkshire, said: “Treating a
patient with dignity and respect
can be something as simple as
asking them what they would
like to be addressed as. No two
people are the same.”
The policy will also remind
staff to ensure their patients
understand all the options open
to them regarding their care
and they have the right to
accept or refuse any treatment
that is offered.
The policy emphasises the
importance of allowing all
patients to make their own
d e c is io n s r egar ding their
clothing, what time they want
to go to sleep at and how they
want to be spoken to.
It will also guarantee that
staff understand what their
patients goals are for their
physical or mental health
and how they can help them
achieve this.
q
The policy can be downloaded
from FirstPort.
Events give the lowdown on chronic condition
INFORMATIVE: Jimmy
Smith with Karon Carson
THE Respiratory Managed Clinical
Network has held a number
of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disorder (COPD) information events
across Lanarkshire.
The informal patient education
sessions, which lasted up to two
hours, were held in Airdrie, Bellshill,
Cumbernauld, Hamilton and Lanark,
They allowed people affected by
COPD to pop along to find out more
about their condition and get advice on
how to manage it. Those who attended
were able to pick up some tips on how
to control their breathlessness as well
as ask a specialist healthcare
professional questions.
Lead respiratory nurse specialist,
Karon Carson, who took the sessions,
said: “We were able to explain to people
about the symptoms and causes of
COPD as well as tell them how to
manage their condition. The events
were very informal and relaxed and will
hopefully help people stay healthy and
have an improved quality of life.”
Jimmy Smith, who attended a pilot
in East Kilbride, said: “I found the
session really informative and helpful
and the staff were very supportive.”
Following on from the success, there
are plans to hold a patient information
afternoon on 28 November, in the
Church Hall, Village Centre, East
Kilbride, in partnership with the
East Kilbride Breathe Easy group.
q
For more information, contact
Andrea Harrison on 01355 585186.
thePulse 9
In brief…
Support for
money matters
NHS Lanarkshire has teamed up
with North Lanarkshire Council to
launch a campaign to highlight
changes to the benefits system.
The changes are expected to
have an impact on the finances of
many families across Lanarkshire
and the organisations want to
remind families that there are a
range of local services available
to help them through tough
financial times.
The ‘Feeling the Pinch… don’t
let it cost you your health’
campaign aims to encourage
people to remember to look after
their health when money is tight.
It will do this by signposting
people to the Council’s ‘Your
Money’ telephone support line and
website which contain information
on how to access local health
improvement services.
The campaign is one of many
that will take place following the
introduction of the UK Welfare
Reform Act (2012), which will see
a change in the number of welfare
benefits offered as well as
changes to the entitlement and
assessment process.
Postcards promoting the ‘Feeling
the Pinch’ campaign have been
sent to a host of NHS Lanarkshire
services and locations to make
them available the public.
Staff are asked to be aware of
this campaign and promote the
postcards and contact numbers as
widely as possible.
If you would like a supply of
the postcards, contact Well
Informed on 0800 073 0918.
Treatment room
roll out on track
THE roll out of the new treatment
room model is well under way
in Lanarkshire, a year on from
its launch.
The NHS Lanarkshire Board
approved proposals in September
2011 following an extensive review
of the Treatment Room Service.
Anne Armstrong, divisional
nurse director – community
and primary care, said: “We
set ourselves the target of
implementing the review over
two years. We are delighted at
the progress that has already
been made to introduce the
new model and the benefits it
brings to patients.”
Among the improvements
already in place is the Treatment
Room Service based at the new
Airdrie Community Health Centre
which opened in July this year.
New treatment rooms have also
successfully opened in Larkhall and
Stonehouse with more new services
due to be introduced in the coming
months at Douglas Street Health
Clinic, Hamilton, and Central Health
Centre, Cumbernauld.
10 thePulse WINTER PREPARATIONS
Guard against Norovirus
Hygiene is a
key defence
EARLY action can help prevent
outbreaks of Norovirus spreading
through wards this winter.
Staff are asked to be on the lookout
for possible outbreaks, especially as
Norovirus can quickly be passed
between patients, staff and visitors,
disrupting hospital services during
the busy winter months.
Heather Gourlay, healthcare
associated infection manager, NHS
Lanarkshire, said: “Outbreaks of
Norovirus can start abruptly and
spread rapidly. Staff can make a real
difference by recognising signs of the
virus early, isolating patients and
reporting potential outbreaks to their
infection control teams.”
Norovirus infection is also known
as winter vomiting virus. It can occur
at any time of year, although it tends
to be more common during winter.
It typically causes sickness and/or
diarrhoea and usually lasts for 24
to 48 hours, but the individual is
considered infectious for two days
after the symptoms stop.
Sometimes people may acquire the
infection in the community
before being admitted to hospital for
other reasons.
Jan Clarkson, NHS Lanarkshire’s
nurse consultant – healthcare
associated infection, said: “Section E
of the Control of Infection Manual on
the Management of Inpatients with
Loose Stools includes a Norovirus
outbreak decision tree, which staff
can use to help decide if there is an
WINTER PREPARATIONS
LET’S GET PREPARED
NHS Be Ready for Winter campaign kicks off
outbreak in their ward. It also
includes an aide memoire for staff to
help deal with an outbreak.
A Norovirus LearnPro module is
currently being developed for staff to
complete and infection control nurses
are implementing site-based
Norovirus preparedness plans to
raise awareness among staff.
Thorough hand washing and
compliance with standard infection
control precautions, particularly the
maintenance of a clean environment,
are essential elements to better
manage Norovirus in this winter.
Heather said: “Visitors and
relatives can help patients and staff
by limiting visits during a Norovirus
outbreak to avoid spreading the
infection.”
q
The Norovirus Self Directed
Learning Unit and Section E of
the Control of Infection Manual are
available at http://firstport/sites/hai
thePulse 11
A NATIONAL and local Be Ready
For Winter public information
campaign is being launched to
encourage people to plan ahead
and know what services to access
if they become ill.
This festive season there will be
two two-day periods of public
holidays with GP surgeries closed
25-26 December and 1-2 January.
The Be Ready For Winter
campaign will remind people
to check in advance that they
have enough of their regular
medicines to see them through the
holiday period.
The public will also be advised
to stock up their home medicine
cabinet with over-the-counter
remedies for coughs and colds.
Be Ready For Winter leaflets are
being distributed to NHS
Lanarkshire premises during
November and December. Staff
In brief…
are asked to look out for these
leaflets and pass copies to family
and friends.
What if you can’t
make it to work?
q
The NHS Lanarkshire website
will also have a winter health
section at www.nhslanarkshire.org.uk
and there will be other winter
health advice, including pharmacy
festive opening times, at
www.nhsinform.co.uk
NHS Lanarkshire staff are being
warned not to be complacent after
last year’s mild winter weather.
Kenny Small, director of human
resources, said: “We are
responsible for providing care for
patients, whatever the conditions.
We can make sure we’re ready to
do that by being prepared for the
winter weather. Staff should start
by reading the Adverse Conditions
Policy, which advises on what to
do if you are unable to travel to
your usual place of work.”
The Adverse Conditions Policy is
on the policies section of FirstPort.
It states that staff must personally
contact their line manager at the
beginning of their shift/working
day if they cannot travel to work.
Stephan
steps up
to have
the jab
DR STEPHAN Dalchow will
be making it a hat trick of flu
jabs with NHS Lanarkshire.
The consultant
anaesthetist, who is based at
Wishaw General Hospital,
has been vaccinated in each
of the two years he has
worked in Lanarkshire.
He said: “I’ll be getting it
again this year. The main
thing for me is wanting to
make sure I’m protecting
myself and my patients. I
would encourage colleagues
to do the same. I know some
people can have a small
minor local reaction from the
jab although I’ve never had
any discomfort.”
Any minor reaction is put
into perspective by the full
effects of the flu. Dr Dalchow
had the flu or a flu-like
illness about six years ago.
He said: “It floored me for a
week. Working in the
intensive care unit with
patients whose immune
systems are suppressed, I’m
aware how serious the flu
can be for some people.”
Dr Dalchow has an extra
incentive to be vaccinated.
He said: “Obviously I want to
protect my family as well. I
have four daughters and I
don’t want to pass the flu on
to them.”
Things to do now
KNOW your options for getting to
work during severe weather. Can
you lift share with a colleague?
Which bus would you take? Could
you take the train? Could you walk?
Know how you’d get to an
alternative NHS Lanarkshire site if
you couldn’t get to your usual
workplace.
Plan alternative childcare
arrangements in case the schools
and nurseries are closed.
Keep a winter weather kit in
your car with items such as an ice
scraper, shovel, blanket and
something to eat and drink.
Flu vaccinations will help protect
colleagues, patients and families
BE a barrier, not a carrier, this winter.
That’s the message going out to all
staff as the NHS Lanarkshire flu
vaccination campaign gets under way.
Staff vaccination clinics are now
available in Lanarkshire’s acute
hospitals and a number of community
locations. Check the weekly email staff
briefing and the Salus section of
FirstPort for details.
Flu viruses change every year, and
your immunity can reduce over time. It
is important to be vaccinated each
year to make sure you’re fully
protected against this year’s flu strain.
Craig Graham, senior occupational
health advisor, Salus, said: “Flu is not
just a bad cold. Healthy individuals
can become quite unwell for a week or
more, even though they usually make
a full recovery. But for those with
chronic health problems – a
disproportionate number of the
patients we treat – the consequences
can be much worse.
“These people are 18 times more
likely to die from flu infections. In
particular, for patients who are
immune compromised or who have
chronic liver problems, this risk rises
to 50 and 80 times that of those who
are otherwise well.”
The flu vaccine does not contain live
viruses, so it cannot give you the flu.
If you are vaccinated, your body’s
immune system can recognise the
virus and will be able to fight it if you
are infected over the winter.
The vaccine lasts for around a year,
yet it only takes a few minutes to get.
Craig said: “All healthcare staff
directly involved in patient care should
get the jab. It will significantly reduce
the risk of outbreaks within our
hospitals and community facilities as
well as protecting you, your family,
your patients and your colleagues by
limiting the spread of the virus.
The vaccine is normally just one jab
administered by a doctor or nurse and
takes around ten days to work. It will
protect you from three strains of
seasonal flu, including swine flu.
q
For specific locations, dates and
times check the schedule on
FirstPort at http://firstport/sites/salus/
Forms/2012%20FLU%20Staff%20
Vaccination%20Schedule.doc
When severe weather hits…
MAKE every reasonable effort to
get to your usual workplace. NHS
Lanarkshire considers all of its
staff essential – especially in the
event of severe weather. Only
heads of department can decide
that staff need not attempt to get
to work due to the conditions.
If you can’t make it to your usual
workplace, you should contact
your manager as soon as possible.
You might agree with your
manager that you could go to an
alternative NHS Lanarkshire site.
If so, contact the relevant manager
and ask if you can go there.
Managers should consider:
q How many and which staff live
nearby and are most likely to
make it to work?
q What would you do with staff
from other sites/areas if they
come to your site?
12 thePulse LOCAL/DISTRICT/PARTNERSHIP
In brief…
Surgical
equipment
location?
Just click!
A NEW website is enabling theatre
staff to locate surgical equipment
while they are in the cleaning process.
The website is being provided
by Synergy Health who provide
decontamination services for
NHS Lanarkshire’s equipment.
Trevor Watson, General Manager
for Hospital Sterilisation Services at
Synergy Health, said: “Synergy
customer.com is a web based portal
which allows theatre staff access
to our trackstar system.
“Trackstar is a track and trace system
which allows us to follow the progress
of the instruments through our process.
Individual instruments and trays of
instruments are uniquely bar-coded. As
soon as the instrument is received, the
Top advice on
patient rights
EASY ACCESS:
Synergy staff
scan surgical
equipment so it
can be tracked
person who receives it scans their
badge and then scans the instrument.
This happens at each stage of the
cleaning and delivery process.
“The web portal enables theatre
staff to check where their instruments
are at any given moment. If there is
a fault in the packaging, the staff can
log in online. This means that we
immediately get an alert so that we
are waiting for it when it comes in
and can deal with it straight away.”
The system provides an audit trail to
see who was involved in the cleaning.
The site is now being used at
Wishaw General Hospital and will
be introduced at Hairmyres and
Monklands hospitals.
Quality of life secured
Dementia-friendly
initiative embraced
by community
DEMENTIA patients in Motherwell
will have more confidence to
maintain their quality of life.
The dementia friendly community
initiative will see shops, services
and businesses in Motherwell town
centre being asked to sign up to
support people with dementia, their
families and their carers.
The first 15 businesses pledged
their support at the launch of the
‘Dementia Friendly Community’
initiative.
The move marked World
Alzheimer’s Day which raises
awareness and reduces the stigma
of Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
Sandra Shafii, AHP Consultant in
FRIENDLY: shops
and services sign
up to the initiative
Dementia for NHS Lanarkshire,
said: “People living with dementia
tell us that getting out and keeping
their social connections is
important for them to maintain
their quality of life.
“Most say they want to keep using
local shops and services but worry
Change to visiting times
benefits mums at Wishaw
MUMS at Wishaw General’s
maternity unit will benefit from
new arrangements for visiting times
from October.
The new arrangements began on
Wednesday 3 October and follow a
recent patient audit which asked
women what they thought of the
existing visiting hours.
Midwife Rosemary Murphy said:
“We recently asked mums how they
felt about the way visiting times were
organised. Because there was only
general visiting it often meant that
about how they will manage.
“We are asking shops, services
and businesses to do some very
simple things such as learning
about dementia and how they
can offer that little bit of extra
assistance that can make all the
difference to their customer.
mums could be overwhelmed by
visitors all arriving at the same time.
“These new arrangements mean that
we now have a dedicated timeslot for
grandparents and siblings, which means
mums and babies can have time with
them before general visiting begins.
“We are grateful for all the input we
have had from our mums in
completing the audit and we hope
visitors will support these new
arrangements.”
The new visiting times will be as
follows:
“Health and social services
have an important role to play in
supporting people with dementia
to stay as well as possible, but they
are no substitute for friendship
and for the everyday life and
social contact we all enjoy in
shops, cafes, recreational activities
and hobbies.”
Approximately 4,400 people are
currently living with dementia in
North Lanarkshire and over two
thirds of people with dementia live
in the community.
Among the first to sign up to the
initiative are: ASDA Motherwell,
Boots Motherwell, Strathclyde Fire
and Rescue, Motherwell Football
Club, Princess Royal Trust for
Carers, North Lanarkshire Carers
Together, Lanarkshire Links,
Aquatec, Motherwell Library, North
Lanarkshire Council’s First Stop
Shop, Funtastica Homestyle and
Woodcutter Bar.
q For partners: 9am to 9pm
q General visiting: 1.30pm to 3pm
and 7pm to 8pm
q For parents and siblings:
6.30pm to 7pm.
Grandparents and other children
may also visit following delivery.
However, relatives are asked to refrain
from visiting when the mother is in
recovery following theatre.
The maximum number of visitors
will also be limited to three per bed
with the option of rotating if the
number of visitors exceeds this.
PATIENTS can benefit from a new
independent Patient Advice and
Support Service (PASS) from
October.
The independent service is run
by the Citizens Advice Bureau to
provide free information and
advice to anyone who uses the
NHS in Scotland.
Patients, their carers and families
can use PASS if they want to give
feedback or make a complaint.
PASS can also help you to
understand your rights and
responsibilities as a patient, help
you access your medical records
or support you if you are
attending a meeting with your
local NHS healthcare provider.
They can also help you make
telephone calls or write letters to
the NHS. The NHS can also
benefit from PASS in many ways.
PASS gives help to people who
want to give feedback and the
NHS can benefit from this.
Shona Welton, head of patient
affairs at NHS Lanarkshire, said:
“We want people to be able to
feel they know how to make a
complaint and people may
benefit from support from an
independent organisation to help
them do that.
“This is positive for the NHS
as all feedback is important in
helping us to identify how to
improve our services.”
Share your
car journeys
and save
YOU can save thousands of
pounds each year by sharing
your car journey to work.
And finding other people in
NHS Lanarkshire to share with
couldn’t be easier with the
Liftshare website.
The Liftshare website has
a dedicated site for NHS
Lanarkshire employees and
matches people who drive the
same journey to work.
You don’t have to share every
day, but by sharing your journey
to work with other colleagues you
can halve or even quarter your
costs, depending on how many
people you share your car with.
For example, if you live in East
Kilbride and drive to work in
Lanark every day and shared your
car with one person, you would
save £1600 every year. If you took
another person, this would
increase to £2135. Take another
person and you could potentially
be saving £2400!
q
For more informtaion,
visit www.westscotnhs
carshare.com
LOCAL/DISTRICT/PARTNERSHIP
MORE CHOICE
We’re reshaping care for older
people so it better suits their needs
CARE for older people is
changing across Scotland as part
of the Reshaping Care for Older
Programme (RCOP).
The aim of the programme is
to improve independence for
older people, providing more
care at home or in homely
settings and preventing lengthy,
unnecessary stays in hospital.
Older people tell us that,
wherever possible, they would
prefer to remain in their own
homes with support if they are
unable to look after themselves.
Staying at home with the right
support lets people enjoy longer,
healthier, more independent and
happier lives. When the time
comes, most people also wish to
die at home or in a homely
setting.
The RCOP programme brings
together local councils, NHS
Lanarkshire and the voluntary
and independent sectors –
together with representatives of
the public and older people – to
plan how services can be
improved.
RCOP will look at a range of
issues including:
q preventing older people
going into hospital if they don’t
need to
q helping people get out of
hospital and back into their
own homes as quickly as
possible
q improving the level of care
and support available for older
people in their own homes
q developing better community
services such as social groups
q increasing the information
and support available for
carers.
Jack Ferguson is chair of
South Lanarkshire’s Public
Partnership Forum and also a
member of Seniors Together.
He has been involved in the
work that is being done to
improve services.
He said: “This is such an
important project which will
make a huge difference to the
lives of older people.
“This isn’t about taking
services away – this is about us
making sure that older people
can choose the care they receive
and that it reflects their own
needs and wishes.
“Nobody wants to be stuck in
hospital because they need
some handrails fitted
at home or they
need
help
cooking for a
few weeks until
they are better.
“And nobody
wants to be
stuck in their
house because
they don’t know
anyone to take
them out for
lunch or to
the shops.
“Reshaping
care is about
improving
these services
so they fit
together better
to help older
people help
themselves.”
local community capacity.”
Four key themes have already
been identified: the need for more
volunteers, community transport,
befriending and digital inclusion.
They have emerged from direct
engagement with community groups
through local consultation events.
This work is being co-ordinated
across Lanarkshire by VANL, with
each locality being led by a local
voluntary sector organisation:
q CACE for North Locality
q Glenboig Neighbourhood House
for Coatbridge
q Getting Better Together Healthy
New faces
THREE new Locality Development
Officers have been employed by
Voluntary Action South
Lanarkshire.
Teeda Boyd
East Kilbride
& Strathaven
Teeda took on
this role after
working as a
Dementia
Adviser for
Alzheimer
Scotland. Prior to this, she spent
seven years working as a
Community Learning Worker with
South Lanarkshire Council and she
has more than 20 years’ nursing
experience.
Teeda said: “My role helps to
highlight the organisations
currently providing support to older
people and will help to build on the
good examples already out there.”
q
Teeda can be contacted at
Lanarkshire, 115 Montrose Crescent
Hamilton ML3 6LQ. Call her on 01698
300396 or 07834 336590, or email
[email protected]
Angela Lavery
Clydesdale
Angela took on
the job having
held a similar
role working
with voluntary
sector providers
of children’s
services in South Lanarkshire. She
also has experience in local-led
community planning.
Angela said: “I cover the rural
area, which is where I live. The area
has particular issues regarding
transport and accessibility and that
is a massive area of development
for older people and carers.”
q
Angela can be contacted at
Lanarkshire (see above). Call her on
01698 300390 or 07764 896339, or
email [email protected]
Service mapping identifies areas of greatest need
NEW opportunities to support
older people within their own
communities are emerging in
North Lanarkshire.
The Locality Partnership
Development Programme, which
started in April 2012, has begun
mapping out the greatest areas
of need.
Kenny Moffat, chief executive
officer of Voluntary Action North
Lanarkshire, said: “The aim is to
map out what services are already
in our localities, see what the
gaps are, and identify how we
can address these by increasing
thePulse 13
Living Centre for Wishaw
q North Lanarkshire Carers
Together for Motherwell
q Voice of Experience Forum
for Airdrie
q Orbitson Neighbourhood
Centre for Bellshill.
Local consortiums – including
representatives from NHS
Lanarkshire, social work and
community learning and development
– are being set up in each locality.
The consortiums are now using
the information from the
engagement and mapping work to
develop bids for new voluntary
sector services and projects to
support older people.
Kenny said: “By investing
in engagement through the
development programme we are
able to ensure we are developing
the right services that will make a
real difference to older people in
North Lanarkshire.”
q
For more about the Locality
Partnership Development
Programme in your area, contact the
relevant voluntary organisation or
contact Kenny on 01236 748011.
Brian Duffy
Rutherglen &
Cambuslang
Before taking up
this role, Brian
was a fundraiser
for St Andrews
Hospice. He also
worked for six
years with Scottish Business in
the Community building capacity.
Brian said: “I would like to take
the community’s views and help
them to decide what services are
needed the most. ”
q
Brian can be contacted at
Lanarkshire (see above). Call him on
01698 300390 or 07921 995056, or
email [email protected]
14 thePulse LOCAL/DISTRICT/PARTNERSHIP
A new umbrella programme aims to improve the health of mothers and babies
The best start
A series of
initiatives are
being rolled
out across
Lanarkshire…
EVERY child deserves the Best
Possible Start in life and support
to reach their full potential.
Best Possible Start is the
overarching programme for early
years intervention services which
will be implemented in Lanarkshire
over the coming months.
It is a joint collaborative
programme by NHS Lanarkshire
and University of West of
Scotland to implement a suite of
policy documents aimed at
improving maternal, infant and
child health outcomes in the early
years to ensure Lanarkshire’s
children have the best start in life.
Evidence demonstrates that
social and emotional wellbeing
is the f o unda t i on o f yo u n g
children’s healthy development.
Children living in disadvantaged
circumstances are more likely to
experience social, emotional and
behavioural difficulties, and as a
result, poor health, education and
employment outcomes.
Lottery funds help us take more First Steps
The suite of policy documents
focuses on the importance of well
co-ordinated early years services,
which include universal service
provision by midwives and public
health nurses, additional support
to vulnerable families and early
nursery education and childcare
to ensure the right support to
families and children.
Sandra MacInnes, programme
manager, Best Possible Start, said:
“A series of effective evidencebased interventions designed to
identify vulnerable children and
provide additional support to the
family already exist.
“We aim to complement universal
service provision by our midwives
and public health nurses with
further programmes, particularly
the Family Nurse Partnership and
through specifically targeted
additional support services such as
First Steps’.’
VULNERABLE first-time mothers are
to benefit from lottery funding which
will help them prepare for the
arrival of their child.
NHS Lanarkshire’s First Steps
programme has received £500,071,
which has been used to employ and
train more First Steps workers.
The funding has increased the
number of workers from seven to 14
and has allowed the service to be
extended to areas of South
Lanarkshire which are not currently
supported by the programme.
Shirley Mitchell, First Steps
Programme Manager, said: “The First
Steps programme is for vulnerable
families, but vulnerable in its
broadest sense. Being a first-time
mum can make you vulnerable.
“Some mothers we work with are
young 14-year-old girls; some have
learning difficulties or are socially
isolated. Others can be vulnerable
due to their housing situation. We
have worked with nearly 450
families and each one is different.
“We try to work with families and
prevent them getting to the stage
where compulsory intervention is
required. The funding from the Big
Lottery Fund will enable us to help
more of these families.”
Women are referred to the service
by their midwife, who lets the First
Steps worker know the kind of
assistance they believe will help the
client. First Steps workers help a
maximum of 20 families, so they can
spend quality time with each family.
Shirley said: “A First Steps
worker builds up a relationship
with the family. They look at the
positive things in their life that can
be built on.”
HAPPY FAMILY: Kayleigh
says the First Steps
programme has helped
her to be a good mum to
her daughter, Cassie
Pioneering support for
young first-time mums
A PIONEERING programme which
provides support to vulnerable
first-time young mothers is to be
introduced to Lanarkshire.
The Family Nurse Partnership
(FNP) programme aims to give
children a healthier start in life.
Geraldine Queen, associate nurse
director – public health nursing and
FNP lead said: “Through FNP,
specially trained nurses visit teenage
mothers to encourage and support
them to adopt healthier lifestyles,
provide good care for their babies
and plan their futures.”
Family nurses visit expectant
mums every one or two weeks
during pregnancy and throughout
the first two years of their baby’s life,
offering guidance and supporting
mothers to make positive choices on
areas such as child development,
preventative health measures,
parenting skills, breastfeeding, better
diet information and on education
and employment.
Sandra MacInnes, who will
oversee the implementation of
FNP in her role as Best Possible
Start Programme Manager, said:
“The programme’s main aims are
to improve maternal health and
pregnancy outcomes, child health
and development, and family
economic self-sufficiency.
The programme was developed in
the US. Children in families assisted
by the programme are more likely to
perform well at school, less likely to
get involved in youth crime, enjoy
better health, and are less likely to
suffer abuse or neglect.
Mothers are less likely to have
subsequent unplanned pregnancies,
typically wait longer between
pregnancies than mothers without
such support, and are more likely to
find paid employment.
‘Anne has made being a mum a lot easier’
KAYLEIGH Mckenna discovered that
she was pregnant at 17 and was
referred to the First Steps programme
by her midwife after her first scan.
The Cambuslang teenager was
introduced to First Steps worker
Anne Watson, who helped prepare
her for the birth of her child.
Kayleigh now lives in a flat with
her ten-month-old daughter Cassie
and her partner, Jordan.
Kayleigh said: “When we first met
Anne, my partner asked her lots of
questions about the programme. But
Anne was really patient with us and
answered everything.
“I was addicted to food when I
was pregnant and I had a craving
for cakes. Anne would come round
and make smoothies and show me
other healthy alternatives. She also
encouraged me to exercise by taking
me swimming.”
Anne talked to Kayleigh about the
benefits of a balanced healthy diet,
helped her bond with her bump
and taught her about the risks of
passive smoking.
Kayleigh said: “Anne introduced
me to breastfeeding, which is
something I wouldn’t have tried. And,
with her encouragement, I stopped
smoking while I was pregnant.”
After her daughter was born, Anne
taught Kayleigh how to wean Cassie
on to solid foods: “After Cassie was
born, Anne helped me to cook lots of
fruit and vegetables and told me
what meals I could freeze. She
taught me how to make pasta meals
for babies, which Cassie loved.
“She taught me what foods
Cassie could be introduced to and
at what times.”
Ann is working with Kayleigh to
teach her the benefits of stimulating
toys for Cassie. She is helping her to
make a ‘Treasure Chest’ with
different textured objects, such as
paintbrushes and shells, for her to
play with.
As their time together is coming to
an end, Kayleigh is full of gratitude
for the woman who helped her in the
first months of motherhood.
“I love being a mum,” she said.
“Anne has made it a lot easier.”
FUND RAISING
thePulse 15
Media Watch
EXTRA MILE
Grateful dad Brian O’Hara took up running and did a half
marathon to raise funds for Paediatric Rheumatology
KILSYTH man Brian O’Hara
raced to Wishaw General
Hospital to hand over a cheque
for £500.
The funds were raised from
sponsorship he received from
colleagues after completing the
Great Glasgow Run.
Brian, who donated the money
to the Paediatric Rheumatology
Team, said: “I wanted to thank
the staff who helped my son Josh
so much over the past year.
“The care and treatment
they have given Josh has been
nothing short tremendous. They
are always prepared to go the
extra mile, so I decided to run
13 miles in support of them.
“My work mates at Link
Logistics gave me the biggest
backing by sponsoring me and I’m
very grateful for their support.”
Brian completed the gruelling
half-marathon challenge to
support kids like his son Josh
who lives with juvenile idiopathic
arthritis (JIA). Ten-year-old Josh
was diagnosed with the condition
last year.
Katrina Bonner, paediatric
rheumatology nurse specialist,
said: “JIA is a condition that
causes pain and swelling in the
Thanks Evy!
Close shave
for cancer
A MAN fighting lung cancer has
roped in 17 of his friends to join in
him shaving their heads to raise
money for the lung oncology
department at Hairmyres Hospital.
Sam Wood from Hamilton
(pictured right) helped raise £1100 for
the unit after finding out he had lung
cancer 12 weeks earlier.
Lung cancer is the second most
common cancer in the UK, with
more than 38,000 people diagnosed
each year.
Sam said: “I had not been to the
doctor for 25 years until I started to
feel unwell. I was shocked when I
was told it was cancer.
“I am currently undergoing
chemotherapy and decided that I
wanted to give something back.”
The group was sponsored by
friends, family and local businesses,
who all dug deep for the cause.
joints. It is a form of arthritis that
affects children under 16.
“With treatment and regular
health checks, most children with
JIA are able to live a normal,
active life.
“It was a fantastic achievement
by Brian and I would like to
thank him on behalf of the team.
His efforts have been a real
inspiration for Josh.”
Josh said: “I am so proud of my
dad. First he stops smoking and
then he starts running. And
because of Dr Lees, Katrina and
Laura, I can run about just like
my dad.”
John McPhelim, Lead
Lung Cancer Nurse for NHS
Lanarkshire, said: “I would like to
thank Mr Wood for fundraising for
the lung oncology unit.
“The money he has raised will go
towards nurse education and new
equipment for patients.”
The symptoms of lung cancer may
include a continuing cough, a chest
infection that doesn’t get better,
increasing breathlessness and
wheezing and excessive
tiredness.
If you have any of these
symptoms, it’s important to
have them checked by your
GP. All of these symptoms
may also be caused by
illnesses other than cancer.
THE Dalziel Unit Day Hospice has been
presented with a cheque for £2720.
Evy Martin (pictured below), who
worked for Serco at Wishaw General
Hospital, raises funds for numerous
charities. The latest is Friends of
Dalziel, a registered charity that raises
funds for the benefit of the cancer
patients in the unit.
Evy’s husband visits the unit most
Fridays to spend some time with
other people who share the
symptoms of multiple
sclerosis.
The funds were raised
through coffee mornings,
sponsored walks and bingo
nights. Prizes were donated
by Serco.
The money raised
will be used
by the centre
to help make
visits for
patients
more
enjoyable and
comfortable.
Award given for
Just in Case bo
xes
Rose is
star on
buses
Carluke and Lanark Gazette
Evening Times
Tasty new
menu gets
thumbs up
Mot
herwell Times
e
The Hamilton Advertiser
reported that community nurses
from NHS Lanarkshire had received
an award for the ‘Just in Case’
boxes scheme.
The boxes contain an agreed set of
medicines that are often needed to
manage symptoms at the end of
someone’s life.
e
Lanarkshire tot Rose Kelly is
featuring on posters on
Lanarkshire buses to raise
awareness of the benefits of
breastfeeding as part of Lanarkshire
Breastfeeding Initiative and an NHS
Lanarkshire campaign.
The story was reported in the
Hamilton Advertiser and the
East Kilbride News.
e
The Airdrie and Coatbridge
Advertiser reported that a road
show to make women aware of
different signs and symptoms of
breast cancer was touring
Lanarkshire as part of the
Scottish Government’s £30 million
Detect Cancer Early programme to
improve cancer survival rates in
Scotland.
e
The East Kilbride News reported
that NHS Lanarkshire’s First
Steps Programme had received
lottery funding of £500,071.
The funding will help the
programme to be rolled out to more
families to help vulnerable first time
mothers and families in financial
hardship.
e
TheWishaw Press and the
Hamilton Advertiser reported on
the launch of the ‘Remember well’
football memories programme at Fir
Park Stadium, which aims to use
strong football heritage to improve
the lives of people with dementia in
North Lanarkshire.
e
The Wishaw Press reported that
students starting Motherwell
College were being given advice on
alcohol and sexual awareness at
freshers’ week when Strathclyde
Police and NHS Lanarkshire
attended to promote the Play Safe,
Home Safe message to hundreds of
teens starting courses.
SHARE YOUR STORIES
q Has a patient or visitor gone out of their way to praise you?
q Is there a new service in your department you are proud of?
Contact the communications department on 01698 858108 and help us
share the good news stories told about NHS Lanarkshire every day.
16 thePulse PEOPLE
When it comes to unlocking the secret to a good life…
Stuart has
the Code
AFTER a busy day at work, Stuart
Mackay could usually be found at his
computer, completing an online course in
life coaching.
But the Medical Laboratory Assistant
at Monklands Hospital has now taken
this a step further and has written a
book of ‘life tips’ to help people reach
their life goals.
Life coaching helps people identify
and achieve their personal goals,
drawing inspiration from sociology,
psychology, positive adult
development and career counseling.
Stuart said: “Life coaching is a
positive experience as it focuses
on the positive side of life. It
doesn’t dwell on the past, it
focuses on the future.
“One part of life coaching
is breaking down large
challenges into smaller ones.
“For example, if someone
wants to do a marathon, they
should break this down into
smaller goals. They can start
walking first and then build
this up.”
His book, The Wisdom Codes,
features 50 general life tips aimed at
helping readers with life’s challenges.
Stuart added: “I spent two months
writing the book, which was really
enjoyable. However, it took a further
five months to edit it. My wife edited the
book for me.”
Stuart’s top five life tips featured in the
book are:
q Momentum – If you have a large goal
that seems daunting, break it down into
easier and smaller challenges.
q Attend one ‘mad’ event a year that will
push you out of your comfort zone e.g.
go to a music festival.
q Relationships – If something has been
a problem long-term, understand that
it’s ok to have endings. Don’t allow
yourself to feel trapped.
q Career – talk to your boss about any
problems that you have or about any
development opportunities.
q Have interests and hobbies outside
your commitments. Have something
positive that is just for you.
q
The Wisdom Codes can be
bought from blurb.co.uk and costs £4.95.
Now that’s what we call a challenge!
WHEN Brian McMillan went to
Barcelona, he lost toe nails, suffered
from blood blisters and friction marks
and experienced bad sunburn. And if
that wasn’t enough, it took five days to
regain feeling in his legs.
He also completed the Challenge
Barcelona Triathlon.
Brian completed the triathlon in
11 hours, 32 minutes and 46 seconds –
though he was concerned that he
wouldn’t be able to take part at all.
Brian said: “I didn’t get any sleep
the night before because there was
really bad rain. It was the end of
hurricane Nadine and we didn’t know
whether the event would go ahead.
I was really worried about the
conditions, but thankfully the weather
calmed down.”
Brian completed the 3.8km swim
in one hour, 11 minutes: “Half way
through my swim I heard someone
shout out. I thought they had cramp,
so I just kept swimming. Then I heard
the shout again. There was a man
who had been knocked unconscious
with an elbow. I knew it could have
easily have been me, so I swam back
to help him.”
He completed the 180km cycle
in five hours, 38 minutes: “It
was really windy and hot, so
I had sunburn on my
shoulders. You could hear
the professionals come up
behind and fly past you.”
The 42.3km run was
completed in four hours
and 35 minutes.
Brian said: “The
running takes
place in four laps.
All the Spaniards
came out to see
us and were
cheering us on.
“When I
could hear the
music at the
finishing line I started to spring,
which really got the crowd going as
most people were hobbling at this
point. I ran past everyone.”
While most athletes would have
collapsed with tiredness, Brian
crossed the finishing line and
dropped to his knee to propose
to his girlfriend.
Brain said: “She was
delighted and said yes.
However, I couldn’t get back
up – her dad had to help me!”
Brain has raised £3150 for
Lukemia and
Lymphoma
Research.
q
If you would
like to make
a donation, you
can visit. www.
justgiving.com/
brian-mcmillanironman
Farewell Mary, we’ll miss you
COLLEAGUES have bid a fond
farewell to Mary Renicks, who retired
after more than 30 years’ service in
NHS Lanarkshire.
Mary started her career in 1978 and
worked in many different areas across
NHS Lanarkshire before joining the
Glenaffric Day Unit at Coathill Hospital.
Mary lives in Coatbridge with her
husband Stevie. She has one son, a
daughter-in-law and two beautiful
grandchildren.
Now that Mary is retiring, she is
looking forward to visiting her brother
and sister-in-law in Puerto Rico.
Anne McWilliams, Day Hospital
Manager, said: “Mary will be sadly
missed by all the staff and patients. Her
warm smile and caring manner was
always welcoming to everyone at the
Day Unit. Mary’s wealth of experience
and local knowledge was invaluable to
the team. We all wish her a long,
healthy and happy retirement.”
STAFF BENEFITS
DINE IN STYLE
Win a meal at
Kama Sutra
restaurant
KAMA Sutra is a growing family
chain of Indian restaurants
based in Glasgow, Stirling and
Edinburgh specialising in
aut he nt i c re g i o n al cu i s i n es
of India.
Kama Sutra literally means
aphorisms of love, the science of
love and pleasure.
Aromatic foods, seductive
music, sensuous aromas and
sultry surroundings all come
within the kama sphere.
The chain has all of these
ingredients in their restaurants.
Kama Sutra is offering three
fantastic prizes: a meal for
two worth £40, one at each
restaurant.
Kama Sutra Glasgow is centrally
based on Sauchiehall Street.
Kama Sutra’s Edinburgh
restaurant is based in the heart of
the city centre on Lothian Road.
The newest member of the
Kama Sutra Restaurants family
is now open in Upper Craigs,
Stirling.
This page is
brought to you by
NHS
STAFF BENEFITS
thePulse 17
Don’t miss
the Megadeal!
VISIT www.nhsstaffbenefits.co.uk
and register for FREE to have full
access to all the fantastic offers
available in your area.
The Christmas 2012 offers have
been launched – so, if you are
arranging this year’s festivities,
have a look at some of the great
deals available for group
bookings.
On the home page, you will
find the Monthly Megadeal
link. Click here for some extra
special offers available for a
limited time only. Make sure
you don’t miss out – check the
Monthly Megadeal now.
q
For information on the Staff
Lottery, Mortgage and
Financial Advice, online loyalty
shopping and, of course, all the
fantastic local discounts available
throughout Central Scotland,
visit www.nhsstaffbenefits.co.uk
Well done!
To enter the competition to win
a meal, just answer the following
simple question:
Where are the
three Kama
Sutra restaurants
located?
?
Please send your competition
answers – including your name,
location and a contact phone
number – to Alison McCutcheon,
based in Communications,
NHS Lanarkshire Headquarters,
Kirklands, Fallside Road,
Bothwell G71 8BB.
Or email alison.mccutcheon@
lankarkshire.scot.nhs.uk with
‘Kama Sutra Competition’ in the
subject line.
The deadline for competition
entries is 22 November 2012.
q
For more information about
Kama Sutra restaurants,
including special offers or to use
the online booking service, visit
www.kamasutrarestaurants.com
CONGRATULATIONS to our winner
from the last issue. Lorraine
Ferguson won an overnight
bed and breakfast stay at the
Macdonald Holyrood House Hotel
and a £100 Macdonald gift voucher.
Lorraine, who is the Patient
Affairs Manager for primary care,
correctly answered that the
Macdonald Holyrood Hotel is
located in Edinburgh.
From mortgages to wills, we can help
Pulse Sudoku
DID you know that there is a range of
financial services available as part of
the NHS Staff Benefits programme?
Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain
one of each digit. So must every column, and every 3x3 square.
Get the solution on FirstPort.
The Mortgage Advice Clinic
The Mortgage Advice Clinic is
authorised and regulated by the
Financial Services Authority and is not
restricted to any one company – that
means it can search the market for the
most suitable product for your needs,
whether you are a first-time buyer,
moving home or simply looking for a
new mortgage deal.
Have you ever considered what it
would mean to you and your family if
you no longer had an income to support
your everyday living needs? The
advisers at The Mortgage Advice Clinic
have a wealth of experience providing
advice to NHS staff and a great deal of
knowledge regarding the benefits
already available to NHS employees.
They can to guide you through the
relevant products that can provide you
and your family with financial security,
should the unthinkable happen.
The Will Writing Clinic
Making and updating your will when
your life circumstances change can
easily slip down on your “to do” list.
Need estate agency services?
As part of a special promotion for
readers of The Pulse, Austin Lafferty
is offering four members of staff a
fantastic opportunity.
The first member of staff to
engage Austin Lafferty in Estate
Agency Services will be offered
the service FREE.
The next three staff members to
engage Austin Lafferty in Estate
NHS Staff Benefits have put together
a directory of local solicitors that offer
discounts on will writing to NHS staff
and family members. To find a local
solicitor offering a discount on will
writing, go to www.nhsstaffbenefits.
co.uk and click on the “Financial
Advice” tab, where you will see the link
to the Will Writing Clinic.
The Debt Management Clinic
In order to free yourself from a debt
problem, you need expert advice.
We have carried out a review of the
debt solutions market and are pleased
to recommend The Mortgage Advice
Clinic for debt consolidation and
Win!
Agency Services
will be offered half price estate agency services.
q
If you are looking to engage an
estate agent in the near future,
please contact Anne at NHS Staff
Benefits on 0141 314 4016, to find out if
you are one of the lucky ones to secure
this special promotion.
Campbell Dallas Debt Solutions for all
other aspects of debt management.
Both companies are based in Glasgow,
but they can offer advice wherever you
are in Scotland. The initial consultation
and any recommendations will be free.
If you go ahead with a debt solution,
there may be some costs, depending on
which solution you decide suits you
best. Our experts will advise if your
preferred option has associated costs
and will only proceed if you are happy.
q
To arrange an appointment for any
of the above services at NHS Staff
Benefits, contact Donna on 0141 211 5885,
or Anne on 0141 314 4016.
18 thePulse AWARDS
Dementia
café takes
top award
AN NHS Lanarkshire dementia
café has won a national
dementia award.
The monthly café at Motherwell
Football Club won in the ‘Best
dementia-friendly community
initiative’ category at the recent
Scottish Dementia Awards.
Three members of NHS
Lanarkshire’s Motherwell
Community Mental Health Team
for Older Adults, pictured below,
collected the award.
Community nurse Hazel Boyle
(below right), said: “Everyone in
the team is absolutely delighted
that the dementia café has been
recognised in this way.
“We were always confident it
would be a success and that it
would be well received by those
with dementia and their families.
“I’d like to thank our partners
who helped us get the café off
the ground and all the dedicated
BEST PRACTICE: (from left) midwife Julie
Guest with son Matthew, midwife Anne
Marie Bruce, Theresa McElhone of the
Baby-Friendly Initiative, service manager
Evelyn Frame and infant feeding
development midwife Wendy Drysdale
Baby friendly!
UNICEF accreditation for Wishaw General maternity services
and fabulous staff who make
themselves available every month
to offer help and advice.”
The Dementia Café is for those
who are worried about their
memory or have a diagnosis
of dementia.
Among those present to offer
help and advice are specialist
doctors, memory service nurses,
an advocacy worker, and an
occupational therapist, as well as
representatives from Alzheimer
Scotland and Carers Together.
NHS Lanarkshire North
Community Health Partnership
(CHP) executive director, Colin
Sloey paid tribute to staff saying:
“I’m sure I speak for all the
patients and their families who
have accessed the service
when I extend my thanks and
congratulations to the team for
this fantastic achievement.
“The café was their own idea
and the feedback we’ve had from
those with dementia, and the
families who regularly attend it,
has shown it’s been a tremendous
innovation.
“It’s fitting the café has received
this national recognition.”
q
For more information on the
café, contact 01698 269649.
WISHAW General Hospital has
been awarded for the support it
gives to breastfeeding mums.
The UNICEF Baby-Friendly
Initiative presented the
hospital with a prestigious ‘full
accreditation’ award after
assessing the care it provides to
pregnant women and new
mothers.
The Baby-Friendly Initiative
accredits maternity services that
adopt internationally recognised
standards of best practice in the
care of mothers and babies.
The award was presented to
staff by Theresa McElhone,
professional officer for Scotland
for the Baby Friendly Initiative,
who said: “I am delighted that
NHS Lanarkshire has achieved the
full Baby-Friendly status. Surveys
show us that most mothers want
to breastfeed but don’t always get
the support they need. Women in
Lanarkshire can be confident that
their midwives will provide the
highest standard of care.”
Babies who are breastfed are
less likely to suffer many
childhood illnesses including
gastroenteritis, juvenile diabetes
and allergies.
Wendy Drysdale, infant feeding
development midwife from
NHS Lanarkshire, said:
“This award recognises NHS
Lanarkshire’s commitment to
make sure every baby born at
Wishaw General has the best
nutritional start in life.
“Breastfeeding doesn’t only
benefit babies, it also benefits
mums. It is free, burns up to
500 calories a day and can lower
your risk of getting breast and
ovarian cancer.”
q
For more on the Baby Friendly
Initiative, visit www.unicef.
org.uk/babyfriendly
Prize for Just
in Case poster
NHS Lanarkshire staff have won the
top prize for ‘Best Poster Award 2012’
at the Institute of Healthcare Managers
Scotland conference.
The poster described the successful
roll-out of Just in Case boxes across
Lanarkshire and how these have
improved end-of-life care.
The award is the second prize that
the palliative care team has won,
having recently scooped a prize in
the patient-centred category at the
NHSScotland event.
Just in Case boxes contain an agreed
set of medicines that are often needed
to manage symptoms at the end of
someone’s life.
Since the roll-out, a detailed audit
has shown that they have prevented
Graduates
honoured
FROM LEFT: Jon
Campbell, Rosalie
Dunn, Jan Smith,
Fiona Young, Helen
Alexander, Rhona
Campbell
84 hospital admissions and 114 calls
to the out-of-hours service. More
importantly, they have offered relief of
suffering and reassurance to families.
Dr Rosalie Dunn, palliative care
MCN lead clinician said: “It is vital
that people have immediate access to
these medicines, and we are delighted
to have been able to roll them out
across Lanarkshire.”
Dr Helen Alexander, MCN manager,
said: “While the focus has been on
ensuring timely access to essential
medicines, we have demonstrated that
people’s wishes to stay at home can be
met. Avoiding these hospital admissions
and calls to out of hours is estimated to
save at least £350,000 each year.”
Interim head of the South CHP Craig
Cunningham said: “Both awards are
very well deserved. It’s great news that
the team has been recognised.”
MORE than 130 members of
NHS Lanarkshire staff have been
honoured at an award ceremony
celebrating their new qualifications.
The Nursing, Midwifery and
Allied Health Professionals
(NMAHP) awards ceremony took
place at the University of the
West of Scotland’s Hamilton
Campus and saw candidates
being presented with an NHS
Lanarkshire certificate by acting
chair Neena Mahal.
The candidates also heard
how learning and development is
making a difference in emergency
and older people’s care.
TRAINING
16 NEW
CHAMPS
thePulse 19
LOOK, LISTEN, FEEL: clinical support
worker Vivienne McGuigan and hospital
emergency care team charge Nurse
Paul Lumsden take part in the training
Specialist care for dementia patients
SIXTEEN members of healthcare
staff in Lanarkshire have completed
the National Dementia Champions
programme and are now helping to
support improvements to the
standards of care for people with a
diagnosis of dementia in acute
hospitals across Lanarkshire.
NHS Lanarkshire’s ‘Dementia
Champions’, who include nursing
and occupational therapy staff,
Dementia
Champions
look at the patient
as a whole,
including carers
and relatives
have been trained by the University
of the West of Scotland and
Alzheimer Scotland.
The Dementia Champions will
play an important role in improving
dementia care within the acute
hospitals and will help ensure all
older people with a diagnosis of
dementia receive the right care and
support when they are in hospital.
Joan James, divisional nurse
director for acute care in NHS
Lanarkshire, said: “Dementia
Champions provide specialist
advice to staff on patients who have
a diagnosis of dementia or have
cognitive impairment. They can
provide support in relation to
assessment of eating and drinking
needs, the patient’s environment
and indentifying whether the
patient is in pain.
“Dementia Champions look at the
patient as a whole, including carers
and relatives. They know it is
important to hear about what the
carers can tell them about the
patient. This can make the
difference to the approach clinical
teams take to the care of these
vulnerable patients.”
Currently, up to one in four
general hospital beds in the UK is
occupied by people over the age of
65 who have symptoms or a
diagnosis of dementia.
Each ward that has a champion
has a sign outside which identifies
to staff, patients and visitors that
there is someone in the ward with
specialist expertise in dementia.
The Dementia Champions
programme is supported by the
establishment of an Alzheimer
Scotland Nurse Specialist across all
NHS Boards in Scotland. Together,
these roles will support NHS Boards
to bring about improvements in the
experiences and outcomes of care
and treatment for older people with
dementia in acute hospital settings.
CRASH course takes a ‘hands-on’
approach to diagnosing sepsis
AN interactive new course is teaching
clinical support workers across NHS
Lanarkshire to identify and assess
sick patients in acute hospital wards.
The CRASH (Clinical support
worker Recognition Assessment
Support and Help) course was
developed by the Hospital Emergency
Care Team and employs a “hands-on”
approach – using look, listen and feel
skills to assess patients.
The course is aimed at clinical
areas piloting the Scottish Patient
Safety Programme’s ‘improving
survival from sepsis’ work stream.
Martin Carberry, consultant nurse
in critical care for NHS Lanarkshire,
said: “The course runs over a morning
session with short lectures and
workshops followed by hands-on,
scenario-based learning.
“Following completion of the
course, support workers are provided
with follow-up mentoring from
me and the Hospital Emergency
Care Team.”
Clinical areas that are currently
working with the sepsis work stream
will be given the opportunity to gain
places on the course.
Other areas will be able to access
the course as the sepsis work
progresses through all acute wards
and departments.
The course will run on a monthly
basis until the end of 2013.
Training Planner
ORGANISATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
q Training schedules,
nomination forms and more
information is available on the
Training and Development
homepage on FirstPort or
at http://firstport/sites/
odandtraining/trainingand
development/default.aspx
If you have any other enquires,
please contact the training
co-ordinators:
Sue Devine (Law House)
01698 377807
sue.devine@lanarkshire.
scot.nhs.uk
Lorna Galloway (Wishaw
General) 01698 366765
lorna.galloway@
MEDICAL EDUCATION
q For queries, contact training
co-ordinators on 01698 855510
or [email protected].
nhs.uk
Training co-ordinators will
contact new consultants direct
regarding the Consultant
Induction and Professional
Development programme.
To book any other senior
courses, use the booking
system which is available on
the MEDED website
www.medednhsl.com
PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT
Contacts:
Rita Cloughley 01698 201413
Morag Mulhall 01698 201412
Natalie Snodgrass
01698 201414
For more information, visit
www.lanpdc.scot.nhs.uk
EDUCATION PROGRAMME
q Courses for nurses,
midwives and AHPs
Courses for all NHS Lanarkshire
nurses, midwives, AHPs and
their support workers are
available.
For more information on
the different courses and
dates available, log on to
the PDC website. Visit
www.lanpdc.scot.nhs.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY
q For training schedules and
nomination forms, access as
follows: Firstport/Staff Support
Services/Occ Health SALUS/
Downloads
For more information, contact:
Sandra Sweeney 01236 707721
or email sandra.sweeney@
LIBRARIES
Contacts: Amanda Minns
(Hairmyres) 01355 585488/7
Lisa McLaren (Wishaw
General) 01698 366316
Paul Herbert (Monklands)
01236 712005
Carol Hallesy (Law House)
01698 377600/01
Grant Donaghy
(Law House)
01698 377602
q Classes are available in:
The Knowledge Network
RefWorks
Ovid Medline
Ebsco CINAHL
Cochrane Library
MOVING & HANDLING
or email sandra.sweeney@
q For training schedules and
nomination forms, access as
follows: Firstport/Staff Support
Services/Occ Health SALUS/
Downloads
For more information, contact:
Sandra Sweeney 01236 707721
PaMOVa
(Prevention and Management
of Violence and Aggression)
q It is essential for all staff to
take care of their personal
Contact your local library for
dates and availability.
safety and be aware of the
safety of others. To reduce
the risk of being a victim of
aggression or violent behaviour,
NHS Lanarkshire provides
PaMoVA training for all staff.
Contact PaMoVA advisors on
01236 707198.
20 thePulse ACHIEVEMENTS
GALS GO
FOR GOLD
Epic road trip sees pair race around the country to visit
all of Scotland’s Olympic gold pillar boxes in a single day
TWO members of NHS
Lanarkshire staff embarked on a
road trip with a difference, by
driving round the country paying
tribute to our top athletes.
Eileen McMillan, health
improvement practitioner,
and Shirley Mitchell, programme
manager, undertook a 400-mile
round trip to visit all of Scotland’s
Olympic gold pillar boxes.
The 13-hour trip began at the
Olympic rings in Glasgow’s
George Square and ended in
Peebles – taking in Lossiemouth,
Westhill, Aberdeen, Dunblane,
Edinburgh and Kirkton Manor
on route.
In Lossiemouth they paid
tribute to Heather Stanning
for her gold in rowing. The pair
then headed to Westhill, which
had two post boxes for Tim
Baillie. Eileen and Shirley could
not quite believe it when they
arrived at the second post box and
the man himself was there,
looking well groomed and ready
for a photo shoot.
Shirley said: “Tim was a great
sport and was delighted to have
his photograph taken with us. He
even remarked at how great an
effort he thought our attempt was
to get round all the post boxes in
Scotland in one day.
“Tim was attracting lots of
attention at his post box, but he
made time for everyone –
especially the kids! This post box
was only painted a few days
before they arrived. But we had
phoned ahead to the Royal Mail
press office to check it was
definitely finished.”
Next stop in their Challenge
Tim was
attracting
lots of attention
at his post box,
but he made time
for everyone –
especially
the kids!
Anneka-style adventure was
Aberdeen to visit Katherine
Grainger’s post box, before
heading to Dunblane.
Shirley said:
“We got stuck
in a traffic jam on the way to
Dunblane. But being true blondes,
we sang and danced our way
through the jam.
“We arrived in Dunblane a
couple of hours later to visit
Andy Murray’s box at the top
of the picturesque Dunblane
high street.
“We then headed to Edinburgh
to visit Chris Hoy’s boxes on both
Hanover Street and Hunter
Square. But we couldn’t take
much time here as we parked up
on double yellows!”
Next stop was Kirkton Manor,
where Eileen and Shirley dressed
up as a horse and a jockey to
celebrate the success of Scott
Brash, before visiting his second
post box on Peebles high street.
They made the Tontine Hotel
bar their finishing line.
In brief…
Julie’s 50-day
mission for Alfie
JULIE Paterson is halfway through
the challenge of her life.
The Associate Public Health
Nurse at Airdrie Community
Health Centre has set herself the
mission of completing a 5k, every
day, for 50 days.
Her outstanding efforts are
helping her raise money for the
Alfie Sharpe Appeal.
Five-year-old Alife Sharpe has
stage four neuroblastoma and has
had little response to more than
12 rounds of chemotherapy.
Julie said: “Alfie has a brain
tumour and has exhausted all the
treatment options available in this
country. Alfie may have to travel to
Germany to receive treatment.
“The therapy Alfie requires is
likely to cost in excess of £80,000.
There are lots of people now trying
their best to raise money.”
Julie is now walking, running or
cycling 5k every day, including
through torrential wind and rain.
Julie said: “I am usually quite
active. Every Saturday morning
I take part in the 5k parkrun in
Strathclyde Park. I am also a
member of jogscotland, so I run a
couple of times a week.
“My challenge has started a
health kick for my husband and I.
He has started doing the 5ks with
me and has lost over three stone.”
Julie is an ice hockey fan and
her favourite team, the Braehead
Clan, has donated a signed shirt to
be auctioned in aid of the appeal.
q
To sponsor Julie, visit
www.justgiving.com/
JuliePaterson2012
River challenge
raises raft of funds
OLYMPIAN HONOUR:
(from left) Eileen
McMillan, Tim Baillie
and Shirley Mitchell
FIVE Blantyre district nurses took
to the water to raise money for
Sense Scotland.
Christie Smith, Carole Cowan,
Louise Drury, Anne Mckechnie,
Gillian McGlone and Joanne
Mcgregor raised £1037 after coming
second in a white water rafting
challenge on the River Tummel.
Joanne, a District Nurse, said:
“We often visit patients within the
Blantyre Sense Scotland respite
home, and we appreciate the
essential work the charity does.
The service users love visiting and
this allows their families to have
much-needed respite.”

Pulse November-December 2012

Transcription

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