The Pulse September / October 2009 - NHS Lanarkshire

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thePulse SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 LOCAL/DISTRICT/PARTNERSHIP 13 In brief… Huge thanks for TV donation PATIENTS at Coathill Hospital are enjoying their favourite films and sporting events on state-ofthe-art screens thanks to the Airdrie and District Round Table. The group donated £1000 to the hospital’s Glenmore Unit. This money was used for three top-of-the-range televisions, which have delighted patients. Ward manager Lesley McCreaddie, from Wishaw, said: “This was an absolutely brilliant gesture.” Colin Williams, chairman of the Airdrie and District Round Table (ADRT), said: “We’ve a long history of working with the NHS and were delighted we could help Coathill Hospital.” Brief ways to get the point across EVERY healthcare contact is a health improvement opportunity. You can make the most of this chance through brief intervention training. Brief interventions are short, structured conversations which seek to empower people to improve their own health. Trainer Sarah Welsh will provide generic brief intervention training for community planning partners, including voluntary sector and NHS Lanarkshire staff. She said: “Brief intervention is a process that can be learned and used by practitioners to identify readiness for change in individuals and to help motivate and support health behaviour change. “It can also help address health behaviour problems at an early stage and facilitate referral of more serious cases.” Generic brief intervention training is now available for NHS staff and community planning partners. To find out more, visit the brief intervention training page on FirstPort (quick links) or call 01698 377651. HAPPY TO HELP: Volunteers Derek Howie and Phyllis Robertson provide an essential service helping people travel to and from the Kilbryde Hospice in East Kilbride Rewarding work Volunteers set to help patients and staff in a range of new ways VOLUNTEERING in Lanarkshire is getting bigger and better, and staff are being asked to suggest new areas where volunteers could participate. Volunteers have been helping patients and staff in the NHS for years, but in Lanarkshire their roles have been limited to community care. Part of Lanarkshire’s new action plan for volunteering includes identifying suitable opportunities for volunteers in the acute hospitals. This could mean ensuring visitors wash their hands before entering a ward area or simply sitting with patients and chatting to them while they are in hospital. Katrina Murray, volunteer services manager, said: “This is a new development for volunteering in Lanarkshire and we hope it will generate a lot of interest. “We would be really keen to hear from staff in the acute hospitals about where volunteers would be useful. It is really important to get the roles right so volunteers find the work rewarding and they are able to support both staff and patients.” For example, Lanarkshire is looking for volunteers to become flu buddies, which are an important part of the pandemic flu plan. Volunteers would help isolated people by making sure that they have medicine and food while they are ill. As part of the development of volunteering, Lanarkshire is also working towards Investing In Volunteers. NHS Lanarkshire has already met most of the 10 standards, but we are still working on: q Developing a handbook for volunteers q Developing a range of policies for volunteers q Developing risk assessments for volunteer roles. The assessment process has been ongoing throughout August with staff and volunteers being interviewed by assessors. The results of the final assessment will be known later in the year. If you have any suggestions for areas where volunteers could help patients, particularly within the acute hospitals, contact Katrina Murray on 01236 707796/707797 or email katrina.murray@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk TOP TOILETRIES: Charge nurse Jan Miller (far right) with (from left) colleague Allison McKenna, and Christine Harris and Lisa McShane of Women’s Aid Designer donations delight Women’s Aid A WOMEN’S Aid group issued a big thank you to the accident and emergency (A&E) staff at Wishaw General Hospital. The Motherwell and District group paid tribute to the staff after they filled a basket with items such as toiletries, perfume and handbags to give to the women who the group helps. The basket was left out by Wishaw General A&E charge nurse Jan Miller after she learned of the desperate plight faced by many of the women who seek refuge from violent and aggressive partners. Jan said: “We have a domestic violence group within the A&E department, which aims to raise awareness of the issue among staff to help us identify and support women who may be in A&E as the result of abuse. “At a recent meeting a Women’s Aid worker told us how many of the women who turn to them for help often have absolutely nothing when they arrive as they’ve been forced to flee at short notice. I put an old basket I had in the staff room and asked staff to make a donation. “The response was absolutely fantastic and in only two weeks, the basket was overflowing with donations. As well as toilet bags and toiletries, there were also items such as designer perfume, hair dye and hair clasps.” Christine Harris from Motherwell and District Women’s Aid said: “I really want to thank the staff for this. “It’s good to be able to give the women some basic toiletries and cosmetics to help them get back on their feet. It also helps them rebuild their self-esteem, which for some can be very low after they’ve suffered years of abuse.” One in four women will be victims of physical, verbal or mental abuse at some stage in their lives. Motherwell and District Women’s Aid is on 01698 321000.
14 thePulse LOCAL/DISTRICT/PARTNERSHIP SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 Project targets young smokers A NEW project aims to reduce the number of young people smoking in Lanarkshire. The Bellshill locality launched its new Youth Smoking Cessation/ Education and Prevention initiative in August. Maureen Allan, public health nurse and the project’s lead, said: “The idea is to work with local youth groups, such as the YMCA, Focus Youth Project (Viewpark), and schools to reduce the number of young people smoking. “These groups already engage with young people and are ideally placed to discuss with them the realities of what smoking can do to your health. “The project will equip all multiagency staff who are in contact with young people with the necessary skills and knowledge for delivering information on smoking cessation. “We received funding from the Queens Nursing Institute, and the project will help build closer relationships with these local groups.” The key aims of the project are to: q Provide a confidential service q Stimulate and enable young people to challenge their own perception of health q Provide health information about smoking q Provide a holistic approach q To find out young people’s views on smoking, drugs, alcohol, physical activity, mental health and nutrition q To reduce the number of young people smoking. Attending a launch event at the Bellshill Community Health Clinic were representatives from the local YMCA, Focus Youth Project, Community Learning Development, and school-based community workers. The Queen’s Nursing Institute’s funding was also used to buy three fully equipped resource boxes containing smoking visual aids and professionally printed diaries. These were given to the local youth partners to aid the delivery of their smoking prevention/education group work within Bellshill locality. Making us better Meet Valerie and Evelyn, two people using patient feedback to improve our services COMMUNICATORS: Valerie Costello, left, and Evelyn Anderson provide support for patients who want to raise issues about the care they received from NHS Lanarkshire PERFECT patient care is always the aim of NHS Lanarkshire staff, but help is at hand when things do not go to plan. Valerie Costello and Evelyn Anderson work with the Independent Advice and Support Service (IASS), which is part of the Lanarkshire Citizens Advice Bureaux. They provide support and advice for patients who feel the care they received fell short of the high standards NHS Lanarkshire set. Valerie said: “NHS Lanarkshire wants to hear feedback from patients so it can ensure it’s providing the best possible care. “If patients don’t engage in that communication, then it’s difficult for the health board to change anything. “People need to be active in their own healthcare and learn that it’s okay to question what their doctor or nurse tells them.” IASS can also help people access local health services and provide advice on issues such as housing, benefits, employment and debt. Evelyn added: “We provide support to people to raise issues they have with NHS Lanarkshire. “Not only does this help patients, it helps NHS Lanarkshire identify any areas where improvements can be made, where extra training may be required or when processes should be changed.” The IASS aims to resolve issues locally and many concerns are resolved by Valerie and Evelyn simply making staff aware of them. However, they also offer advice and assistance in making more formal complaints and work closely with NHS Lanarkshire’s complaints managers to resolve problems positively. Shona Welton, NHS Lanarkshire’s head of patient affairs, said: “The IASS service is completely independent of the health board but we work closely together to answer people’s questions as best we can.” Evelyn said: “We’re not on anybody’s side. If a patient wants to raise an issue with the NHS, then we will help them do that. “But we will also advise someone if their expectations are unrealistic. “Often just by finding out why something was done or why they received or didn’t receive a particular treatment puts the patient’s worries at ease.” Valerie added: “NHS Lanarkshire staff can also refer patients to ourselves or to the citizens advice bureaux for help on benefits.” People can access the IASS through their local citizens advice bureau, or by contacting Valerie on 01555 664301 or valcostello@clydesdalecab.cas online.org.uk or Evelyn on 01236 429338, or evelynanderson@coatbridgecab. casonline.org.uk It was a marvellous night for a MoonWalk! COLLEAGUES from across NHS Lanarkshire pulled on their walking boots to raise thousands of pounds through the Edinburgh MoonWalk. Walking 26.2 miles, the teams raised tremendous sums to help the fight against breast cancer. Pictured (far right) are the team from Wishaw Health Centre, who raised £2000. Also pictured are staff from the Community Mental Health Team for Older Adults in Hamilton and ward staff from Udston Hospital who completed the MoonWalk and raised £3000. Both teams thanked their colleagues, friends and family for their support and generous donations. £3000 raised! PRETTY IN PINK: Community Mental Health Team for Older Adults in Hamilton and ward staff from Udston Hospital joined forces for the walk. The team members were: Ann Michelle Skilling, Elizabeth Leavy, Rosie McKenzie, Emma Main, Kay Mullen, Christine Johnston, Geraldine Martin, Helen McTear, Sheila Robertson, Dianne Clifton, Gillian Leavy, Maureen Dunn, Lynn Dunsmuir, Stephanie Alexander, Debbie McMillan and Dianne Alexander £2000 raised! EVENING GLAMOUR: (from left) Jackie McDonald, Sharon Clark, Jennifer Rutherford, Ellen Chalmers and Janet Bow from Wishaw Health Centre
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The Pulse September / October 2009 - NHS Lanarkshire

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