The Pulse September / October 2009 - NHS Lanarkshire
The Pulse September / October 2009 - NHS Lanarkshire
The Pulse September / October 2009 - NHS Lanarkshire
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2<br />
the<strong>Pulse</strong> GENERAL NEWS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER <strong>2009</strong><br />
CHAMPIONS: Smiling<br />
volunteers at the<br />
heart of <strong>NHS</strong><br />
<strong>Lanarkshire</strong>’s bowel<br />
screening programme.<br />
See page 4.<br />
Contents<br />
4-9 GENERAL NEWS<br />
Plans are afoot to relocate the Medical<br />
Rehabilitation Unit; Scotland’s only consultant<br />
allied health professional in rehabilitation joins<br />
<strong>NHS</strong> <strong>Lanarkshire</strong>; a national children’s wellbeing<br />
initiative gets a new member.<br />
10-11 SPECIAL FEATURE<br />
Examining the role of Leading Better Care, one of<br />
a range of initiatives, and exploring some of the<br />
work going on in wards in <strong>Lanarkshire</strong>.<br />
12-14 LOCAL, DISTRICT, PARTNERSHIP NEWS<br />
Volunteering service to get better; help is at hand<br />
from the Independent Advice and Support Service.<br />
16 PEOPLE NEWS<br />
Staff say farewell to work and hello to retirement.<br />
19 TRAINING<br />
Essential guide to training dates for your diary.<br />
20 ACHIEVEMENTS<br />
A game with a twist and a run for an anaesthetist.<br />
Got a story?<br />
If you have any ideas,<br />
stories or features you<br />
would like to see included, or<br />
would just like to tell us what you<br />
think of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Pulse</strong>, please get in<br />
touch with a member of the<br />
editorial team...<br />
Martin Stirling<br />
01698 245069<br />
Michelle Nobes<br />
(Hairmyres)<br />
01355 585325<br />
Editorial policy<br />
As the staff newspaper of <strong>NHS</strong> <strong>Lanarkshire</strong>, <strong>The</strong> <strong>Pulse</strong> aims to celebrate<br />
the work and achievements of staff and services. It also shares<br />
information about the changes and issues that affect staff at work. We<br />
would like to hear your thoughts and suggestions about the kind of<br />
stories you would like to see in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Pulse</strong>. Contact the team (below) with<br />
your stories, comments and ideas.<br />
Christine McNeill<br />
(Monklands)<br />
01236 713065<br />
Yvonne Ross<br />
(Wishaw General)<br />
01698 366558<br />
<strong>The</strong> deadline for<br />
contributions to<br />
the next edition<br />
9 <strong>October</strong><br />
All part of<br />
the plan...<br />
EVERY member of staff in <strong>NHS</strong><br />
<strong>Lanarkshire</strong> now has a personal<br />
development plan (PDP).<br />
This was one of the Health<br />
improvement, Efficiency, Access and<br />
Treatment (HEAT) targets set by<br />
the Scottish Government last year –<br />
for all staff to have a PDP by<br />
31 March <strong>2009</strong>.<br />
It was thanks to the hard work by<br />
all concerned that <strong>NHS</strong> <strong>Lanarkshire</strong><br />
was able to achieve this target.<br />
However, the hard work does not<br />
stop there as the next HEAT target<br />
states that all staff should have an<br />
annual review against the Knowledge<br />
and Skills Framework (KSF) post<br />
outline for their position and a PDP.<br />
This review/PDP must be recorded,<br />
agreed and signed off on the<br />
electronic Knowledge and Skills<br />
Framework (e-KSF) System.<br />
Hugh Sweeney, employee director,<br />
said: “This is a great opportunity for<br />
all employees to have the chance to<br />
meet with their manager at least once<br />
a year to discuss how they have been<br />
working in relation to their KSF post<br />
outline and to agree a plan for their<br />
continued development.”<br />
Currently, more than 7000 staff<br />
have been trained on using the e-KSF<br />
system. Training sessions will<br />
continue throughout the year – dates<br />
for these can be found on FirstPort<br />
under KSF information.<br />
To help <strong>NHS</strong> <strong>Lanarkshire</strong> achieve<br />
this HEAT target, a new process is<br />
being introduced. Staff that are<br />
Safety first in swine flu plans<br />
FROM PAGE 1,<br />
we have robust arrangements in<br />
place and are well prepared.<br />
“Many nursing staff who have<br />
moved on from clinical roles but<br />
still hold the necessary registration<br />
have undergone additional<br />
training so that they can assist<br />
with the vaccination and help<br />
EMBEDDING GOOD PRACTICE:<br />
the KSF sub-group at Law House<br />
unable to attend training are now able<br />
to get their user name and password<br />
to allow them to access their e-KSF<br />
account on their own.<br />
Anyone with an <strong>NHS</strong> email<br />
account who wishes to access<br />
their e-KSF account on their own<br />
should email Jill Earlie at<br />
jill.earlie@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk<br />
Jill will activate the account and<br />
you will receive an automated systemgenerated<br />
email containing a<br />
username and password.<br />
She will also email the relevant<br />
training materials for the system.<br />
Managers with staff who do not<br />
have their own email account should<br />
email Jill with a list of the people who<br />
require access.<br />
Safer and easier for blood transfusions<br />
BLOOD transfusion services in <strong>NHS</strong><br />
<strong>Lanarkshire</strong> have experienced an<br />
intense 12 months of activity.<br />
Several key changes have been<br />
introduced to improve blood<br />
transfusion and patient safety.<br />
A new website, available at the<br />
bottom of the laboratories section of<br />
FirstPort, has been launched with<br />
documents including:<br />
q Revised transfusion manual<br />
q Revised blood transfusion record<br />
q Scottish National Blood<br />
Transfusion Scotland (SNBTS)<br />
patient information leaflet<br />
q Jehovah’s Witness protocol<br />
q Emergency blood management<br />
arrangements<br />
q Major haemorrhage protocol.<br />
<strong>The</strong> revised manual reflects<br />
national guidelines and includes<br />
local policies and procedures. <strong>The</strong><br />
revised Blood Transfusion Record<br />
has been updated with an improved<br />
way of recording special transfusion<br />
requirements and a new section<br />
for consent.<br />
All patients should be offered the<br />
new SNBTS patient information<br />
leaflet and the new sticky label for<br />
consent within the leaflet should be<br />
completed and placed securely in the<br />
“Alert” section inside of the cover of<br />
the patient’s notes.<br />
Staff will be kept up to date<br />
through the Staff Briefing and in<br />
future issues of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Pulse</strong>.<br />
For more information, email<br />
pauline.stewart@lanarkshire.<br />
scot.nhs.uk or heather.daniels@<br />
lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk<br />
us manage the extra workload.”<br />
All staff are reminded to maintain<br />
good infection control practice<br />
and hand hygiene practice to help<br />
prevent the spread of swine flu:<br />
eUse a tissue to cover your mouth<br />
and nose when coughing<br />
or sneezing<br />
eDispose of the tissue promptly<br />
and then wash your hands<br />
Did you<br />
know?<br />
As reviews and PDPs are<br />
being recorded electronically,<br />
a system is being introduced<br />
to make it easier for all staff<br />
to access the e-KSF<br />
system<br />
Confidential envelopes, addressed<br />
to the member of staff, containing the<br />
login details and training materials<br />
will be prepared.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se can either be hand delivered<br />
to the manager, where possible, or, if<br />
required urgently, can be picked up<br />
from the KSF team at Law House.<br />
Kenny Small, director of organisational<br />
development, said: “I would like<br />
to thank everyone who has, and<br />
continues to, work hard to ensure we<br />
are on track to another successful<br />
year with KSF.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> KSF team and the KSF subgroup<br />
will continue to support the<br />
organisation throughout the<br />
process of embedding KSF/e-KSF in<br />
the organisation.”<br />
eAvoid touching your mouth,<br />
eyes and nose unless you have<br />
recently decontaminated<br />
your hands.<br />
For more information, go to<br />
www.nhslanarkshire.org.uk/<br />
influenza or the Influenza A(H1N1)<br />
section on FirstPort.