The Pulse September / October 2009 - NHS Lanarkshire

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4 thePulse GENERAL NEWS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 In brief… Checks for cleanliness UNANNOUNCED inspections teams could soon be visiting Lanarkshire’s hospitals to check infection control and cleanliness. The new Healthcare Environment Inspectorate, which will operate independently of the Scottish Government and NHS Boards, will begin its programme in September. Every acute hospital will receive at least one planned and one announced visit over three years. The visit will focus on: q Infection control practice q Hygiene and cleanliness standards q Waste management q The fabric of the building and accommodation q Standards of essential equipment q Access arrangements for visitors. The public will be able to contact the inspectorate directly to report concerns. Kirklands staff parking advice WITH the ongoing construction of the Learning Disabilities Assessment and Treatment Centre at Kirklands, staff are advised to use the main car park and the car park in front of Kirklands House. To ensure safety on site, a temporary road has been made to allow access for patients who require transport to the cottage. Good practice guidelines out NHS Lanarkshire’s Recruitment and Selection Policy has now been ratified. This policy is designed to promote good practice in the process of attracting and selecting staff, ensuring all applicants are treated fairly and courteously in a nondiscriminatory fashion. This new policy further aims to provide the governance framework for recruitment to the organisation. The detailed recruitment and selection procedure supporting this policy is contained within the General Recruitment and Selection Process Guidance Pack, which is available on FirstPort. System will help recruitment A NEW system is being introduced to assist with recruitment. Empower will allow the administration team to process approximately 200 vacancies each month. The system will allow online applications, further enhancing the delivery of recruitment. SCREEN STARS! READY FOR ACTION: NHS Lanarkshire’s bowel screening champions at the launch on the Lanarkshire programme with (back row, from left) Lanarkshire MSP Linda Fabiani, director of acute services Rosemary Lyness, NHS Lanarkshire chairman Ken Corsar and (middle row, far right) Dr Jennifer Darnborough VOLUNTEERS were at the centre of the launch of NHS Lanarkshire’s bowel screening programme in August. Nine bowel screen champions will take the message that bowel screening could save lives into their own community, with seven of them present at the official launch of the screening programme in Hamilton Caledonian Bowling Club. NHS Lanarkshire chairman Ken Corsar praised the efforts of the nine who will visit local community groups – such as community councils, bowling clubs, churches and tenants groups – to explain why taking the test is so important and how they can do it. NHS Lanarkshire’s Bowel Screening Programme started on 1 August and will see all 50 to 74-year-olds sent a bowel screening kit to their home to allow them to be checked for early signs of bowel cancer. Bowel cancer affects around 350 people in Lanarkshire every year and is the second biggest cancer killer in Scotland. HEALTHY eating is now the easy choice for staff, patients and visitors at NHS Lanarkshire. A series of initiatives have significantly increased the healthy foods available within the health board’s hospitals and community health sites – including from vending machines. Karen McGuigan, public health specialist, said: “NHS Lanarkshire is focused on improving the health of our local community and healthy eating is central to this. “It’s vital our own restaurants, As kits are sent out to all 50 to 74 year olds, local champions are ready to take the bowel screening message into communities The champions will make a five-minute presentation to groups and answer basic questions about the screening. They will also be accompanied by a specialist NHS Lanarkshire colorectal nurse who will be able to answer medical questions in relation to the process. Ken Corsar said: “I want to thank the champions for doing this. “The presentation made to us by one of the bistros and vending machines provide people with opportunities to eat and drink healthily. “We’re delighted with the progress. Making the healthy choice is now an easy choice for NHS Lanarkshire’s staff, patients and visitors.” All of NHS Lanarkshire’s restaurants and bistros have achieved national recognition for their efforts in improving the healthy options available by winning the NHS Health Scotland Healthy Living Award. In addition, 75 per cent of the products available in drinks vending machines within NHS Lanarkshire are now healthier options – such as still water. Fifty per cent of the products in food vending machines in NHS Lanarkshire’s acute hospitals are healthier options. Catering staff will also benefit from a new training programme being developed which will give them the skills to advise customers on healthy food choices and to encourage healthy eating. champions, Jack Ferguson, on the day was excellent and I’m sure they will help us encourage as many people as possible to take part in bowel screening.” NHS Lanarkshire consultant in Public Health Dr Jennifer Darnborough is overseeing the project in Lanarkshire. She said: “We want everyone who is sent the test kit to complete it and send it back to the national screening centre in Dundee. “One of the ways we can help do this is to break through the barriers which prevent some people discussing bowel issues, which is where the champions come in. “By taking the screening message into the community, they are helping to raise bowel cancer awareness and encouraging people to do the test.” To find out more about bowel cancer, visit www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk For more information on the screening initiative, visit www.bowelscreening.scot.nhs.uk We’ve made healthy eating easy NHS Lanarkshire is also currently updating its Healthy Eating Policy. Karen said: “Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, high in dietary fibre and low in fats, sugar and salt makes a significant contribution to good health and preventing disease. “The healthy eating policy aims to promote and improve the nutritional health of staff, patients and visitors by providing healthy eating and drinking choices.”
thePulse SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 GENERAL NEWS 5 An oral health programme to smile about BRUSHING UP: Dental nurses Kay Reid, second left, and Anne O’Neill, second right, with staff from ward 20 at Wishaw Hospital and, centre, young patient Jaik Mitchell and play specialist Eileen Gibb demonstrate the oral health teaching resource CHILDREN will enjoy learning about the importance of good oral health through games and quizzes as part of a new NHS Lanarkshire initiative. Members of the special care oral health team, part of NHS Lanarkshire’s salaried primary care dental service, recently delivered their newly created educational resource box to the children’s ward 20 at Wishaw General. The box contains games, books, puppets, DVDs, a set of giant teeth and toothbrush, educational toys, work sheets, a mini uniform and other fun items designed to promote the importance of brushing teeth correctly, eating healthy foods and drinks and visiting the dentist regularly. Oral health educator Kay Reid said: “The resource box will help children learn about the importance of looking after their mouths, but have fun at the same time. “This is the first time this idea has been tried and, hopefully, if it’s successful, we can deliver more of these boxes to other sites. “We will evaluate this initiative to assess its suitability and success. “This will allow us to develop Uddingston services to transfer to the new Douglas Street development the resource in the future.” Oral health educator Anne O’Neill said: “Our role is to raise awareness and promote all aspects of good oral health. “The health of your mouth can affect other aspects of your health, so it’s important patients are encouraged to practise good oral health while in hospital and continue when they leave. “These resource boxes are another means of promoting the importance of good oral health to both staff and younger patients.” Wishaw General’s play specialist Eileen Gibb said: “The reaction to this resource has been excellent. “The staff have enjoyed using the games and props to entertain and teach the children. “The children themselves have really responded to the toys and games and have enjoyed learning why it’s important to look after your teeth.” Jaik Mitchell, 15, from Bellshill, a Brannock High School pupil, said: “It’s a good idea for younger people to learn things in a fun way instead of just being told to do something or learning from a book.” MRU is MODERN FACILITIES: Phase two of the new Douglas Street Community Health Clinic is due for completion in October on the move NHS Lanarkshire is planning to relocate services at the Medical Rehabilitation Unit (MRU) in Uddingston to new high-quality accommodation. The services currently provided at the MRU are planned to move to Douglas Street Community Health Clinic in Hamilton. NHS Lanarkshire opened the first phase of Douglas Street Community Health Clinic in April this year. The £4.6-million development, on the site of the former social security office at 19 Douglas Street, provides modern, high-quality facilities for a range of primary care services. Phase two of the Douglas Street development will be completed around October this year. The finished development will have a total of 2,322m 2 of accommodation over three floors. This will provide additional room for Patients can receive health services in modern, fit-for-purpose surroundings” improved accommodation for other local health services. NHS Lanarkshire is planning to take this opportunity to relocate the services currently provided at the MRU. Alan Lawrie, director of South Lanarkshire Community Health Partnership, NHS Lanarkshire, said: “Douglas Street has provided us with a fantastic opportunity to provide local health services in greatly improved premises. “This development opportunity allowed us to bring forward plans to provide new community healthcare premises for Hamilton and the surrounding area by up to 10 years. “It means patients can receive health services in modern, fit-forpurpose surroundings – something that unfortunately the MRU can no longer provide.” The MRU provides podiatry and adult physiotherapy outpatient services primarily to people in Bothwell and Uddingston, as well as some people from other areas. It also provides the following outpatient services to people from throughout Lanarkshire: e Paediatric physiotherapy e Orthotic clinic – adult and paediatric e Wheelchair clinic e Bioengineering clinic (for example, providing walking aids) e Staff physiotherapy service. Alan Lawrie said: “There are real benefits from moving to Douglas Street. “The move will allow services to modernise and work in new ways that are not possible in the current, outdated accommodation at the MRU. “Douglas Street is also served by nearby £4.6m development parking and good public transport links.” After services move to Douglas Street, NHS Lanarkshire intends to market the MRU site for sale as it will no longer be required for health service provision.
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The Pulse September / October 2009 - NHS Lanarkshire

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