The Pulse September / October 2009 - NHS Lanarkshire

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.