The Pulse November/December 2010 - NHS Lanarkshire

NEWS FOR NHS LANARKSHIRE STAFF • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 

Page 3 

Craig Brown supports 

FAST stroke campaign 

Pages 10&11 

New system 

explained 

WINTER WARNING 

extra pressures winter illnesses It will remind people to check 

bring. For them to work effectively in advance that they have enough 

PROTECTION: 

Vaccinations and vigilance 

we need all staff to play their part. of their regular medicines to 

Janet 

“We are grateful for their hard cover the holiday period. 

Saunders, 

against viruses will help us work to ensure that we are well The public will also be 

occupational 

prepared for whatever this winter advised to stock up 

staff nurse, 

brings, particularly those staff who their home medicine 

gives Mary 

fight off the winter blues 

will be working over the Christmas cabinet with overthe-counter 

clinical support 

Gilchrist, 

and New Year period.” 

ALL staff are being asked to make service is expected to be particularly 

busy at these times. 

involves all parts of NHS 

coughs and colds. 

annual flu 

The Lanarkshire winter plan remedies for 

worker, her 

sure NHS Lanarkshire is ready for 

winter – our busiest time of year. Demand on hospital beds and Lanarkshire, including GP 

The national Be 

vaccination 

A comprehensive plan has been 

put in place with our partner 

agencies to cope with the extra 

pressures this time of year brings. 

Staff can help us get ready for 

winter by: 

q Making sure they know their 

own service’s particular plans or 

arrangements 

services is expected to be at its 

highest following the public 

holiday period, from early 

January 2010. 

Director of South 

Lanarkshire 

Community 

Health 

Partnership 

Alan Lawrie, 

surgeries, the primary care outof-hours 

service, pharmacies, 

hospitals, as well as local authority 

and ambulance services. The plan 

has been worked up with 

partners including the 

councils in north and 

south Lanarkshire, 

the Scottish 

Ambulance Service 

Ready For Winter 

leaflets are being 

distributed to NHS 

Lanarkshire premises 

during November and 

December. Staff are 

asked to look out for these 

leaflets and pass copies to 

family and friends. 

We have robust executive 

and NHS 24. 

The NHS Lanarkshire website will 

director 

A national and 

plans in place 

responsible 

local Be Ready For 

also have a winter health section at 

to prepare for for winter 

Winter public information 

campaign is will be other winter health advice, 

www.nhslanarkshire.org.uk and there 

the extra pressures planning, 

said: “We 

also being launched including pharmacy festive 

winter illnesses bring 

know that 

to encourage 

opening times on 

winter is always 

people to plan www.nhsinform.co.uk 

q Protecting their patients and 

themselves by taking up – and 

making sure patients take up – 

the offer of a flu vaccination. See 

page 15 for more information 

q Ensuring they are up to date 

with the latest guidance and 

procedures for preventing and 

managing norovirus (winter 

vomiting virus). See page 8 for 

more information. 

This festive season there will 

be two four-day periods of 

weekend/public holidays, with 

GP surgeries closed between 

25-28 December and 1-4 

January. The out-of-hours 

one of the busiest 

times for our 

services. 

“We have robust 

plans in place 

to prepare 

for the 

ahead and ensure 

they know what 

services to access if 

they become ill. 

ALSO INSIDE 

NEWS ACROSS THE DIVISIONS • TRAINING UPDATE • YOUR STORIES • YOUR HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE

2 

thePulse 

GENERAL NEWS 

Contents 

FIRST STEPS: Help for single mums. See page 14 

2-9 GENERAL NEWS 

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon gets shown round 

a new electronic pharmacy in Shotts; staff get ready 

for an HMIe inspection; NHS Lanarkshire becomes 

first health board to offer bisphosphonate injections. 

10-11 PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 

Discover how patient management will change 

under the new electronic system. 

12-14 LOCAL, DISTRICT, PARTNERSHIP NEWS 

Couple raises £10,000 for Sands Wishaw group; 

Dalziel Centre benefits from snooker champion 

John Higgins’ Mr & Mrs gameshow success. 

17 COMPETITIONS/PUZZLES 

Enter our panto competition for family tickets to 

see Robin Hood and his merry men this Christmas. 

20 ACHIEVEMENTS 

RAF promotes reservist radiographer Sam Wadelik. 

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... 

Martin Stirling 

01698 245069 

Michelle Nobes 

(Hairmyres) 

01355 585325 

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. 

Christine McNeill 

(Monklands) 

01236 713065 

Yvonne Ross 

(Wishaw General) 

01698 366558 

The deadline for 

contributions to 

the next issue 

26 November. 

© South Lanarkshire Council 

CONGRATULATIONS: From left, 

Alasdair MacLullich, Pamela 

Milliken, head of clinical 

governance and risk management, 

Marie Cerinus and Paul Wilson 

CELEBRATING 

YOUR SUCCESS 

More than 

200 health 

professionals 

attend event 

HUNDREDS of health workers were 

congratulated for their hard work 

and their successes in 2009/10 at 

the eighth annual Celebrating 

Lanarkshire conference. 

More than 200 nurses, midwives, 

allied health professionals 

(NMAHPs), their students and 

support workers attended the event, 

held at the University of the West 

of Scotland. 

Dr Marie Cerinus, director of 

NMAHP Practice Development at 

NHS Lanarkshire, said: “The overall 

aim of Celebrating Lanarkshire 2010 

was to celebrate success in improving 

quality in NHS Lanarkshire. 

“It celebrated the contribution 

made by many clinical staff to 

improve quality in health and health 

care in NHS Lanarkshire through 

a focus on children, adults and 

older people. 

“It also provided the opportunity to 

share information on improving 

quality to support all staff to continue 

to grow and develop as clinicians, 

leaders and managers to further 

enhance health, care and experience.” 

Speakers at the event included 

Geoff Lachlan, former consultant 

general surgeon and now researcher 

in spirituality and health, Alasdair 

MacLullich, professor of geriatric 

medicine at the University of 

Edinburgh, and Paul Wilson, NHS 

Lanarkshire’s executive director 

of NMAHPs. 

Paul said: “In addition to a range 

of presentations on relevant health 

topics and developments, there 

were also market stalls and time to 

network with other health workers 

to ensure we share information and 

ideas for good practice. 

“By bringing everyone together, 

we are not only celebrating areas 

of excellence in health care but 

also providing the opportunity to 

learn from each other to improve 

patient care.” 

Blood borne virus conference well received 

LANARKSHIRE Blood Borne Virus 

(BBV) Networks held a successful 

conference in October which raised 

awareness of Hepatitis and HIV. 

About 200 delegates from across 

NHS Lanarkshire, the voluntary 

sector, service users and carers, and 

staff from north and south 

Lanarkshire councils attended. 

NHS Lanarkshire’s chairman Ken 

Corsar, who chaired the morning 

session of the conference, said: “At 

the core of the conference was the 

real experiences and life stories from 

those who are affected by Hepatitis 

and HIV. 

“The role of carers was also highlighted 

as the impact on children 

and families living with and affected 

by Hepatitis and HIV. 

“We heard about the reality of 

being diagnosed, experiences of 

those going through treatment and 

of those living with Hepatitis and 

HIV as a long-term condition, and 

about the persistence of discrimination 

and stigma. 

“The conference should 

strengthen our resolve to play our 

part in challenging attitudes, 

prejudice and practice which 

discriminates and stigmatises.” 

Harry Stevenson, executive 

director of social work services 

at South Lanarkshire Council 

NETWORK: From left 

Harry Stevenson, Ken 

Corsar, Dr Harpreet 

Kohli, Duncan Mackay 

and Dr John Logan 

chaired the afternoon session of 

the conference and other speakers 

were Duncan Mackay, head of 

social work development with 

North Lanarkshire Council, 

Felicity Naughton, sexual health 

and HIV programme implementation 

manager, Scottish 

Government, and members of the 

Lanarkshire BBV network.caption


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 GENERAL NEWS 

3 

FAST response 

can save lives 

Football manager Craig Brown is helping to raise 

awareness of how we can all recognise when someone 

is suffering a stroke and how to help them 

MOTHERWELL manager Craig 

Brown has teamed up with NHS 

Lanarkshire and Chest Heart & 

Stroke Scotland (CHSS) to promote 

the FAST stroke awareness 

campaign. 

The aim of the FAST campaign is 

to promote the message that a stroke 

is a medical emergency and people 

should think FAST and call 999. 

Craig Brown said: “More than 

1000 people in Lanarkshire have a 

stroke every year and, contrary to 

popular myth, a stroke is not something 

that only happens to older 

people as about a quarter occur in 

the under-65s. It is essential people 

recognise a stroke when it’s 

happening and take prompt action. 

“Delay increases the risk of death 

or major long-term disabilities, such 

as paralysis, severe memory loss and 

communication problems. It is vital 

that the symptoms are not ignored.” 

FAST – which stands for Face, 

Arm, Speech and Time to call 999 

– aims to make people aware of the 

signs of stroke. 

■ F stands for FACE. Can the person 

smile normally? Does their mouth 

droop? 

■ A is for ARM. Can they lift both 

arms normally? 

■ S is for SPEECH. Can they speak 

clearly? 

■ T is for TIME. The time to call 999 

if any of these signs are present. 

Stroke is the third biggest killer in 

Britain after heart disease and 

cancer claiming the lives of one in 

eight women and one in 10 men. 

Katrina Brennan, NHS Lanarkshire 

stroke managed clinical network 

manager, said: “The FAST campaign 

is designed to make members of the 

public react as quickly as possible. 

“Rapid treatment can make a huge 

It is essential 

people 

recognise a 

stroke when it’s 

happening and 

take prompt action 

difference to the odds of surviving 

or being left with some form of 

long-term disability.” 

Calling 999 means victims will 

reach hospital quickly and receive the 

early acute assessment and treatment, 

such as thrombolysis, which can 

prevent further damage to the brain. 

Early referral can also be made 

to the Acute Stroke Unit which is 

known to reduce death and disability. 

CHSS chief executive David Clark 

said: “Stroke can happen to anyone 

at any age. The campaign highlights 

that stroke is a medical emergency. 

“You can’t see the damage it causes 

KICK-OFF: Football manager 

Craig Brown helps Katrina Brennan, 

NHS Lanarkshire stroke managed 

clinical network manager, launch 

the FAST campaign 

to the brain but emergency treatment 

can make all the difference to your 

chances of making the best possible 

recovery. Everyone should know 

how to spot the signs of stroke and 

help save a life.” 

For more information, contact 

the stroke managed clinical 

network on 01236 707724 or visit Chest, 

Heart & Stroke Scotland’s website at 

www.chss.org.uk 

Motherwell FC backs Steps for Stress 

MOTHERWELL FC helped launch a 

season-long initiative to encourage 

all of us to take simple steps to 

tackle our everyday stress and help 

us avoid more serious problems. 

The initiative is part of the 

Scottish Government Steps for 

Stress Campaign. 

Craig Brown, manager of 

Motherwell FC, said: “We know 

stress can affect everyone from time 

to time but for others it can occur 

more frequently, last for long periods 

and impact on our everyday lives. 

“For me, the message is clear. We 

know that stress feeds off stress if we 

ignore it. 

“If the causes and symptoms of 

stress are allowed to snowball, they 

can risk leading to other problems 

like unhealthy eating, drinking too 

much or heavy smoking.” 

Leanne Dempster, chief executive 

of Motherwell FC, added: “As part of 

our commitment to the Lanarkshire 

community, Motherwell FC signed 

the ‘see me’ pledge in May this year. 

“We are committed to working with 

NHS Lanarkshire, the councils in 

north and south Lanarkshire and the 

Lanarkshire Recovery Network 

to use our profile and links to the 

Lanarkshire community and footballing 

world to increase understanding 

of mental health.” 

National surveys have shown that 

about 18 per cent of the Lanarkshire 

community will have experienced 

stress or depression in the last two 

weeks. That is about 75,000 people 

in Lanarkshire. 

Kevin O’Neill, chair of the 

Lanarkshire Mental Health 

Improvement Partnership Group, 

said: “The Steps for Stress campaign 

highlights that there are simple steps 

we can take to reduce our stress and 

the earlier we do this the better. 

“By reducing our stress we enjoy 

life more. Actions such as exercise, 

learning new things, enjoying 

hobbies, spending time with others 

and relaxing can all help. 

“Facing up to our stresses and 

using the help that is available also 

helps, whether it is debt, unemployment 

or relationship difficulties. 

“We know that it can be difficult to 

get started and that is why the Steps 

for Stress campaign and supportive 

materials have been developed.” 

The website www.stepsforstress.org 

helps you do an online assessment of 

your stress and takes you through the 

options that may help, www.lanarkshire 

mentalhealth.org.uk also provides lots of 

useful local information. 

In brief… 

e 

A NEW advice line has 

been launched to help 

audiology patients. 

The audiology Central Advice 

Line was launched on 4 October 

and covers all Audiology sites in 

Lanarkshire. 

The service offers a range 

of help, including allowing 

patients to make bookings for 

appointments, offering advice to 

patients on where to acquire 

hearing aid batteries and 

signposting patients to their 

nearest Open Repair Clinic 

should they require help to have 

the tubing replaced or the ear 

mould adjusted. 

All calls to the line are 

initially triaged and dealt with 

accordingly, including those 

who require domiciliary care, and 

paediatric and adult patients. 

Even though the line has 

only been available across 

Lanarkshire for a little more than 

a month, it is already receiving 

about 50 calls a day – a figure 

which is expected to increase. 

The advice line is open 

between 9am and 4pm Monday 

to Friday on 01698 456556. 

You can also textphone 

on 07795 401 016 or 

email audiology@ 

lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk 

e 

IN RESPONSE to the recent 

CEL30 (2009) Exclusion of 

Exceptional Aesthetic Procedures 

from the 18 Week Referral to 

Treatment Standard, NHS 

Lanarkshire will no longer 

undertake the procedures listed 

within this guidance. 

A full list of the procedures 

this applies to can be found on 

FirstPort. 

It is the intention to adopt 

the Exclusion of Exception 

Aesthetic Procedures with 

immediate effect. 

Referrals which are within 

this guidance will not be seen 

within secondary care with the 

exception of referrals where 

diagnostic doubt exists. 

Patients should be advised 

that this appointment will be for 

assessment and that surgical 

removal or therapy may not 

be offered. 

This approach has been 

adopted in all health boards 

across Scotland. 

e 

DEMENTIA awareness 

training has been 

completed in the three acute 

hospital sites and will now 

begin for community health 

partnership staff. 

While there are no confirmed 

dates for this training, it will be 

rolled out to everyone working in 

the community via team leaders. 

If anyone wishes further 

information, please contact 

Elspeth Brown, practice 

development facilitator for 

older adults on 01236 707580 or 

email Elspeth.brown@ 

lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

4 

thePulse GENERAL NEWS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 

E-pharmacy 

is launched 

Health Secretary meets ‘robo-doc’ dispenser 

HELPING HAND: 

Laura McGregor 

introduces ‘Spencer 

the dispenser’ to 

Nicola Sturgeon 

A NEW electronic pharmacy initiative 

– complete with a drug dispensing 

‘robo-doc’ – was launched by Health 

Secretary Nicola Sturgeon at a Shotts 

pharmacy in August. 

Local pharmacist Laura McGregor 

and counter assistant and patient 

Jan Cuthbertson, met with Ms 

Sturgeon to demonstrate the 

Chronic Medication Service – the 

first of its type in the UK. 

The new service will help Scots 

with long-term conditions manage 

their ill-health better. 

Ms Sturgeon said: “The Chronic 

Medication Service will transform the 

role of pharmacists, making better 

use of their skills and expertise as 

they work alongside GPs to provide 

quality care for the millions of Scots 

who use our pharmacies the most. 

“As well as improving patient 

care, this service will also help to 

reduce drug wastage. In these tough 

financial times it is important to be 

as efficient as possible. 

“Thanks to this new system, 

patients will receive a new five-star 

service within existing budgets.” 

Through an integrated patient 

record sharing system between GPs 

and pharmacists, the Chronic 

Medication Service will see Scots with 

long-term conditions given care 

plans by their pharmacists to manage 

their ill-health better. 

The ‘pharmacy of the future’ in 

Shotts also has a ‘robo-doc’ which 

helps improve the efficiency of 

drugs dispensing. 

Dubbed ‘Spencer the dispenser’ 

following a competition with local 

schoolchildren, the robotic arm is 

controlled by computer terminals and 

fetches drugs from storage shelves. 

The Chronic Medication Service, 

once fully implemented, will: 

q Use pharmacists skills more 

effectively 

q Allow patients to register with 

their pharmacist, building up a 

relationship and receiving 

personalised care 

q Ensure that patients receive the 

right medication at the right time - 

improving patient safety and 

medicine wastage 

q Allow GPs to issue serial prescriptions 

lasting up 24 or 48 weeks. 

q More than 80 million prescriptions 

are dispensed each year. 

Around two-thirds are given for 

long-term conditions. 

A leaflet for patients has been 

published and is available at: 

www.scotland.gov.uk/publications/ 

2010/06/08135042/0 

WORKING FOR HEALTHY LIVES 

THE Healthy Working Lives (HWL) 

team in Lanarkshire held its first 

HWL Award Ceremony and 

Networking Event at the new 

state-of-the-art regional sports 

facility at Ravenscraig. 

The HWL Award Programme is a 

national awards scheme for all 

workplaces in Scotland – private and 

public sector. 

There are three levels: bronze, 

silver and gold. It forms part of a suite 

of available services and solutions to 

enable workplaces in Scotland to 

protect and improve the health 

and wellbeing of their staff. 

Delegates were treated to an 

inspirational and thought-provoking 

speech from Dr Chris Shinn, who is 

the force medical officer for West 

Yorkshire Police. 

He spoke about stress and 

presented an alternative view on 

ways to combat this, challenging the 

thoughts of attendees and 

encouraging behaviour change. 

Former Scotland rugby star 

Gavin Hastings was on hand to 

congratulate organisations on 

their achievements and 

present them with their awards. 

A total of 22 organisations of 

varying backgrounds from across 

Lanarkshire received awards on the 

day. Two of the organisations were 

also presented with mental health 

and wellbeing commendation 

awards at the ceremony. 

The event and networking 

opportunities were well received by 

all those who attended and initial 

feedback to the team has been 

extremely positive. 

HWL Lanarkshire can be 

contacted on 08452 300 323. or at 

enquirieshwl@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk 

SUPPORT: From left Kerry Craig, Maureen Fitzpatrick and Christine Haig, with (front) 

Ann Hamilton and Janette Tomasso 

HeadStrong help 

SCRUM: The Lanarkshire HWL 

Team with former Scotland rugby 

star Gavin Hastings 

A SERVICE to help people facing hair 

loss as a result of cancer treatment 

has been launched in East Kilbride. 

The HeadStrong service, at the 

Kilbryde Hospice Drop-in Centre, 

offers practical and emotional 

support from specially trained volunteers 

to help people look after their 

hair and scalp before, during and 

after cancer treatment. 

They learn scarf-tying techniques 

and can try on a range of hats, 

scarves, fringes and hairpieces. 

Six local volunteers, many of 

them with a personal experience of 

cancer and hair loss, run the 

sessions at the centre every Tuesday. 

Maureen Fitzpatrick, from East 

Kilbride, became a volunteer. 

She said: “Many women decide to 

shave their hair off, some will wear a 

wig while others will opt for a hat or 

headscarf. This is why HeadStrong is 

so important as it lets them try all 

those options.” 

Appointments are available every 

Tuesday and are open to people with 

any type of cancer, and it’s free. 

HeadStrong sessions are also 

available at the Haven Centre in 

Blantyre and the Dalziel Centre at 

Strathclyde Hospital. 

For further information on the 

service, contact Christine Haig or 

June Thomson on 01355 593484. For 

more on Breast Cancer Care, go to 

www.breastcancercare.org.uk or call the 

free helpline on 0808 800 6000.



5 

PLEDGE: Staff from 

NHS Lanarkshire, 

See Me and Job 

Centre Plus 

Job Centre Plus signs the See Me pledge 

IN OCTOBER, Job Centre Plus became 

the latest organisation to formally 

pledge its commitment to work with 

See Me in order to eliminate the 

stigma and discrimination 

surrounding mental ill-health. 

See Me – Scotland’s national 

mental health anti-stigma campaign 

– believes that forming such 

partnerships is a crucial way to 

eliminate stigma, both in the 

workplace and beyond. 

One in four Scots will be affected 

by mental health problems at some 

point in their lives. 

District manager of Lanarkshire 

and East Dunbartonshire, Rena 

Kinloch, publicly signed the pledge 

as part of Scottish Mental Health 

Week to demonstrate the 

organisation’s long-term commitment 

to tackling the stigma experienced by 

people with mental ill-health. 

“Jobcentre Plus is proud to sign this 

pledge and show our commitment to 

tackling the stigma and discrimination 

of mental ill-health,” she said. 

“We support a mentally healthy 

workforce and include stress risk 

assessments, behaviour at work 

policies and mentally healthy 

workplace training to ensure our staff 

get the support and advice they need.” 

“We also recognise that customers 

with mental health conditions 

require additional support to either 

remain in employment, or if 

unemployed, help them to find work. 

“We do this through a network of 

mental health co-ordinators and 

specially trained disability 

employment advisers.” 

Suzie Vestri, See Me campaign 

director said: “We welcome the 

contribution that Job Centre Plus is 

making to provide a mentally 

healthy workplace for its staff. 

“We hope the support pledged 

will encourage others to take 

positive action by joining us in 

signing the pledge.” 

Health Council sets standard 

for greater particiption 

A GROUNDBREAKING national 

standard that will help ensure patients 

and the public have a real say in 

health services has been launched. 

The Participation Standard, which 

has been developed by the Scottish 

Health Council, sets out what NHS 

boards have to do to ensure that 

people can influence the care they 

receive and shape how services 

are designed. 

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon 

said: “The launch of the Participation 

Standard marks yet another significant 

milestone in our collective 

efforts towards a mutual NHS – a 

service that is truly owned by and 

accountable to the people who use 

and pay for it, which gives quality care 

to every patient, every time. 

“I am very grateful to all those 

involved in developing the 

Participation Standard and I look 

forward to seeing what I’m sure will 

be high standards of involvement 

practice across Scotland.” 

The standard means that, for the 

first time, comparable information on 

how NHS boards involve patients 

and the public can be collected 

and analysed. 

For example, the Participation 

Standard will measure how NHS 

boards involve people in improving 

the information and advice provided 

to patients about their healthcare, and 

how people are supported to be 

involved in health service planning 

and improvement. 

The format of the Participation 

Standard is similar to NHS Quality 

Improvement Scotland standards, 

which are familiar to NHS staff. 

NHS boards will be required to 

complete a self assessment, providing 

evidence against the standard on how 

they have involved patients and the 

public in their care and in the design 

of services. 

The self-assessments will be 

submitted to the Scottish Health 

Council which will report on the level 

reached and provide a commentary 

on its findings, including recommendations 

for improvement. 

The Scottish Health Council will 

also continue to work with patients, 

carers and communities to verify that 

these self-assessments accurately 

reflect their experience and help agree 

the level of achievement for each NHS 

board. The self-assessment will be 

considered alongside the Scottish 

Health Council‘s commentary as part 

of the Scottish Government’s annual 

review of each NHS board. 

NHS boards will be assessed 

against the standard each year, with 

the findings for how NHS boards have 

performed in 2010-2011 due to be 

reported in the spring of 2011. 

Not all of the areas covered by the 

standard will be appropriate for 

every NHS special board, such as the 

Scottish Ambulance Service, NHS 

Education for Scotland and NHS 24. 

The Scottish Health Council is 

holding individual meetings with 

special boards to identify appropriate 

areas for them to report 

against the standard in 2010-2011. 

Scottish Health Council director 

Richard Norris said: “The 

Participation Standard literally sets the 

standard for improved participation 

in services, bringing a consistent, 

national measure to participation for 

the first time.” 

More information on the Scottish 

Health Council can be found at 

www.scottishhealthcouncil.org 

TACKLING INEQUALITIES 

Annual report warns of health dangers arising from the economic downturn 

TACKLING health inequalities in 

Lanarkshire is the key theme to this 

year’s public health report. 

Public Health 2009/10 – The Annual 

Report of the Director of Public Health 

(DPH), by Dr Harpreet Kohli, highlights 

the work being done in Lanarkshire to 

reduce these inequalities. 

The report also warns of the 

dangers to health of the current 

economic downturn and describes 

what is being done in Lanarkshire to 

minimise these. 

Health is improving in Lanarkshire 

and in the 10 years between 1997–99 

and 2007–09, average life expectancy 

increased by around two years, from 

72.1 to 74.4 years for males and from 

77.4 to 79.2 years for females. 

The number of people dying from 

heart disease and cancer is also falling. 

Harpreet, NHS Lanarkshire’s director 

of public health, said: “Tackling health 

inequalities in Lanarkshire is crucial, 

and requires close co-operation with 

our partners such as north and south 

Lanarkshire councils, and this is the 

central theme to this year’s report. 

“The report highlights what is being 

done in Lanarkshire through an action 

plan based on the recommendations 

from Equally Well, the national 

framework for tackling health 

inequalities. 

“Life expectancy continues to 

increase in Lanarkshire although 

socio-economic differences persist as 

well as differences between 

Lanarkshire and Scotland. 

“More positively, coronary heart 

disease mortality has fallen more 

rapidly in Lanarkshire than Scotland, 

and there is evidence that the gap has 

also narrowed between people in the 

most and least deprived areas in 

Lanarkshire. 

“Cancer mortality rates are also 

decreasing slowly in Lanarkshire.” 

While the DPH Annual Report 

shows life expectancy is increasing in 

Lanarkshire, people in Lanarkshire 

live, on average, a year less than 

others in Scotland. 

Mortality rates are highest in 

deprived areas and the difference 

persists between the most deprived 

and least deprived areas. 

Harpreet said: “There are 

stark differences in life expectancy 

between the most deprived areas in 

Lanarkshire and areas where the least 

deprivation exists. 

“The findings of the Equally Well 

report are being implemented in 

Lanarkshire to tackle these 

inequalities and focus on four main 

areas: early years and young 

people; harms to health (including 

violence, drugs and alcohol 

misuse); mental health and 

wellbeing; and ‘big killer’ diseases 

and risk factors.” 

The report outlines the work being 

carried out in each of these areas to 

tackle health inequalities. 

An insight into the planning and 

work involved during the influenza A 

(H1N1v) pandemic is also provided by 

the report. 

Harpreet said: “As it transpired, the 

pandemic was not as severe, and the 

influenza virus not as virulent, as we 

had planned for. 

“Nonetheless, some high-risk 

groups such as pregnant women were 

affected much more and the lessons 

from the pandemic will help us in 

the future.” 

The DPH Annual Report provides 

more information and analysis on all 

these topics and others. 

Copies of the full report are 

available online at www.nhs 

lanarkshire.org.uk/publications or by 

writing to: Dr Harpreet S Kohli, Director 

of Public Health, 14 Beckford Street, 

Hamilton ML3 0TA.

6 


NEW £7M ASSESSMENT CENTRE OPENS 

Growing for 

Movember 

SENIOR biomedical scientist Willie 

Goldie is hoping his NHS Lanarkshire 

colleagues will support his hairraising 

idea to raise money for charity. 

Willie, who works at Hairmyres 

Hospital, along with his son Fraser, 

a third-year medical student, and 

friends, including fellow biomedical 

scientists Gerry Smith from Wishaw 

General and Niall White from 

Hairmyres are growing moustaches 

to raise money for charity. 

Willie said: “Fraser and I decided 

to bring attention to and raise funds 

for The Prostate Cancer Charity. 

“We decided a fun way to do this 

would be to sign up for Movember 

challenge where you grow a moustache 

for the month of November 

to raise awareness and funds for 

cancers that affect men. If you donate 

£2 or more you can even vote for 

what kind of moustache I’ll grow.” 

To make a donation, visit Willie’s 

site at http://uk.movember.com/ 

mospace/523022 

KYLEPARK, a new assessment and 

treatment centre for adults with 

learning disabilities, has opened at 

Kirklands Hospital. 

The £7.3 million development 

provides high-quality, modern 

accommodation including 12 

single-bedded rooms with en-suite 

bathrooms and associated 

therapeutic living space. 

Colin Sloey, director of North 

Lanarkshire Community Health 

Partnership, NHS Lanarkshire, said: 

“Kylepark was planned in 

consultation with service users, 

carers and partner organisations. 

“The facility provides the latest 

treatment and care in a safe, 

homely environment and ensures 

that adults with learning 

disabilities are assessed and 

treated in the community. 

“This is a key step towards our 

goal of ensuring that anyone with a 

learning disability is promptly and 

suitably treated in the community 

and no one remains unnecessarily 

in hospital.” 

People with learning disabilities 

are among the most vulnerable in 

our society. The principal function 

of the centre is to provide the 

opportunity for short-term 

assessment and treatment for 

patients who require access to a 

24-hour specialist learning 

disabilities service. 

Jim Walsh, of the Speak Out 

KYLEPARK TEAM: staff are set to 

enjoy high-quality, modern facilities 

Advocacy Project, said: “We are 

delighted to see Kylepark has opened. 

“Speak Out has been working with 

NHS Lanarkshire on the new facility 

from the outset; from planning and 

design stage to the actual naming 

STAFF PREPARE 

FOR INSPECTION 

of the building. Kylepark will provide 

a dedicated service to adults with 

learning disabilities. 

“With the intensive help and 

treatment provided by the staff at the 

new facility, adults with a learning 

disability will have a better quality 

of life by having access to services 

which are designed to meet each 

individual’s health needs in a highquality, 

therapeutic environment of 

the highest standards.” 

North Lanarkshire aims to achieve same high standard as South Lanarkshire 

NHS staff in north Lanarkshire are 

preparing for the HMIe inspection of 

services to protect children which 

starts on 22 November. 

South Lanarkshire was inspected by 

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of 

Education in September. 

Alan Lawrie, director of South 

Lanarkshire Community Health 

Partnership (CHP), said: “The 

feedback from the inspectors, after 

what was a rigorous review, is positive. 

“The inspection team found clear 

evidence that outcomes for children 

have improved, that children are 

protected and that children and their 

carers are active participants in the 

child protection process. 

“Inspectors said that in south 

Lanarkshire, across all professions, 

they could see improvements in 

practice, highlighting that staff are 

working very well together. They 

Inspectors will 

expect staff to 

be aware of the 

self-evaluation 

commented on good progress on the 

Getting It Right For Every Child 

programme which is strengthening 

partnership working and improving 

outcomes for children.” 

Paul Wilson, NHS Lanarkshire’s 

executive director of nurses, midwives 

and allied health professionals 

(NMAHPs), added: “The inspection 

included reviewing practice through 

case file reading and interviewing staff, 

parents, carers and children. 

“Inspectors met with individual 

members of staff as well as focus 

groups and said staff were open and 

helpful. They thanked staff and 

commented on the co-operation, 

organisation and arrangements which 

facilitated the smooth running of the 

inspection process.” 

The HMIe Inspection report for 

south Lanarkshire will be published at 

the start of December 2010. 

Meanwhile, preparations in north 

Lanarkshire for the HMIe inspection 

of services to protect children have 

been ongoing. 

Colin Sloey, director North 

Lanarkshire CHP, said: “These visits 

give us an ideal opportunity to reflect 

on current practice; to assess how well 

we are improving our approaches to 

supporting and protecting children; 

and to continue to build on the 

strong partnership working that exists 

across the community planning 

partnership.” 

In preparation for the north 

Lanarkshire visit, all staff should 

read ‘How well do we protect children 

and meet their needs?’ – NHS 

Lanarkshire’s self-assessment of the 

child protection quality indicators. 

The self-evaluation identifies good 

practice and progress since the last 

inspections in 2008 when it was 

reported that children in Lanarkshire 

were safe. 

The inspectors will be expecting 

staff to be aware of the contents of the 

self-evaluation, which is available from 

http://firstport/sites/childprotection 

The key areas of inspection are: 

q Improvements in performance 

q Children and young people are 

listened to, understood and 

respected 

q Children and young people benefit 

from strategies to minimise harm 

q Children and young people are 

helped by actions taken in immediate 

response to concerns 

q Children and young people’s needs 

are met 

q Improvement through selfevaluation. 

Staff should also be aware of the 

following areas of good practice: 

q Play It Safe – a drama project to 

teach children how to be safe 

q Local multi-agency quality 

assurance model, which has resulted 

in better understanding, relationships 

and joint working between health and 

social work 

q Domestic abuse screening 

model – to ensure timely, co-ordinated 

support for children affected by 

domestic abuse. 

For further information on child 

protection, call the Lanarkshire Child 

Protection Team on 01698 452861. For 

details on the inspections, visit FirstPort.



7 

Bone treatment is UK first 

Bisphosphonates 

to be offered by 

annual injection 

NHS Lanarkshire has become the 

first health board in the UK to offer 

a new treatment for osteoporosis. 

The Lanarkshire Intravenous 

Bisphosphonate Service will 

transform the way this medication is 

delivered to those who need it most. 

Bisphosphonates are types of 

drugs that make bones stronger, 

prevent breaks and relieve bone 

pain. They are normally taken by 

mouth as tablets. However, this 

is often unsuitable for the most 

frail patients. 

NHS Lanarkshire’s Library Service 

has recently installed a self-issue 

system which will allow library users 

to borrow items 24 hours a day. 

The library service is the first in 

NHSScotland to trial this system 

which will be of great benefit to 

library users. 

The first machine, supplied by 

library system vendors 2CQR, has 

been installed at Monklands Hospital 

Library and additional machines are 

planned for installation at Hairmyres 

and Wishaw. 

Amanda Minns, library services 

manager, said: “The ability to offer 

this service is crucial to the acute 

Dr Eamonn Brankin, clinical 

director of primary care, North West 

Unit, NHS Lanarkshire, said: “Up until 

now, if someone with osteoporosis 

required bisphosphonates they would 

have been prescribed a tablet to be 

taken once a week. Patients are 

required to remain upright for a 

couple of hours after taking the tablet. 

Unfortunately, many frail elderly 

people who require bisphosphonates 

are unable to do this.” 

A nurse from the Lanarkshire 

Intravenous Bisphosphonate Service 

will visit patients in the wards and 

in residential or nursing homes to 

administer the drug as an annual 

intravenous infusion. 

Dr Brankin said: “It only takes 15 

minutes and compliance is 100 per 

cent. We are delighted NHS 

Lanarkshire is able to offer this 

libraries where users have access to 

library sites at times when staff are 

not available to provide assistance. 

“It is simple and straightforward 

to use. All you need to use the selfissue 

machine is your library card, 

given to you when you joined the 

library, and the books you want to 

borrow. Full instructions are 

available at each library.” 

Paul Herbert, librarian at 

Monklands Hospital, said: “The 

system is really making a difference 

and the library users have been very 

positive about it. 

“It means staff who are working 

shifts can easily access the library 24 

valuable service which will make a 

huge difference to the lives of many 

people across Lanarkshire.” 

The service will be available to 

people with osteoporosis who have 

already suffered a fractured hip as 

they are at the highest risk of further 

health problems. 

Osteoporosis is a devastating 

condition and often there are no 

signs or symptoms until a break 

occurs. Although the condition itself 

is not life-threatening, the aftereffects 

of fractures can be. 

International research has shown 

that, one year after a hip fracture, 

one in five patients died. In 

Lanarkshire, this is up to 30 per cent. 

Osteoporosis costs the NHS 

an estimated £1.7 billion per year 

or £5 million per day for hip 

fractures alone. 

New chapter for library 

CHECK IT OUT: 

Monklands 

Hospital’s 

librarian Paul 

Herbert 

demonstrates 

the new selfservice 

system 

hours a day seven days a week and 

benefit from the resources available. 

“They access medical journals, 

resources and use our fiction section. 

They can make full use of the library 

no matter what time their shifts are.” 

If you are interested in finding out 

more about the self issue 

machines and how they work, please 

contact your local NHS library where 

staff will be happy to help you. 

You can call them on: Monklands Library, 

01236 712005; Wishaw Library, 01698 

366316; Hairmyres Library, 01355 585487; 

Health Promotion Library, 01698 377600. 

NEEDLESTICK PROCEDURE 

THE safe handling and disposal of 

needles and sharp objects is of vital 

importance to minimise the risk of 

needlestick injuries. 

Karen McAlonan, occupational 

health staff nurse with Salus 

Occupational health and safety, is 

reminding staff that prevention is 

better than the cure. 

And all incidents, even near 

misses, should be recorded in Datix 

to help avoid similar incidents 

occurring again. 

Karen said: “A needlestick injury 

is described in section G of the NHS 

Lanarkshire infection control 

manual as the penetration of the 

skin by a needle or other sharp 

object that is, or is suspected to be, 

contaminated with another person’s 

blood or body fluid, or when a 

human bite breaks the skin. 

“Only 0.00004mls of blood can 

transfer Hepatitis B virus to humans. 

“Prevention is definitely better than 

the cure and the safe handling and 

disposal of sharps is the responsibility 

of the person using the sharp.” 

All staff involved in the handling 

and disposal of “sharps” should 

follow these steps: 

Safe handling 

q Do not re-sheath needles 

q Take sharps box to point of use 

q Don’t walk with sharps in hand. 

Safe disposal 

q Date and identify sharps box on 

opening 

q Close and secure box on weekly 

basis – or when three quarters full 

q Do not overfill sharps 

containers, the fill line is clearly 

marked on the sharps box 

q Safe management of sharps 

spillage 

q Safe disposal of clinical waste. 

Karen said: “If a needlestick injury 

occurs, the incident should be risk 

assessed. If it is considered low risk, 

you should attend the occupational 

health department within 72 hours 

where a sample of blood will be taken. 

For high-risk incidents, attend accident 

and emergency immediately. 

“If you are in any doubt, contact 

occupational health for advice during 

office hours, accident and emergency 

out of hours or refer to section 

G of the infection control manual.” 

Following a significant needlestick 

injury you should follow these steps: 

First Aid 

q Encourage the wound to bleed by 

gentle squeezing – do not suck the 

area. Wash thoroughly with soap 

and warm running water 

q If it is an eye or mouth splash, 

irrigate and wash thoroughly with 

water. Do not swallow the water 

and remove contact lenses if worn 

before irrigating eyes. 

All incidents, 

even near 

misses, should 

be recorded in Datix 

Reporting 

q Report the incident immediately 

to your supervisor. A risk 

assessment will be completed, 

with the forms A and B found in 

section G, infection control 

manual, or available on FirstPort. 

Telephone advice 

q In all cases, telephone advice 

should be sought on further action 

once the risk assessment has been 

completed. During office hours, 

this should be the occupational 

health department, out of hours, 

contact accident and emergency. 

Record incident 

q All incidents should be recorded 

via Datix, even near misses. 

For more information, contact Karen 

on 01236 438185 or karen. 

mcalonan@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk or 

your local occupational health department

8 


In brief… 

e 

THE nutrition and oral 

health of young children is 

fundamental to their physical, 

mental, social and educational 

development and wellbeing. 

As part of a programme of 

activity to improve the diet and 

oral health of children, Health 

Promotion and partners have 

updated the Nutrition and Oral 

Health – Strategy into Practice in 

the Early Years resource and are 

offering training to support its 

implementation. 

The second edition gives 

updated factual information on a 

range of issues relating to healthy 

eating and oral health and 

provides practical advice for 

incorporating food into the 

formal and informal curriculum. 

Copies of the second edition 

have been distributed to all 

nurseries across Lanarkshire. 

Distribution of the resource to 

other childcare providers, 

including childminders, fostering 

and adoption services, crèche 

staff, play leaders, and parent and 

toddler committees continues as 

part of the ongoing training 

programme. 

A similar resource and training 

programme is currently under 

development for out of school 

care services and childcare 

providers caring for older 

children in Lanarkshire. This 

resource and training will 

complement the early years’ 

edition and support the 

development of future health 

promoting activities within out of 

school care services and enable 

services to incorporate the health 

messages into daily activities. 

For more information, please 

contact Kirsten Lammie at 

kirsten.lammie@lanarkshire.scot. 

nhs.uk or call 01698 377621. 

e 

BY becoming a diversity 

champion you can help to 

create and support a 

discrimination-free workplace. 

NHS Lanarkshire is inviting 

more staff to sign up to its 

network of 240 champions. 

Hina Sheikh, NHS Lanarkshire’s 

equality and diversity manager, 

said: “Diversity champions are at 

the coal face of challenging 

negative behaviours, and 

reinforcing and supporting positive 

attitudes within the workplace.” 

Diversity champions complete 

a three-day training course. 

Dates for 2011 are: 

q 29, 30 and 31 March 

q 21, 22 and 23 June 

q 20, 21 and 22 September 

q 6, 7 and 8 December. 

All training sessions will be at 

Law House. 

To access information and/or 

an application form with details 

on the champions’ project, visit 

NHS Lanarkshire’s diversity 

webpage on FirstPort: http://nhslanarkshire.diversityonline.co.uk 

Alternatively, call Hina on 01698 

206386 or email hina.sheikh@ 


On the watch 

for Norovirus 

The winter vomiting bug 

spreads quickly but can 

be controlled if staff are 

vigilant and report 

outbreaks at the first sign 

ALL staff are being urged to be on 

the lookout for possible Norovirus 

outbreaks – which have the potential 

to disrupt hospital services at our 

busiest time of year. 

Outbreaks of Norovirus can start 

abruptly and spread quickly. Early 

recognition, prompt isolation of 

patients and reporting potential 

outbreaks to Infection Control Teams 

by staff are key to minimising their 

impact on patients, staff and visitors. 

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 the 

winter months when there is already 

an increase in emergency admissions 

and reduced bed availability. 

Norovirus infection is easily spread 

among patients, staff and visitors and 

wards often need to be closed to 

manage outbreaks effectively. 

Jan Clarkson, NHS Lanarkshire’s 

nurse consultant for healthcare 

associated infection, said: “One of 

the main things staff can do to help 

us manage outbreaks effectively is 

to recognise potential outbreaks 

early and report them to their local 

infection control teams. 

LANARKSHIRE played host to an 

exciting programme of events as 

part of the fourth Scottish Mental 

Health Arts and Film Festival. 

Now a regular on the arts scene, 

the Scottish Mental Health Arts and 

Film Festival has grown to become 

one of Scotland’s most valued 

cultural events with nearly 200 

exciting and affordable events taking 

place across the country to help 

challenge attitudes towards mental 

health through the arts. 

It ran from 1-24 October and 

reached people from across 

Lanarkshire and throughout 

Scotland; in galleries, theatres 

and cinemas, to town halls, 

universities, colleges, libraries and 

even pubs. 

The aim of the festival was to get 

people thinking and talking about 

HYGIENE: Thorough hand washing 

can help to manage Norovirus 

“Staff should particularly look out 

for patients, visitors and staff with 

unexplained diarrhoea or vomiting.” 

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 

Promoting mental health 

mental health. It was an opportunity 

to celebrate the artistic achievements 

of people with experience of 

mental health issues, explore the 

relationship between creativity and 

the mind, and promote positive 

mental health and wellbeing. 

The range of issues tackled was 

broad, and events included film, 

music, theatre, literature, comedy 

and visual art. 

Lanarkshire festival partners 

included NHS Lanarkshire, Clubnet, 

North Lanarkshire Council, South 

Lanarkshire Council, Lanarkshire 

Links, The University of West of 

Scotland, Bazooka Arts, Lanarkshire 

Association for Mental Health, 

Equals Advocacy Partnership, 

SAMH, Choose Life and the 

Lanarkshire Alcohol and Drug 

Partnership. 

help decide if there is an outbreak 

in their ward. 

Decision tree posters are being 

distributed to all wards and the 

manual is available on FirstPort at 

http://firstport/sites/hai 

Winter vomiting virus causes 

sickness, fever and diarrhoea. 

It usually lasts for 24 to 48 

hours, but it is infectious for two 

days after the symptoms stop. 

The virus occurs in the community 

as well as in hospitals and in a 

number of cases people may have 

acquired the infection in the 

community before being admitted to 

hospital for other reasons. 

Jan said: “Thorough hand washing 

and compliance with infection 

control practices, particularly the 

maintenance of a clean environment, 

are other essential elements to help 

us manage Norovirus in this winter. 

“This is crucial for staff, but we 

also need to emphasise to patients 

and visitors that they should also 

One of the main 

things staff can 

do is recognise 

potential outbreaks 

early and report them 

maintain good hygiene, especially 

regular hand washing before eating 

and after using the toilet as alcohol 

hand sanitisers are ineffective in 

removing Norovirus from hands. 

“The use of the sanitisers before 

entering and leaving wards should 

continue as normal as they are a 

highly effective measure in 

preventing the spread of other 

infections between wards. 

“It is also important that people do 

not visit hospital if they have 

symptoms of Norovirus. You should 

wait until you have been clear of 

symptoms for at least 48 hours as 

you may still be contagious.” 

Lanarkshire partners launch programme of events for 2010 Scottish Mental Health 

Arts and Film Festival



9 

Campaign champions AIDS awareness 

WEDNESDAY 1 December is World 

AIDS Day and all NHS Lanarkshire 

staff and our partner agencies are 

encouraged to wear a red ribbon to 

support the campaign. 

Tracy-Ann Kidd, health promotion 

officer with the Blood Borne Virus 

(BBV) and sexual health promotion 

team, said: “HIV is still an issue for 

many people living in the UK today. 

“This year’s campaign “Act Aware” 

which is championed by the National 

AIDS Trust, encourages us to: 

q Improve our own understanding 

of what HIV is 

q Prevent HIV transmission by 

encouraging safer sex practices 

and earlier testing 

q Consider the prejudices affecting 

those with HIV. 

“Through learning the facts about 

HIV and making a commitment to 

promote awareness and understanding 

through our own actions 

we can all play a part in 

increasing knowledge 

about HIV in the UK, 

preventing the spread of 

HIV and ending stigma 

and prejudice towards 

people affected by HIV.” 

Approximately 90,000 people 

are living with HIV in the UK 

today and one quarter of 

them do not know they 

have the virus. 

Despite these high numbers, 

knowledge about HIV among the 

general public is low. 

Tracy-Ann said: “In Lanarkshire 

we are actively working through the 

Scottish HIV Action Plan. 

“This plan provides us with 

a strategic framework and 

assists in the direction of our 

work relating to HIV 

throughout the year.” 

The Lanarkshire BBV and 

sexual health promotion team 

are helping to co-ordinate various 

awareness-raising activities 

to mark World AIDS Day 

this year, including: 

q Themed resources for 

locality health improvement staff for 

various local activities 

q Red Ribbon flags will be flown 

from local public buildings 

q All GPs, pharmacists and dentists 

will be sent information packs 

q Staff from Landed Peer Education 

and Terrence Higgins Trust will be 

facilitating information stands at 

Wishaw General, Hairmyres and 

Monklands hospitals on 1 December 

q Working in partnership with the 

Alcohol and Drug Partnership to 

promote World AIDS Day as part of 

a co-ordinated approach to awareness 

raising, which includes Alcohol 

Awareness Week, Suicide Prevention 

Week and Mental Health Month. 

q Two lunchtime briefing sessions 

are being held for World AIDS Day 

on HIV. The first is on 3 December 

at Monklands Lecture Theatre and 

the second is at Wishaw General on 

7 December at the Ronald Miller 

Conference Suite. Both sessions 

will run from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. 

For more information on local 

events, contact Tracy-Ann on 01698 

377623 or go to www.worldaidsday.org 

or www.lanarkshiresexualhealth.org 

For further information on the lunchtime 

sessions, call Loretta Barr on 01698 

206333 or email bbv.networks@ 


CLINICIANS’ 

ROLE ENSURED 

New website for Area Clinical Forum 

CLINICIANS must be central to 

the planning, delivery and development 

of clinical services within 

NHS Lanarkshire. 

The Area Clinical Forum (ACF) 

is the body that ensures this 

happens. 

And now a new dedicated site 

on FirstPort will ensure all staff 

can get the latest news on the 

ACF’s work. 

Anne Armstrong, the chair of 

the ACF, said: “The Area Clinical 

Forum has the responsibility of 

ensuring the views of clinicians 

are represented and heard to 

ensure we continue to provide 

the highest quality of patient care 

and service delivery. It represents 

all clinicians, including allied 

health professions (AHP), dental, 

healthcare sciences, medical, 

nursing and midwifery, optometric, 

pharmaceutical and 

psychology at the Lanarkshire 

NHS Board meetings. 

“The forum also provides 

advice to the board contributing 

to areas of work such as the the 

Local Delivery Plan, corporate 

objectives and national policy. 

“The new FirstPort site will 

help us keep staff up-to-date with 

the forum’s work in addition to 

providing contact details for its 

members.” 

The annual work programme of 

the ACF includes areas such as: 

q The Annual Accountability 

Review 

q Clinical engagement and 

monitoring 

q Impact of national guidance 

locally 

q Review of the effectiveness of 

the committee 

q Taking forward the 

NHSScotland Quality Strategy. 

You can find information about 

the Area Clinical Forum on its 

FirstPort site by clicking on “Clinical 

Services” from the home page. 

FORUM FOR SUCCESS: From left, Anne Armstrong, Irene Winning, 

chair of the Health Care Scientists Advisory Committee, Andrew 

Docherty, chair of the Medical Committee, Pauline McCartan, chair 

of the AHP Advisory Committee, Margot Russell, member of the 

Area Nursing and Midwifery Committee 

LANARKSHIRE residents were 

asked to assess their drinking habits 

as part of this year’s Alcohol 

Awareness Week. 

The week ran from 4-10 October, 

and the recently formed 

Collaborative Themes Working 

Group (CTWG) organised a series of 

events across the county promoting 

responsible drinking. 

The week reiterated the message 

of not regularly drinking more than 

three to four units per day for men 

and two to three per day for women. 

A host of Lanarkshire-wide 

agencies are involved in the CTWG, 

including NHS Lanarkshire, the 

councils in north and south 

Lanarkshire, Lanarkshire Alcohol 

Drug Partnership (ADP), 

ChooseLife, Strathclyde Police, 

Strathclyde Fire & Rescue, the 

Lanarkshire Recovery Network and 

the voluntary and community 

sectors. 

The aim of the CTWG is to ensure 

better joint working across Alcohol 

Awareness Week with other closely 

related health and wellbeing 

campaigns and topics such as 

AWARE: Louise Cordiner, Eleanor 

McDermott and Avril Thomson 

launch Alcohol Awareness Week 

COUNTING COST 

OF DRINKING 

Suicide Prevention Week, the Mental 

Health Arts and Film Festival, Mental 

Health Awareness Week, World 

AIDS Day and sexual health issues 

rather than working in isolation. 

Eleanor McDermott, development 

officer (north) for the Lanarkshire 

ADP, and chair of the CTWG, 

said: “Too many Lanarkshire 

residents are drinking too much, 

too often. 

“As such, the activities which 

took place over the week gave 

people an ideal opportunity to find 

out more about sensible drinking 

levels and reassess their own 

drinking habits.” 

She continued: “It can be easy to 

lose track of what you’ve had to 

drink – especially as one drink 

doesn’t necessarily equal one unit 

of alcohol. 

“We want to help people understand 

how they can keep tabs on how 

many units they’re drinking, helping 

them to make every day count.” 

For more on alcohol awareness, 

visit www.alcohol 

awarenessweek.com


10 PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 

NOVEMBER/DE 

A NEW 

WAY TO 

MANAGE 

PATIENTS 

Patient management system ready to roll out 

FROM February 2011, a new 

electronic patient management 

system (Trakcare) will be rolled out 

across NHS Lanarkshire. 

The new Trakcare system’s main 

function will be to improve clinical 

and administrative management 

of information about patients 

attending hospital from referral or 

unscheduled admission, through 

their inpatient and outpatient care 

and eventual discharge. 

Trakcare will enable a full patient 

record to be available electronically 

in both acute and community 

hospitals. 

Alan Lawrie, executive director 

for South Lanarkshire CHP, said: 

“NHS Lanarkshire has a commitment 

to invest in information management 

and technology where it can 

contribute to the health and wellbeing 

of the population and to support the 

delivery of modern, effective and 

efficient healthcare services. 

“Trakcare will enhance patient 

care and safety by providing quicker 

ordering and test results; give 

clinicians easier and quicker access 

to the patients’ full record; allow 

staff from different departments to 

improve communication with each 

other; and provide better communication 

between GPs and hospitals.” 

Trakcare will be used to 

streamline inpatient and outpatient 

bookings and manage waiting lists. 

Clinicians and patients will benefit 

from this system which will track 

patient journeys from referral 

to discharge. 

Currently within NHS Lanarkshire 

there is a single iSoft patient 

administration system across the 

three acute sites and a number of 

community hospitals and health 

centres. There is a single iSoft 

Accident and Emergency system 

across the three acute sites. 

Trakcare will replace the existing 

patient administration system and 

emergency department system 

within NHS Lanarkshire to provide 

a single integrated system. 

Trakcare will be accessed by 

appropriate administration and 

clinical staff within the acute and 

community hospital environments. 

Community-based staff will also 

access the system for scheduling 

and recording purposes. 

Robin Wright, general manager 

eHealth, said: “Trakcare uses 

newer technology than our 

current systems. 

“It will give clinical staff easier and 

quicker access to the patient’s full 

record and will help us to do away 

with many of the paper-based 

manual processes – freeing up 

time for staff to spend on other 

vital tasks.” 

Did you 

know? 

More than 200 NHSScotland 

staff, including clinicians, 

were involved in the choice 

of the patient 

management system 

FAST ACCESS TO KEY DATA 

TRAKCARE will provide a fully 

integrated system across disciplines 

which will provide more patient 

information at the point of care and 

reduce the number of systems that staff 

are required to access. 

Training will be provided to staff 

using Trakcare at the appropriate time. 

Dr Val MacLean, accident and 

emergency consultant at Wishaw 

General, said: “I hope that the new 

system will provide many benefits 

when it is fully installed. The benefits 

will grow with time as the system 

becomes populated with information. 

“Immediate day-to-day benefits will 

include being able to access multiple 

disciplines via a single logon, instead 

of remembering many different 

passwords as we do at the moment. 

“From a departmental point of view I 

am looking forward to results being 

automatically forwarded to the 

consultant currently in charge of the 

patient – this should greatly reduce the 

number of results we have to check 

and forward for patients who have 

been admitted to wards within the 

hospital. 

“Patient care will benefit as we will 

be able to immediately access results 

and information from previous 

admissions and from admissions or 

clinic attendances at other hospitals 

within NHS Lanarkshire. Currently, this 

information may be held in casenotes 

stored on another site, thus resulting in 

delays for the patient.”

CEMBER 2010 

PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM thePulse 11 

ALL SYSTEMS GO: The 

Trakcare implementation 

team includes NHS 

Lanarkshire and 

InterSystems team members 

Rosemary Lyness 

Patients 

will see 

benefit 

of system 

Boards’ joined-up approach 

aims to achieve best value 

THE NHSScotland eHealth Strategy, published 

in 2008, focuses on ensuring that NHS boards 

have in place a range of information systems 

that support the main aims of Better Health, 

Better Care. 

Trakcare, developed by InterSystems 

Corporation, will also be implemented as the 

patient management system at the health 

LOOKING FORWARD: Dr Val 

MacLean says the system will 

provide many benefits 

Referral challenge 

A SIGNIFICANT challenge for NHS 

Lanarkshire is delivery of 18 weeks 

Referral to Treatment (RTT) by 

December 2011. 

The patient management system 

(Trakcare) will be central to achieving 

that objective. 

At present there is no electronic 

capability to link different stages of 

the patient journey to enable 

performance measurement. 

Roy Garscadden, head of planning 

(acute division), said: “Trakcare will 

have the functionality to enable NHS 

Lanarkshire to measure delivery of 

the guarantee that from receipt of GP 

referral to treatment will not exceed 

18 weeks for both admitted and nonadmitted 

patients.” 

boards in Ayrshire & Arran, Borders, Grampian 

and Greater Glasgow & Clyde. 

The aim of this consortium approach for 

the procurement of a new patient management 

system is to achieve best value, allow wider 

consultation and provide greater 

standardisation across NHSScotland 

eHealth systems. 

Clinical champions will work with 

the implementation team to achieve 

the necessary changes in behaviour 

and practice to deliver a sustainable 

solution to 18 weeks RTT with robust 

monitoring and reporting capabilities 

as part of the new system. 

Roy added: “There is considerable 

importance attached to clinical 

ownership of the system and NHS 

Lanarkshire will continue to 

encourage clinical engagement and 

participation in the commissioning 

and implementation stages.” 

Trakcare will also facilitate 

measurement of other HEAT targets, 

including quality measures and 

compliance with four-hour maximum 

wait at accident and emergency. 

PATIENTS will appreciate the 

difference of the new patient 

management system (Trakcare). 

It will help reduce the number 

of times a person will have to 

repeat basic information about 

themselves and their medical 

history because healthcare staff 

will be able to access all the 

information online. 

Rosemary Lyness, director of acute 

services, said: “NHS Lanarkshire 

requires modern information systems 

to support clinical staff in 

the provision of high-quality 

clinical care. 

“Trakcare is a connected 

healthcare system that will help 

to speed up and improve the 

effectiveness of patient care. 

“Patient information will only 

need to be entered once to the 

system to make it immediately 

accessible by authorised staff in 

other hospital departments.” 

The functions of the new system 

include: general hospital patient 

administration with complex 

scheduling, clinical support tools, 

order communications functionality 

and results reporting. 

Rosemary added: “We believe that 

this solution will play an important 

role in streamlining patient services 

leading to faster diagnosis and 

treatment while enhancing 

patient safety.” 

Patients will also be given more 

choice as to when and where they 

receive treatment. 

The system will also be able to 

co-ordinate appointments better 

so that patients are not having to 

return to visit different healthcare 

professionals on different days.

12 

thePulse LOCAL/DISTRICT/PARTNERSHIP NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 

SHOWING THEIR 

APPRECIATION 

Couple raises 

huge sum 

for Wishaw 

Sands group 

A COATBRIDGE couple raised 

almost £10,500 for the stillbirth and 

neonatal death charity Sands group 

at Wishaw General in memory of 

their daughter. 

Rachael and Alan English raised 

the money to thank Sands for the 

help they received following the loss 

of Olivia Catherine. 

Rachael said: “We were so appreciative 

of all the help and support 

that we received after we lost Olivia, 

both from Sands as a charity and 

from our family and friends, that we 

wanted to do something worthwhile 

in memory of our baby girl. 

“Raising money for Sands meant 

that we were not only giving 

something back to the charity that 

had helped us so much in the early 

days after our loss, but it was also 

a fun way of getting all our friends 

and family together and showing 

them how much we appreciate their 

ongoing support.” 

The money will be used by Wishaw 

Sands to refurbish a special room in 

the maternity unit of the hospital for 

parents whose babies have died and 

to provide bereaved parents with 

memory boxes where they can keep 

precious mementoes of their babies. 

We were so 

appreciative of 

all the help and 

support… that we 

wanted to do something 

worthwhile in memory 

of our baby girl 

The couple, along with their 

consultant Dr David McMurray, 

Glasgow Sands’ Lindsay Bonar and 

Patricia Craig, and Steve McKenna 

from Real Radio, who carried out 

a charity auction and raffle for 

them, presented the cheque for 

£10,460.36 at the Sands 

bereavement suite at Wishaw 

General Hospital. 

Rachael and Alan have actually 

raised more than £12,000 in memory 

of their daughter Olivia Catherine 

who was stillborn in April 2008. 

The remaining funds have gone 

directly to Sands’ Why17? campaign 

to fund research into why 17 babies 

are stillborn or die shortly after birth 

every day in the UK. 

Rachael and Alan raised this 

incredible amount of money in only 

two months through a series of 

fundraising events, including a 

charity bagpack at ASDA 

Coatbridge, dress down day at 

Alan’s workplace, Optical Express 

head office, fundraising through the 

STARS: From Left, Lindsay 

Bonar, Rachael English, Steve 

McKenna, Moira McMurdie, 

Dr David McMurray, Alan 

English and Patricia Craig 

couple’s friend, Amanda Fisher’s 

workplace, One Search, a charity 

ceilidh and disco incorporating a 

fundraising raffle and auction at The 

Tudor Hotel, Airdrie. 

Alan’s colleague Colin McArthur 

also took part in a charity skydive. 

Alan said: “We are overwhelmed 

with just how much money we 

managed to raise and at how 

generous local businesses have 

been at donating prizes for our raffle 

and auction. 

“We are planning to continue our 

fundraising next year and hope 

that the money raised will go some 

way to helping other couples 

through the terrible pain of losing 

their precious baby.” 

Lung service 

approved 

A PROPOSAL to concentrate lung 

cancer oncology outpatient 

services at Monklands Hospital has 

been approved by the NHS 

Lanarkshire Board. 

The proposal will result in 

improved quality of service and 

clinical outcomes for patients by 

ensuring a consultant and full 

multidisciplinary team are 

available 52 weeks of the year. 

Mr Hakim Ben Younes, 

consultant surgeon and clinical 

lead for cancer services, said: “NHS 

Lanarkshire is working to improve 

and modernise its cancer services. 

The driver for this service change 

is the West of Scotland Regional 

Cancer Advisory Group paper to 

the Cabinet Secretary for Health 

and Wellbeing. The paper 

recommends that NHS 

Lanarkshire’s lung oncology 

outpatient services should reduce 

from a three-site service.” 

At present, lung cancer oncology 

outpatient clinics are delivered 

from Hairmyres, Monklands and 

Wishaw hospitals, however, there 

is no year-round cover. The new 

proposal will guarantee consultant 

cover 52 weeks of the year. 

Mr Hakim Ben Younes added: 

“This redesign will allow 

implementation of the Specialist 

Oncology Services strategy led by 

The Beatson West of Scotland 

Cancer Centre. 

“The purpose of the clinics is to 

take decisions on treatment plans 

and discuss options with the 

patient. All radiotherapy treatment 

is delivered at the Beatson 

Oncology Centre and the majority 

of chemotherapy, unless highly 

complex, is delivered on the three 

Lanarkshire hospital sites. 

“Lung cancer patients who 

become unwell and require 

admission to hospital will 

continue to be treated at their 

nearest hospital.” 

Nail-trimming service is a first 

A NAIL-TRIMMING service is looking 

for volunteers to help Shotts older 

people put their best foot forward. 

Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie 

and Shotts, and the Shotts Healthy 

Living Centres have launched a Shotts 

Community Nail Trimming Service 

with the support of NHS Lanarkshire. 

The service is aimed at people 

who are unable to cut their own 

nails, but do not otherwise need to 

be seen by a podiatrist. 

Karen Whitefield MSP said: 

“There is a real need for this type 

of service for people who may be 

elderly and frail who, although they 

don’t need to see a podiatrist, are 

unable to cut their toe nails. It may 

not seem like a serious problem but 

this can lead to a great deal of pain 

and lead to more serious problems.” 

The service, which is being run as 

From left: Shotts Healthy Living Centre 

manager June Vallance, Karen 

Whitefield MSP and NHS Lanarkshire’s 

acting head of podiatry Wilma Phillips 

a pilot project, will be managed by 

the Shotts Healthy Living Centre. 

June Vallance, manager of the 

Shotts Healthy Living Centre, said: 

“This will be the first nail-trimming 

service of its kind in mainland 

Scotland. 

“Hopefully we’ll get enough 

volunteers to make this a success and 

make a real difference to the lives of 

people who need this service.” 

Wilma Phillips, NHS Lanarkshire’s 

acting head of podiatry, said: “NHS 

Lanarkshire podiatrists will provide 

training to volunteers. This training 

would be a good foundation for 

people who may be interested in 

following a career as a health 

professional. Other volunteers could 

be retired nurses, other health 

professionals, or simply anyone 

willing to volunteer to provide this 

valued service to older residents.” 

Anyone interested in volunteering 

should contact June Vallance on 

01501 825800. 

LADIES IN THE PINK 

A PINK Friday event by NHS 

Lanarkshire staff helped raise a 

fantastic £1253 for breast cancer 

research on 8 October. 

The money was raised by 

colleagues at Strathclyde Hospital, 

Motherwell, with a raffle, the sale of 

home-baked cakes and a £1 fee to 

wear pink to work. 

Amanda Grenfell, who helped 

organise the event with her 

colleagues in the South Community 

Health Partnership office, Jennifer 

Halyburton and Lynn Kennedy, said: 

“It was a great effort by everyone 

involved and it was fantastic to raise 

so much money for a worthy cause. Pictured are, from left, Graeme Walsh, 

“We’d like to thank all the staff for Amanda Grenfell, Jennifer Halyburton, 

their support of the event and for Lynn Kennedy, and Patricia Mcguigan 

their generosity. 

“Thanks also to all the companies Esporta in Hamilton, Denholm 

who donated prizes, including Bakers in Motherwell, Petal 

Motherwell Football Club, the Pumpkins in Hamilton and McMillan 

Holiday Inn in East Kilbride, Hair in Bothwell.”


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 LOCAL/DISTRICT/PARTNERSHIP 

13 

Wizard of Wishaw 

donates a magic 

amount of money 

SNOOKER star John Higgins handed 

over £30,000 to the Dalziel Centre 

day hospice in October. 

Known as the Wizard of Wishaw, 

John and his wife Denise won the 

money in the all star version of 

ITV1’s Mr & Mrs quiz show earlier 

this year. 

John’s a patron of the Dalziel 

Centre, a day hospice for patients, 

carers and families in Lanarkshire 

who are affected by a cancer. 

He said: “My dad (also John) has 

used the centre during his illness 

and really appreciated everything 

they did for him so I became 

involved through that. 

“He’s not doing so great just now 

but he’s still battling and hopefully 

we’ll get him fighting fit again. 

“I can’t speak highly enough of 

the staff or the volunteers who have 

given up their own time to help 

people who are going through what 

is a terrible illness. They are worth 

their weight in gold. 

I can’t speak 

highly enough 

of the staff or 

the volunteers who 

have given up their 

own time to help 

people who are going 

through what is a 

terrible illness 

“We had decided before the show 

that any money we received we’d 

donate to the centre. I’m just glad I 

could do something to help them 

and glad that by winning we were 

able to give over a good sum.” 

Carol Murphy, who is the nursing 

sister at the centre, said: “This 

was an absolutely brilliant gesture 

by John and Denise and it’s the 

biggest single donation ever made 

to the centre. 

BIG BREAK: From left, Sadie 

Whyte, from Wishaw, volunteer 

with Friends of Dalziel, Denise 

Higgins, Carol Murphy, Mary 

Docking, treasurer with Friends 

of Dalziel, John Higgins, and Jean 

Paterson, volunteer with Friends 

of Dalziel, from Blantyre 

Higgins hands over Mr & Mrs prize cash 

“We are always fundraising to 

help pay for our counsellor who 

provides therapy sessions and 

for the little extras, such as trips 

and Christmas parties, that give 

what is a much needed boost to 

our patients. 

“This money gives us security and 

pays the counsellor’s salary for a 

couple of years so it means a great 

deal to us.” 

The Dalziel Centre is a day 

hospice, based at Strathclyde 

Hospital in Motherwell, for patients, 

carers and families in Lanarkshire 

who are affected by a cancer 

diagnosis. 

Patients can be referred to the 

centre by GPs, district nurses, 

Macmillan nurses, hospital staff, 

social workers and the St Andrew’s 

Hospice. 

People can also drop in any day 

from 9am to 5pm. 

Alternatively, you can call the 

helpline on 01698 245076. 

Lymphoedema support 

set up for survivors 

A SUPPORT group for people affected 

by lymphoedema as a result of cancer 

has been set up in Lanarkshire. 

Barbara Clifford has established 

two support groups, one at the 

Kilbryde Hospice in East Kilbride 

and the other at the Dalziel Centre 

in Motherwell. 

She said: “I have lymphoedema 

myself following treatment for breast 

cancer and I know how painful and 

debilitating it can be. 

“I also know there is a lack of 

knowledge about this condition which 

is why I have set up these groups. 

“I am calling out to people in 

Lanarkshire who have lymphoedema 

or those who have been affected by 

someone having the condition to 

come along to these groups. 

“The meetings will offer people 

the chance to talk about their experience 

of lymphoedema and to share 

knowledge on managing and 

treating the condition.” 

Lymphoedema is a long-term 

swelling caused by a build up of fluid. 

In breast cancer patients it can 

occur in the arm, or anywhere on the 

same side as surgery or radiotherapy. 

It can occur at any point after a 

person’s treatment and can have a 

real impact on quality of life. 

It is often very painful and can be 

debilitating, causing social and 

psychological problems, including 

depression. 

As breast cancer survival rates 

improve there are more and more 

women in Scotland who go on to 

develop lymphoedema. 

It is estimated that one in five 

THE Dalziel Centre celebrated its 

20th anniversary in October. 

To mark the occasion, staff and 

volunteers enjoyed a celebration 

evening at the Dakota Hotel, near 

Coatbridge. 

Dalziel Centre nursing sister Carol 

Murphy and support worker Liz 

Kellachan, have both been with the 

centre since it opened in 1990. 

Carol said: “The night was really 

to say a big thank you to all the staff 

and volunteers for all their help over 

the years. 

“The Friends of Dalziel have been 

a great support and continue to be 

a great support to the centre. 

“In addition to the volunteers who 

work at the centre and are vital, the 

Friends of Dalziel are very active 

in their fundraising activities for 

the centre.” 

Carol paid a special tribute to Jean 

Smith who has been a volunteer with 

the Dalziel Centre since it opened. 

“Jean’s husband was the first 

patient at the centre and she stayed 

on with us after her husband died,” 

she said. “Jean has been very, very 

good to us over the years and has 

provided the NHS with 20 years of 

excellent service to help our patients. 

“To show our appreciation Jean 

was presented with a bouquet of 

Barbara, front, is pictured with her 

granddaughter, staff and support group 

members at the Kilbryde Hospice 

women who have breast surgery will 

develop lymphoedema in the arm. 

Barbara is setting up this group 

with the support of the charity 

Breakthrough Breast Cancer. 

Improving services for people with 

breast cancer-related lymphoedema 

is a key campaign issue for 

Breakthrough. 

The support groups meet on the 

third Thursday of the month, from 

7pm to 8.30pm at the Dalziel Centre, 

Strathclyde Hospital, Airbles Rd, 

Motherwell or on the third Friday of the 

month from 10.30am to 12.30pm at 

Kilbryde Hospice, Red Deer Centre, 

Alberta Avenue, Westwood, 

East Kilbride. 

If you would like any further information 

on the groups call Barbara Clifford on 

01355 235324. 

DALZIEL CENTRE CELEBRATED 

FIRST VOLUNTEER: 

Jean Smith 

flowers and vouchers for Marks and 

Spencer.” 

The centre, which is a day hospice 

for patients, carers and families in 

Lanarkshire who are affected by a 

cancer diagnosis, provides a range of 

support services and facilities. 

Based at Strathclyde Hospital, 

Motherwell, the Dalziel Centre 

offers emotional psychological 

and social support to patients, 

carers and families who live with a 

cancer diagnosis. 

It also offers outpatient facilities 

and drop-in centres for people with 

multiple sclerosis and respiratory 

and heart problems. 

Patients can receive a range of 

services at the centre including 

counselling, advice, acupuncture, 

complementary therapies, a 

Lymphoedema service and a pain 

and symptom clinic twice a week.

14 

thePulse LOCAL/DISTRICT/PARTNERSHIP NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 

FIRST STEPS WERE 

CRUCIAL FOR CLAIRE 

Support service for first-time mums gave Lewis best start in life 

THE last year has been one of the 

most challenging of Claire Wilson’s 

life – yet she is happier than ever. 

As mum to 10-month-old Lewis, 

Claire is building a strong and 

loving bond with her son and is 

looking forward to what the future 

holds for them both. 

Yet it could all have been so 

different. 

Aged 17 and living with her mum, 

Claire discovered she was pregnant. 

After her relationship broke down, she 

admits she worried about her ability 

to cope as a single mum. 

And that’s where the First Steps 

programme came in. 

Backed by the Fairer Scotland 

Fund, and delivered by NHS 

Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire 

Council, the programme, which has 

now been running for a year, provides 

intensive one-to-one support to firsttime 

mums in their own homes. 

Its aim is simple – to ensure that 

children born to new mums of all 

ages, in some of the most deprived 

areas of South Lanarkshire, get off 

to the best possible start in life. 

First Steps workers (FSW) come 

from a range of backgrounds 

ensuring a mix of knowledge, skills 

and experience across the team. 

FSW Marie Neil admits she does 

not have all the answers but is a 

crucial first point of contact to the 

range of services available. 

This has meant a great deal to 

Claire, who she has watched change 

from an anxious pregnant teenager 

into a happy and confident mum. 

Marie explains: “Our programme 

equips mums-to-be with the skills 

and confidence they will need after 

their baby is born. 

“Following a chat with her midwife 

and with her mum, Claire signed up 

to the programme and, in many 

ways, she has never looked back.” 

When my 

midwife 

suggested First 

Steps could help, 

I said yes, and I’m 

so glad I did 

Claire is also keen to stress that 

the First Steps programme has 

changed the course of her life. 

“Having a baby was not something 

I ever planned, especially not at this 

age,” she said. 

“Although my mum and sister 

wanted to support me, they’re both 

busy in their own lives, and I didn’t 

want to rely on them. When my 

midwife suggested First Steps could 

help, I said yes, and I’m so glad I did. 

ANNIVERSARY PRESENTATION 

YOUNG David Russell recently 

attended the medical day unit at 

Wishaw General to hand over a 

cheque for £200. 

His mum Kathy Russell has been 

attending the unit on a weekly basis 

for treatment for a number of years 

and the money was raised at a 

party held to celebrate her and 

husband Rusty’s wedding 

anniversary. 

David is pictured handing over a 

cheque for £200 to charge nurse 

Derek McKee. 

Derek said: “On behalf of 

everyone in the unit, we would like 

to thank the Russell family for their 

very kind donation. 

“David often comes to the day 

unit with his mum and we were 

delighted to accept this cheque from 

him on behalf of his family. 

“It was very kind of Kathy 

and Rusty to think of us on their 

wedding anniversary and we are 

very grateful.” 

“Marie and I really got on well and 

it was great having someone else to 

talk to when I needed support or was 

unsure or worried when I was 

pregnant.” 

After Lewis was born First Steps 

really came into its own. 

Following a traumatic labour and 

initial worries over Lewis’ health, 

Marie stepped in to support Claire 

in those difficult first months. 

And, when the weaning stage 

arrived, the two worked closely 

together, shopping for produce and 

cooking up batches of fresh food at 

home, helping to make the experience 

an enjoyable one for both 

mother and baby. 

The hard work paid real dividends 

– Lewis is now thriving and will eat 

anything put in front of him. 

Claire is now ready to be 

discharged from the programme 

but, should she need more help or 

support in the future, First Steps will 

be there for her until Lewis starts 

nursery, at the age of three. 

She concludes: “I wouldn’t have 

believed when I first got pregnant 

that I would be in this position now. 

“I’m really enjoying time with 

Lewis, and First Steps has made me 

more confident that ups and downs 

are normal. We’re a team now and 

face whatever comes together. 

I wouldn’t change it for the world.” 

Feature and pictures courtesy of 

South Lanarkshire Council. 

A very special birthday 

HAIRMYRES Hospital staff ensured 

Cecilia Holt celebrated her 100th 

birthday in style despite suffering 

from a hip fracture. 

Cecilia, who stays at Canberra 

House sheltered housing complex in 

East Kilbride, received a beautiful 

bouquet of flowers from staff, who 

also baked her a lovely birthday cake. 

Her niece Anne Neilson was 

delighted with the hospital’s efforts 

to mark the special birthday. 

She said: “It is very kind of the 

hospital to take this trouble for 

Cecilia. The staff have all been great, 

and I’d like to thank them for the 

beautiful flowers and cake and for 

all they have done for her.” 

For more information about the 

First Steps Programme, contact 

Shirley Mitchell on 0141 643 3530 or 

shirley.mitchell@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk 

David Hume, Hairmyres 

Hospital’s general manager, said: 

“It’s not every day we have a 

patient who is celebrating their 

100th birthday and it’s nice to be 

able to help mark what is a happy 

occasion. 

“Thankfully Cecilia has made a 

great recovery and will be going 

home soon.” 

Cecilia, who never married, was 

born on 24 September 1910, in 

Glasgow and brought up in the 

Oatlands, near the Gorbals. 

Cecilia said: “I really appreciate 

the hospital doing this for me. 

“It was a very nice surprise and 

made my day.” 

In brief… 

e 

A TOTAL of 133 years’ service 

with NHS Lanarkshire was a 

cause of celebration for five 

fabulous staff. 

The colleagues from the West 

of Scotland Laundry in Wishaw 

were congratulated for their hard 

work over the years. 

Pictured, from left, are: James 

Lennon, from Wishaw, section 

supervisor, 27 years; Maureen 

Payne, from Shotts, laundry 

assistant, 25 years; Andrea Blair, 

from Wishaw, laundry assistant, 

25 years; Betty Fair, from New 

Mains, laundry assistant, 25 

years; and Moira Hughes, from 

Bellshill, deputy head of linen 

service, 31 years. 

Robert O’Hara, NHS 

Lanarkshire’s head of linen 

services, said: “On behalf of NHS 

Lanarkshire, I’d like to thank 

James, Maureen, Andrea, Betty 

and Moira for the fantastic 

service they have provided over 

such a long period of time.” 

e 

A NEW support network 

has been established for 

physiotherapy support workers 

within NHS Lanarkshire. 

The aim of the Physiotherapy 

Support Workers Group is to 

provide a chance for colleagues to 

share information about learning 

opportunities and other issues that 

affect this staff group. 

It also enables the 

networking and sharing of good 

practice across their varied 

roles, contributing to the 

development of learning 

opportunities for physiotherapy 

support workers. 

A development day took place 

in October within the Ronald 

Miller Suite at Wishaw General. 

Physiotherapy support workers 

who attended, enjoyed various 

topics of interest presented by 

guest speakers. 

Chairperson of the group Carina 

Miller, associate practitioner 

paediatric physiotherapy, said: 

“Hopefully, the event marked the 

start of many more successful 

development days in the future.” 

If you would like to attend or 

receive further details of the 

group please contact Carina at 

carina.miller@lanarkshire. 

scot.nhs.uk


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 TOP HEALTH ISSUE 

15 

Fight the flu 

Media Watch 

Vaccinations are 

vital for staff – to 

protect themselves 

and others 

STAFF are being urged to get a flu jab to protect 

their patients – and themselves. 

The seasonal flu vaccination is particularly 

important for staff who work with vulnerable 

groups such as the elderly. 

Clinics are being held throughout November 

in the three main acute hospitals and at various 

venues in both north and south Lanarkshire 

community health partnership areas. 

Staff can attend any clinic which is convenient 

for them and no appointment is necessary. 

For details of a clinic near you visit http://firstport/ 

sites/salus 

There are many myths about the flu vaccination. 

Some health staff think they’re healthy 

so don’t need the jab, or they may wrongly 

believe that the vaccine can give them flu, while 

others don’t realise they are eligible for it, fear 

the side effects or don’t think it’s effective since 

they work in a healthcare environment. 

The flu vaccination uptake among NHS 

Scotland staff was 31 per cent last year. 

Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Harry 

Burns, is urging all NHS staff to get the flu jab 

to protect themselves, as well as their patients. 

Dr Burns said: “Our workforce act as the 

stewards of our patients’ safety and of our 

healthcare system, so it’s imperative that 

q VICKY GRAY, clerical 

officer, maternity, said: “I 

have mild asthma and 

other minor health 

problems and so it’s great 

that I can get the flu jab 

where I work. 

“Although I don’t work in a clinical role I am 

still in the wards and so it’s important to get the 

vaccination to avoid getting the flu or spreading 

it to others.” 

q LYNNE DOCHERTY, 

gynaecology medical 

secretary, said: “My son 

has asthma and received 

the jab last week so I 

thought I’d take this 

opportunity to get it too. 

“People with asthma are at a higher risk of 

developing pneumonia, so by getting the 

vaccination you reduce the risk of spreading what 

could be a dangerous illness.” 

they protect themselves from seasonal flu. 

“As well as the impact of being unwell which 

can lead to staff shortages, NHS staff workers 

are needlessly putting patients at risk, many of 

whom have serious illnesses which could be fatal 

if they become infected. 

“It only takes a minute to get the flu jab, but 

this will protect you for 12 months and protect 

your patients at the same time. Take up the offer 

of the jab and play your role in ensuring 

Scotland’s healthcare system remains healthy 

over the flu season.” 

For further details on the seasonal flu campaign, 

log on to www.immunisationscotland.org.uk 

If you have any questions please contact your local 

Occupational Health Department or call 01236 438 190 

for community areas. 

Why getting the jab is crucial... 

Getting the flu vaccination can protect you, your family and your patients from 

contracting the potentially debilitating virus. NHS Lanarkshire staff can receive 

the vaccination at clinics at the acute hospitals and community health 

partnership areas. The Pulse visited the clinic at Wishaw General to ask staff 

why it was so important to get the jab… 

q LORNA STRACHAN, 

occupational health nurse 

advisor, based at Wishaw, 

said: “The vaccination is 

important not only for your 

own protection but for your 

patients and your family 

members. 

“The jab helps you to build up immunity to the 

flu strains which the World Health Organisation 

have predicted will be more prevalent this winter.” 

q ANNE STEVENSON, 

senior charge nurse in the 

adult critical care unit, 

said: “It’s important for 

staff working in clinical 

areas to get the vaccination 

as the flu can make people 

very ill, very quickly. 

“You also have to think of the people back home so 

it helps protect them too. It’s an individual decision 

for staff, but for me it was important to get it.” 

A welcome site – work 

begins on demolition 

Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser 

Think about 

what you 

drink 

East Kilbride News 

The demolishing work begins at the 

e 

site of the new Airdrie health and 

resource centre which will be one of the 

largest medical facilities in Scotland 

when completed in 2012, reported the 

Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser. 

NHS Lanarkshire held a series 

e 

of events to support Alcohol 

Awareness Week and encourage people 

to make positive lifestyle changes and 

drink more responsibly. These events 

were promoted in the East Kilbride 

News, The Extra and Wishaw Press. 

NHS Lanarkshire urged people to 

e 

think FAST during stroke awareness 

week and call 999 if they suspect 

someone is having a stroke. This 

campaign was highlighted in the local 

press including the Carluke Gazette, 

Lanark Gazette, East Kilbride News, 

Motherwell Times and Bellshill Speaker. 

Sufferers of osteoporosis in 

e 

Lanarkshire are the first in the UK 

to benefit from a new treatment for their 

condition. The Lanarkshire Intravenous 

Bisphosphonate Service will visit 

Act FAST to 

help tackle 

stroke 

SHARE YOUR STORIES 

Carluke Gazette 

patients in the wards and in 

residential or nursing homes to 

administer the drug as a once yearly 

intravenous infusion. Local and national 

media covered this story including The 

Herald, BBC, Primary Care Scotland, and 

Wishaw Press. The new service was also 

praised in the Scottish Parliament by 

Elaine Smith MSP. 

The Airdrie and Coatbridge 

e 

Advertiser told the story of Shirley 

Docherty who walked the West Highland 

Way to raise £2200 for the Monklands 

Hospital renal unit where her friend Joe 

Macfarlane receives dialysis. Joe said: “I 

can’t speak highly enough of the unit – 

you’re made so welcome and it’s like a 

family as the nurses, staff and patients 

all have a great rapport.” 

NHS Lanarkshire’s Board agreed in 

e 

principle to provide land for a new 

Maggie’s Centre on the Monklands 

Hospital site. The news was highlighted 

in the local press including the 

Motherwell Times, Wishaw Press, Airdrie 

and Coatbridge Advertiser and East 

Kilbride News. 

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 245069/245077 and help us 

reflect the good news stories that happen within NHS Lanarkshire every day.

16 

thePulse RETIREMENTS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 

We wish 

Ann well 

ANN Moss, secretary to Gabe 

Docherty, retired in October. 

Ann had worked for NHS 

Lanarkshire for almost 17 years 

in the health promotion arena. 

Ann plans to enjoy retirement 

with her husband, Ronnie. And, 

being green fingered, she will 

spend more time in the garden. 

She is looking forward to 

spending more time with her 

granddaughter Maria, joining 

the ‘ladies who do lunch 

club’ and exploring the 

opportunities to participate 

in community activities. 

MORE TIME TO 

GARDEN: Gabe 

Docherty wishes 

Ann Moss well in 

her retirement 

Sorry to see you go, Esther 

ESTHER Hughes will miss her 

colleagues at Monklands payroll – 

but not the daily commute 

– following her retirement 

after 31 years of service. 

The payroll officer from 

Hamilton retired in 

September and is now 

planning to spend more 

time on her hobbies of 

swimming, holidays, 

supporting Celtic… 

and cleaning! 

Esther said: “I’d like to 

thank everyone for the 

marvellous and lovely gifts. 

“I certainly won’t miss 

the drive from Hamilton 

every day or having to get 

over the Raith Interchange, 

but I will miss working here 

and all my friends.” 

Esther started her NHS career at 

Strathclyde Hospital in May 1979 

where she remained until the 

establishment of the trusts in 1993 

and moved to Hairmyres. 

When the acute payroll 

departments centralised in 

May 2000 she moved to 

Monklands. 

In May 2002, she went 

to work at Strathclyde 

Hospital payroll department, 

only to return to Monklands 

in November 2005 when all 

services were centralised. 

Esther and Michael, her 

husband of almost 50 

years, have one son, Jim, 

and two daughters, 

Caroline and Anne-Marie. 

Esther’s colleague Mari Simmons 

said: “We’re all sorry to see Esther 

leave. She was not only a valued 

member of staff but a friend and we 

hope she will have a very long and 

happy retirement.” 

Frances is all set to swim 

FRANCES McGuigan is 

hoping to learn to swim 

following her retirement 

from Monklands Hospital. 

The ear, nose and throat 

(ENT) clinical support 

worker retired recently 

after nearly 23 years’ 

service. 

Frances had worked in 

ENT, first in ward 14 and 

then in ward nine, since 

starting at 

Monklands in 

January 1988. 

She said: “I’ve 

thoroughly 

enjoyed my time 

at Monklands and 

all the staff in 

ENT, the nurses, 

doctors and 

domestics, are 

lovely and a 

credit to the ward. 

“There’s been lots 

of laughs and I’ll 

really miss them all. 

“I’m going to learn to swim in 

my retirement and do some 

voluntary work. I also have four 

grandchildren so I’ll not be 

short of things to do.” 

Ann Marie Newall, senior 

charge nurse on ward 

nine, said: “It has been a 

privilege to work with 

Frances over the years. 

“She is also well-known 

throughout the hospital 

for all the kindness 

shown to both 

patients and 

colleagues. 

“She will be 

missed by all in 

ward nine, and we 

would like to wish 

her well in her 

retirement.” 

Frances has two 

daughters, Pauline 

and Geraldine, and 

four grandsons, 

Shaun, Craig, Lee 

and Paul. 

WELL-DESERVED: Pictured with Anne 

at her retirement celebration is Andy 

Goor, deputy director of finance 

A quick 40 years 

PAYROLL manager Anne 

McLaughlin will be sadly missed 

by friends and colleagues 

throughout NHS Lanarkshire 

following her retirement. 

Anne, from Chapelton, near 

Strathaven, worked for the NHS 

in Lanarkshire for 40 years after 

joining the clerical office at 

Hairmyres in 1970, straight from 

school. 

However, she has decided to 

retire following the sudden death 

of her husband, Peter. 

She said: “I never thought for 

a minute when I started out that 

I’d still be working for the NHS 40 

years later but – through changes 

in the organisation, promotions, 

moving location – there have 

always been new challenges which 

have kept things interesting. 

“It’s been a quick 40 years and 

I’ve enjoyed my job and met some 

good people. 

LIZ Rankin has bid farewell to friends 

and colleagues at Hairmyres Hospital. 

The clinical assistant had worked at 

the East Kilbride hospital since 1983. 

Liz’s colleague Iona Scott, 

anaesthetic charge nurse, said: “Liz is 

very highly regarded professionally 

and personally by all her medical and 

nursing colleagues. 

“She will be greatly missed by 

the department.” 

Liz was brought up in Uplawmoor 

and went to Hutcheson’s Girls’ 

Grammar School before Glasgow 

University, where she graduated with 

a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of 

Science, in 1974. 

She married Ian, a doctor who also 

initially trained as an anaesthetist, 

and they have four children: Fiona, 

Donald, Laura and Susan. 

“There have been some challenging 

times, but we’ve got through 

them and had a few good laughs.” 

Anne continued: “When I 

started we didn’t even have calculators 

so it was all long division 

and manual calculations. 

“There’s been quite a few 

changes since then! 

“I met my husband, Peter, 

through the NHS as well. We met 

at a training course in Edinburgh 

and were married for 34 

wonderful years.” 

Anne’s first position was as a 

clerical officer at Hairmyres 

Hospital where she worked until 

1975 when she moved to 

Strathclyde Hospital until 1993. 

She then returned to Hairmyres 

where she became payroll 

manager in June 1993. 

In April 2000 she moved to 

Monklands Hospital. 

Anne was on a number of 

More time for Liz to paint 

Her early anaesthetic experience 

was in the Southern General and 

Victoria Infirmary, although her 

training was interrupted by having her 

children and she accepted the post as 

a clinical assistant at Hairmyres. 

The department was very small at 

that time and Liz’s presence was very 

important during its development. 

Liz has various hobbies that she is 

now hoping to spend more time on, 

including reading, writing and 

painting – having even sold some 

of her artwork. 

Ian and Liz also enjoy seaborne 

travelling. 

Iona said: “Liz very much enjoyed 

the luxury of their cruise on the QE2, 

while Ian prefers the austerity of the 

20 foot yacht. 

“Lately it is as a television 

national payroll groups, including 

the Scottish Payroll Officer 

Subgroup, Technical Working 

Group for the Pensions Agency, 

and is chair for business objects 

users groups. 

She was also involved in several 

internal NHS Lanarkshire projects 

and initiatives including the new 

e-Expenses system. 

Anne is now looking forward 

to a holiday in Zante, Greece, 

with friends. 

Lesley Weir, payroll team leader, 

said: “I’ve worked with Anne 

since we were 17-year-olds, so we 

have grown up together. 

“I’d like to congratulate her for 

reaching 40 years of service and 

thank her for all her support and 

especially for her friendship. 

“It’s an understatement to say 

she’ll be sadly missed by everyone 

here, but we wish her well for 

the future.” 

personality that Liz has sprung to a 

national prominence. 

“In fact, it is believed that her 

winnings from Bargain Hunt are what 

allowed her – sadly premature – 

retirement from our department.”


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 COMPETITIONS 

17 

WIN TICKETS 

TO PANTO! 

YOU can’t beat a panto for getting 

into the Christmas spirit and The 

Pulse has two family tickets – 

worth more than £120 – up for 

grabs. 

We have teamed up with the 

Glasgow Pavilion to give you the 

chance of experiencing this year’s 

must-see pantomime, The 

Magical Adventures of Robin 

Hood, for free. 

Starring in his first ever Scottish 

family panto is the hilarious Jim 

Davidson as Robin Hood, ably 

assisted by Merry Men Colin and 

Justin and a host of other stars. 

For a chance to win one of the 

family tickets, worth £62 

each, for the performance on 

Thursday 2 December at 

7.30pm, simply answer the 

following question: 

Send your answers, no later than 

Friday November 19, to Martin 

Stirling at: Communications 

Department, Strathclyde Hospital, 

Airbles Road, Motherwell ML1 3BW. 

Alternatively, email 

martin.stirling@lanarkshire.scot. 

nhs.uk with “Panto 

Competition” in the 

subject field. 

Remember to include your job 

title, place of work and a contact 

telephone number. 

Even if you don’t win, generous 

discounts and concessions are 

available at all performances with 

great family value tickets on 

selected dates. 

Who will 

play Robin 

Hood in this 

year’s panto at the 

Glasgow Pavilion? 

Each prize 

is worth 

£62! 

It is the family panto for all ages 

in true Pavilion style, so book early 

to avoid the rush. 

Call the Pavilion box office on 

0141 332 1846 between 10am 

and 8pm Monday to Saturday. 

For more details, visit 

www.pavilionpanto.com 

Dine in style at 

Malmaison… 

just like our 

winner Moira 

MORIA Agnew will be dining out in 

style courtesy of The Pulse after 

winning a meal for two at the 

Malmaison Brasserie in Glasgow. 

The Coatbridge Health Centre 

administrator entered the last Pulse 

competition and correctly answered 

that the Malmaison building was 

previously an Episcopal Church. 

She will now enjoy a beautifully 

presented meal, prepared with 

incredible local ingredients, served 

in the brasserie. 

But you too could enjoy a delicious 

meal in fantastic surrounds with an 

incredible discount at the Malmaison. 

The hotel is just one of the many 

companies offering NHS staff discount 

as part of the NHS staff benefits 

programme. 

Malmaison offers NHS staff an 

amazing 25 per cent discount on 

food bills. 

To access your discount at the 

brasserie, simply book your table in 

advance and tell them you are with 

the NHS. 

All you need to do then is show 

your NHS Staff ID and you will 

receive 25 per cent off your food bill. 

Malmaison is also offering 

staff a fantastic 20 per cent off 

wedding packages for weddings 

taking place between January and 

March 2011 or 2012. 

To find out more about Malmaison 

and to see the other great 

discounts available, visit 

www.nhsstaffbenefits.co.uk 

Susie’s tips for 

waterbabies… 

and mums 

COMMUNITY midwife in 

Lanarkshire Susie Murphy has her 

hands full looking after 

pregnant women, new mums and 

their babies. 

In her role, Hamilton-based 

Susie is an advocate for the 

benefits of aquanatal activities for 

pregnant women. 

Despite her busy schedule, Susie 

and fellow midwife Susan Baines 

have written a fascinating new 

book, Aquatic Exercise For 

Pregnancy. 

And The Pulse has a copy of her 

book, worth £26, to give away. 

Susie said: “Since we met at 

university, Susan and I have always 

wanted to write a book to be used 

by midwives. 

“Aquanatal exercises bring 

wonderful health benefits for 

mums and we were both really 

determined to tell as many 

midwives as possible. 

“It’s an enjoyable, comfortable 

way to exercise the whole body. 

WIN! 

“It’s also unlikely to cause 

maternal fatigue as the sessions 

are designed to take account of 

women’s changing physiology.” 

For a chance to win a copy 

of the book simply answer this 

question: 

Which part of 

the body does 

aquanatal 

exercise benefit? 

BOOKED: community 

midwife and author 

Susie Murphy 

Send your answers, no later than 

Friday 26 November, to Martin 

Stirling at: Communications 

Department, Strathclyde Hospital, 

Airbles Road, Motherwell ML1 3BW. 

Or email martin.stirling@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk 

with “Aquanatal 

Competition” in the subject field. 

Include your job title, place of 

work and a contact phone number. 

Aquatic Exercise For Pregnancy 

is also available from 

www.mkupdate.co.uk 

Courtesy of Douglas McKendrick, Hamilton Advertiser 

Pulse Sudoku 

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.

18 

thePulse SMOKING CESSATION NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 

HEART 

ATTACK 

ON COURSE: Dr Robert Mair 

is enjoying life – and time on 

the golf course – much more 

since he quit smoking 

MADE ME 

STUB OUT 

HABIT... 

Dr Robert Mair feared he was having a heart attack 

but still lit up a cigarette. Thankfully, with the support 

of NHS Lanarkshire’s Stop Smoking Service, it was 

his last cigarette 

EVEN suffering a heart attack in his 

home one night was not enough to 

prevent Dr Robert Mair lighting up 

what he knew would be his last 

cigarette. 

Thankfully, the GP from 

Stewartfield, East Kilbride, survived 

after being admitted to Hairmyres 

Hospital’s Coronary Care Unit, 

where he underwent an emergency 

angioplasty. 

But Robert, 46, knew his days of 

smoking, which had started when he 

was only 12, had to be brought to 

an end if he wanted a long and 

healthy future with wife Dr Grace 

Campbell and children Louise, 18, 

and David, 16. 

Here, the former “60-a-day man” 

explains how his smoking obsession 

finally came to an end. 

Robert said: “I woke up about 

11.35pm on the 23rd of May with 

crushing chest pains thinking to 

myself, ‘it can’t be a heart attack, 

just really bad indigestion’. 

“I went downstairs for a glass of 

milk and to light up a cigarette and 

by then I knew it was definitely a 

heart attack. 

“I also knew that one way or 

another I wouldn’t be smoking 

again but it didn’t stop me finishing 

that cigarette.” 

Following the success of his 

emergency operation, Robert began 

the long process of rehabilitation. 

As part of this he decided he had 

to quit smoking. 

A smoking cessation advisor visited 

him in the ward to explain the 

services available to help, and provide 

him with 24-hour nicotine patches. 

After three days recovering in the 

hospital, Robert returned home and 

soon attended his first NHS 

Lanarkshire Stop Smoking Service. 

Robert said: “I attended 12 

sessions at the John Wright Sports 

Centre and thoroughly enjoyed them. 

“The advisors are ex-smokers 

themselves and know what you are 

going through. 

“They don’t lie to you and tell you 

it will be easy. Instead, they explain the 

challenges and are very supportive. 

NEW smoking cessation guidance 

for Scotland produced by NHS 

Health Scotland and Action on 

Smoking and Health (ASH) Scotland 

was published in September. 

A Guide to Smoking Cessation in 

Scotland 2010 is a robust, evidencebased 

compendium of all smoking 

cessation guidance and 

recommendations derived from the 

National Institute for Health and 

Clinical Excellence and from 

previous Scottish guidelines. 

It also includes suggestions for 

good practice. 

Dr Laurence Gruer, director of 

public health science at NHS Health 

Scotland said: “The best and latest 

available evidence is synthesised 

into this one publication. 

“It recognises that all healthcare 

professionals have a role to play in 

helping people to quit by providing 

support and 

referring them to 

specialist smoking 

cessation services. 

“We know 

smokers’ chances 

of succeeding in 

stopping and 

staying stopped 

are greatly 

increased by 

“I also found it very helpful to be 

able to talk to the other people on 

the group who were going through 

the same thing. 

“I would definitely recommend it to 

others, and I already have, to people 

who come in to see me at my surgery 

in the South West of Glasgow.” 

proper use of nicotine replacement 

therapy and certain other proven drug 

treatments, combined with intensive 

personal support and advice. 

“This is what the specialist 

smoking cessation services offer.” 

Comprising two main parts, the 

guide covers how to deliver 

interventions, pharmacotherapy, 

monitoring and training. 

Helping smokers to stop is aimed 

primarily at healthcare practitioners, 

and includes an accompanying 

desktop brief interventions flowchart. 

Planning and providing specialist 

smoking cessation services is for 

providers and commissioners of 

intensive smoking cessation support, 

including those involved in the 

national pharmacy scheme. 

Chief executive of ASH Scotland, 

Sheila Duffy, said: “Smoking remains 

the largest preventable cause of death 

and disease in Scotland today. 

“Fortunately, for those who 

want to kick the habit, help is at 

hand through our national 

network of stop smoking services 

available free through the NHS. 

“These services offer help and 

support for all smokers who are 

ready to quit, and give them the 

best possible chance of staying 

smoke-free. 

Robert continued: “I’m not 

pretending that it’s easy and I do 

occasionally get the urge to smoke 

again but I’m determined that 

there’s no going back. 

“I’m still recovering from my 

heart attack but having quit the 

cigarettes I feel less breathless, I 

New cessation guidelines published 

“This updated resource 

summarises the highest quality 

research on smoking cessation and is 

targeted not only at healthcare and 

smoking cessation professionals, but 

also workers in the community and 

voluntary sector who can signpost 

would-be quitters to services that 

will help them stay tobacco-free.” 

The guidance has been endorsed 

by the Royal College of General 

Practitioners in Scotland. 

Dr John Bery of the Royal College 

of GPs in Scotland said: “This 

publication recognises that GPs are 

integral to smoking cessation not 

only in providing support and 

encouraging and generating quit 

attempts which in themselves may 

be successful, but also in referring 

on to smoking cessation services 

where the chance of these quit 

attempts being successful and 

remaining so are greatly increased.” 

The new guide replaces the 

Smoking Cessation Guidelines for 

Scotland 2004 update and 2007 

supplement and Encouraging 

Smokers to Stop publication. 

Copies of the guide are available 

to download from: www.health 

scotland.com/documents/4661.aspx 

don’t smell of smoke and I don’t 

have the horrendous nicotine stains 

that made me feel self-conscious 

when seeing patients. 

“I only smoked in one room at 

home but the smell permeated 

throughout the whole house so my 

family are very happy I’ve quit, and 

are not having to put up with 

smelling of smoke themselves or 

getting asked if they smoke. 

“Hopefully I won’t have to 

decorate as much either!” 

Robert’s 60-a-day habit was also 

costing him a small fortune and he 

revealed the money he has saved by 

quitting is allowing him to work less. 

He said: “On the way to work I 

was buying two bottles of juice and 

60 cigarettes which were costing me 

£19.42. I calculated I would have to 

be earning a salary of £19,000 just 

to pay for that. 

“It means I can work less hours 

and enjoy playing a bit more golf – 

although so far it’s not helped my 

handicap.” 

Robert added: “Anyone who says 

stopping smoking is easy doesn’t 

know what they are talking about. 

“It is challenging and you need the 

right kind of support to help. 

“But the rewards are worth it, so 

I would encourage anyone wishing 

to quit to contact the Stop 

Smoking Service.” 

Smokers in Lanarkshire can 

access help and support from the 

NHS Lanarkshire Stop Smoking 

Service, where they are offered 

advice and support in conjunction 

with free nicotine replacement 

therapy from trained nurse advisors. 

For more information about the 

help on offer, call NHS Lanarkshire 

Stop Smoking Service on 08452 17 77 07 

or text ‘Advice’ to 81066.


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 TRAINING 

19 

Brushing up on 

oral hygiene 

Extra support 

for those with 

learning 

disabilites 

IMPROVING the oral health of 

people with learning disabilities is 

the goal for Alan Thomson. 

The oral health assistant, based 

at the Buchanan Centre dental 

department, provides peer 

education and support to people 

with additional support needs. 

Alan’s role is the result of a joint 

venture between NHS Lanarkshire 

and North Lanarkshire Council 

and has proved very successful. 

He said: “I’ve been in the role for 

just over a year now. I really enjoy 

it and it’s made me more confident. 

“I speak with people on a one-toone 

basis to provide them with 

advice on looking after their teeth, 

what food they should eat and what 

they should avoid. 

“I’ve also recently started to do 

group presentations. 

“The job takes me all over 

Lanarkshire and I drive to places 

like Hamilton, Lanark, East 

Kilbride, Carluke and Larkhall to 

provide advice. 

“It’s different to anything I’ve 

done in the past but I really enjoy 

it and get good support from my 

colleagues, job coach and my 

manager Brenda Hendren.” 

During a recent visit to the 

Buchanan Centre by children from 

the Carron Grange School, Larbert, 

Alan gave advice and tips on how 

to look after their teeth. 

Brenda, senior oral health 

educator, said: “Alan provides a very 

important service in promoting 

good oral health to people with 

additional support needs. 

“He works mainly within day 

centres across South Lanarkshire 

helping service users to increase 

their motivation, knowledge and 

skills in looking after their mouths. 

“The educational activities are 

person centred and he uses a combination 

of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic 

(by doing) resources such as 

posters, presentations, DVDs, tasks 

and reflective practice discussions.” 

Did you 

know? 

The three main tips for good 

oral health are: brush your 

teeth twice a day using a 

fluoride toothpaste, try to 

limit sugar intake, register 

with a dentist and 

attend regularly 

TEETH WISDOM: Alan Thomson, front right, with children from 

Carron Grange School in Larbert. In the back row are, left, 

Anne O’Neill, special care oral health educator, and right, Kay 

Reid, specialist dental nurse 

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 

Linda Firstbrook (Hairmyres) 

01355 585485 

linda.firstbrook@ 


Lorna Galloway (Wishaw 

General) 01698 366765 

lorna.galloway@ 


MEDICAL EDUCATION 

q For queries, contact training 

co-ordinators on 01698 366521 

or Meded@lanarkshire. 

scot.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 366581 

Morag Downie 01698 366575 

Anne Halavage 

01698 366582 

Natalie Snodgrass 

01698 366590 

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@ 


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 (NHS 

Lanarkshire HQ) 

MOVING & HANDLING 

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 

LIBRARIES 

01698 281313 

q Classes are available in: 

The Knowledge Network 

RefWorks 

Ovid Medline 

Ebsco CINAHL 

Cochrane Library 

707721 or email 

sandra.sweeney@ 


PaMoVA 

(Prevention and Management 

of Violence and Aggression) 

q It is essential for all staff in 

the Health Service to take care 

Contact your local library for 

dates and availability. 

of their personal 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 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 

From left, Gordon Gray, Dr Paul 

Stollard and Professor Ewan 

Macdonald outside Salus 

GALLUS 

SALUS 

DR Paul Stollard of the Health 

and Safety Executive (HSE) 

visited NHS Lanarkshire’s 

occupational health and safety 

division Salus in October. 

The HSE director for Scotland 

and head of the field operations 

directorate in Scotland was 

invited to the Coatbridge office by 

Professor Ewan Macdonald, 

director of Salus, to see the work 

being done to improve health 

and safety. 

Gordon Gray, NHS 

Lanarkshire’s head of health and 

safety, said: “The Salus 

occupational health and safety 

department helps facilitate NHS 

Lanarkshire’s aim of continuing 

to be an exemplar organisation in 

terms of health and safety 

management and performance. 

“Part of achieving this is 

making clear plans each year 

about internal health and safety. 

“Our annual report for 2009/10 

published on FirstPort and 

presented at the October board 

meeting highlights the significant 

strides in occupational health 

and safety made over the last 

year through a partnership 

approach with divisional 

directorates and departments.” 

TREATING Taliban terrorists and 

working 24 hour shifts in stifling 

heat in Iraq and Afghanistan are just 

a few of the challenges experienced 

by Wishaw General’s Sam Wadelik. 

The radiographer is a reservist 

serving on 612 (County of Aberdeen) 

Squadron, a RAF Medical Reserve 

Unit based at RAF Leuchars in Fife. 

And Sam, from Glasgow, who has 

been deployed on missions to Iraq 

and Afghanistan in her five years 

with the squadron, has recently been 

promoted to the rank of sergeant. 

She said: “My experiences with 

the RAF have made me a mentally 

stronger person and there are definitely 

less things to faze me after the 

experiences of working with the 

casualties and their injuries 

sustained in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

“I joined my squadron in 

September 2005 and I love every 

minute I get to train and work with 

my colleagues and the 612 Squadron 

Head Quarters staff. 

“I am very proud to receive my 

sergeant tapes. Being a reservist and 

being able to provide my specialist 

skills, as a radiographer, on an, 

operational tour is very satisfying.” 

Sam’s most recent deployment 

was to Camp Bastion, in the 

Helmand Province of Afghanistan, 

from April to August this year. 

She explained some of the 

challenges she faced. 

From left, health promotion colleagues Tina McMichael, NHS Ayrshire and Arran; 

Jo Zinger, Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Colin Anderson, NHS Lanarkshire; 

received the WISH award from Shona Robison, Minister for Public Health and Sport 

RAF JUSTICE 

RAF reservist 

Sam Wadelik 

is recognised 

for work in 

warzones 

I’m very proud 

to receive my 

sergeant tapes. 

Being a reservist on 

an operational tour is 

very satisfying 

Sam said: “We would work up to 

80-hour weeks, the odd 24-hour 

shift through 45 degree heat and 

sandstorms, using interpreters, 

treating everyone from British, 

American, Danish, Estonian and 

Afghan troops to civilian men, 

women and children to the Taliban 

themselves. 

“We had digital radiology which 

meant the mobile units produced 

diagnostic X-ray images within one 

second.” 

Between December 2008 and 

March 2009, Sam was deployed to the 

British Military Hospital, in Basrah. 

NHS Lanarkshire in partnership with 

Greater Glasgow and Clyde and 

Ayrshire and Arran Health Boards, 

picked up an award for a sexual 

health social marketing campaign. 

The health promotion drive 

targeted men who have sex with 

other men (MSM). 

Colin Anderson, senior health 

promotion officer with NHS 

Lanarkshire said: “As levels of HIV 

and sexually transmitted infections 

continue to increase across 

Scotland, and particularly in the 

MSM population, the rationale was 

to target this particular group to 

deliver two important key 

messages: 

Sergeant ‘Sam’ Wadelik receiving her taps from Squadron Leader ‘Rem’ Merrick, the 

Executive Officer on 612 Squadron. © RAF Leuchars Photographic Section 

She said: “I was one of two radiographers 

who staffed the radiology 

department with plain X-ray facilities 

using mobilettes and a six-slice 

Phillips Brilliance CT Scanner. 

“We only had chemical processing 

available which meant each individual 

X-ray took three minutes to process.” 

Sam regularly attends training at 

RAF Leuchars to prepare for 

deployment in war zones. 

In October, she took part in a 

training exercise where her duties 

included “shooting” insurgents, 

rescuing casualties from a mine field 

and dealing with suicide bombers. 

Sam said: “The headquarters staff 

had set up a field hospital which 

would replicate some of the conditions 

of working in a war zone. 

“In the roleplay exercise, I had to 

lead a patrol to collect medical 

supplies and rescued, casualties 

q Condoms and lube to be used 

every time men have sex with 

other men 

q To encourage regular sexual health 

check ups, including HIV testing at 

least every six months. 

“The campaign was launched in 

October 2009 and was successfully 

received in both ‘on scene’ venues 

such as gay clubs, saunas and ‘off 

scene’ venues, for example GP 

surgeries and health centres, with 

particular success in the online 

marketing approach taken. 

“The campaign won two awards 

and continues to be rolled out across 

the three health board areas.” 

Colin and his health promotion 

from a mine field. We camped out 

in the chapel of the hospital and in 

the morning we were attacked by 

insurgents and I shot one because I 

believed my life was in danger. 

“There were other incidents we had 

to deal with – mortar attacks, suicide 

bombers approaching the guards on 

the front gate, a fire in the hospital 

complex and treating the incoming 

casualties from such incidents. 

“We also practised our common 

core skills which involved practising 

nuclear biological chemical drills and 

I passed the weapon-handling test.” 

If you are interested in joining the 

Reserves please contact 612 

Squadrons recruiting department on 

01334 83947 Ext 7974 or email 

leu612sqn-recruiting@ 

leuchars.raf.mod.uk 

Sexual health campaign success 

colleagues won the WISH (Wellbeing 

in Sexual Health) Award from Public 

Health Minister Shona Robison at 

a recent national WISH conference 

in Edinburgh. 

They also won a silver medal 

from the Institute of Practitioners 

in Advertising. 

If you would like more 

information on the campaign or a 

supply of posters for your area, please 

contact: Colin Anderson, Blood Borne 

Virus and Sexual Health Promotion 

team, on 01698 377623. 

Alternatively, visit the website at 

www.makeyourpositionclear.com

The Pulse November/December 2010 - NHS Lanarkshire

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