The Pulse September October 2011 - NHS Lanarkshire

NEWS FOR NHS LANARKSHIRE STAFF • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011Page 7 Page 5NURSERY KIDS SINGJOY FOR LUNGTHEIR TEETH CLEANTRANSPLANT MANMonty’smagic!CAPTION: XXXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXX XXXXXSCOTTISH golf star Colin Montgomerieattended a celebration at the site ofthe Elizabeth Montgomerie Buildingat Monklands Hospital to mark theprogress of Monty’s Maggie’s Appeal.Colin was joined by dignitaries, NHSLanarkshire staff, Maggie’s Centre usersand supporters, and architects involvedin the project at the site of MonklandsHospital to bury a commemorative timecapsule, containing prized memorabilia,where the new Maggie’s Centre willbe located.Colin said: “This is emotional forme and for my family. The ElizabethMontgomerie building will be a lastingCONTINUED ON PAGE 2,GREAT DAY: Colin was joined by NHSLanarkshire directors, including chiefexecutive Tim Davison and chairmanKen Corsar, along with members ofstaff from the cancer divisionCLOCK TICKINGAll patients must now be seen within 18 weeks after referral from their GPDO you know that the 18-weekclock is ticking?From 1 August all patients mustbe seen within 18 weeks to meetthe referral to treatment target by31 December.And all staff have a role toplay in making sure patientsare managed appropriatelythroughout their journey to ensurewe meet this national target.Patient pathways have beendeveloped to make sure thatpatients are referred to the rightprofessional in the right place atthe right time, first time.Cathy Dunn, 18 weekprogramme manager, said: “Bydeveloping standard patientpathways across all specialties weensure that patients receive quickeraccess to their treatment. Patientswill know how long they have towait from the hospital receivingtheir GP referral to the start of theirtreatment.“Most importantly we also recordthe outcome at each stage of thepatient journey so we know they arewithin the guaranteed time limit.”Dr Jane Burns, medical directorfor the acute division, said: “Forthe first time we will have a wayof making sure patients can moveseamlessly between outpatientvisits and diagnostic appointments.“Even if they need to have an inpatient or day case procedure, wewill be able to ensure that happenswithin 18 weeks. Removingunnecessary delays is a real qualityindicator for us. We need toabsolutely understand each elementof the patients’ journey so we canprovide care in a more timely way.”Cathy added: “We have alsoestablished a focused workstreamto review pathways for patientsrequiring a return appointment.Those who need to be seen withinsix weeks will be booked aftertheir appointment. Patients whorequire a follow-up appointmentbeyond six weeks will be kept on aholding list. This will flag up whenpatients are due to return andwe can book their appointmentsat a time to suit them.“We currently book theseappointments when they attendoutpatients and it is not practicalto book so far in advance – in somecases as much as 12 months – aspatients’ circumstances can changein the time between appointments.“We anticipate this list will seea reduction in patients who donot attend (DNAs) appointmentsbecause they will agree anappointment time.”ALSO INSIDENEWS ACROSS THE DIVISIONS • TRAINING UPDATE • YOUR STORIES • YOUR HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011ALL NHS Lanarkshire staffcan benefit from exclusivediscounts on everything fromrestaurants to high streetstores, holidays and homeimprovements.And you can now quickly andeasily access the full range ofdiscounts on the new NHS StaffBenefits website.David Torrance, NHS StaffBenefits account manager forNHS Lanarkshire, said: “We’vebeen busy over the last fewmonths securing some greatdeals for staff in Lanarkshire.“We have some really greatdiscounts from top restaurantsacross Lanarkshire andsurrounding areas, includingGlasgow.“You can save on holidays,hotels, childcare vouchers,nursery fees, health and beauty,home goods, and much more.”The new NHS Staff Benefitswebpage, which you canaccess from the homepageof FirstPort under StaffNoticeboard, allows you toregister for free to see all the fullrange of benefits and discountsavailable.You can also search bycategory on the new websiteso you can quickly and easilyfind the deals that you are mostinterested in.Anne Quinn, administrationmanager, added: “We nowhave an office at BeckfordStreet, Hamilton, and can offerfinancial advice services to NHSLanarkshire staff on pensions,investments, mortgages andinsurance.“And you can also save moneyby shopping through our onlinestore, where you will receiveloyalty points as a percentage ofyour purchase.”qTo find out more about thefull range of offers availableto you, visit the NHS StaffBenefits website at www.nhsstaffbenefits.co.ukBENEFITSFOR STAFFRegister for free to discover lots of discountsLOG ON: Anne Quinn and DavidTorrance want you to take advantage ofthe new NHS Staff Benefits websiteAirdrie Health Centreis now well under wayTHE first significant constructionphase of the new Airdrie CommunityHealth Centre was celebrated byNHS Lanarkshire.A ‘topping off’ event was held in Julyon the Graham Street site tomark the end of the concreting of thefloors in the new £27 milliondevelopment.NHS Lanarkshire chairman KenCorsar, right, and Harry Thorburn,left, regional managing director ofthe contractor Morgan Sindall, andJohn Dunn, centre, director of AWGProperty, symbolically marked thecompletion of this stage by pouringthe final section of concrete on thefirst floor of the building.Ken said: “The construction of the newcentre is moving tremendously well andI think the local community is starting toget a feel for the scale of the project.”The new Airdrie Community HealthCentre will house nine GP practicesas well as a range of other healthservices, including dental, podiatry,dietetics, physiotherapy, pediatric,occupational therapy and communitynursing in 80,000 square feet of spaceover three floors.The centre will also include 27,000square feet of new retail propertieswith a national chemist and new officeaccommodation for North LanarkshireCouncil already committed to takingspace on the ground floor.Once complete, the centre will be oneof the largest of its type in Scotland.GENERAL NEWSthePulse 3Lottery joyfor winnersCONGRATULATIONS to the winnersof the NHS Lanarkshire staff lotteryfor August.Catherine Llewellyn, from WishawGeneral administration, won £2,500;Wendy Craw, HR, won £500 and AnneHunter, Adam Avenue Clinic, won £250.There were also 10 £100 prizes won.The lottery costs £1.20 per monthfor each chance to win and you canpay for a maximum of 10 chances.There are 13 prizes every month:q £2500q £500q £250q £100 x 10.Anne Quinn, administrationmanager with NHS Staff Benefits,said: “Each month health boardstaff win thousands of pounds in thelottery draw.“It’s really easy to sign up and themoney is deducted straight from yourwages so you don’t have to worryabout buying a ticket each month.“Any winnings you receive are paidwith your monthly salary. To havea chance at winning, complete yourapplication today.”qFor full details on how tojoin the lottery, or to see thefull list of winners, visit the staffbenefits webpage atwww.nhsstaffbenefits.co.ukFestival formental healthA HOST of events featuring film,theatre, music, art and literature willonce again be held in Lanarkshire aspart of the Scottish Mental Health Artsand Film Festival from 1-24 October.Now in its fifth year, the ScottishMental Health Arts and Film Festivalis the largest festival of its kind inthe world and is becoming a majorcultural event in Scotland.Avril Thomson, NHS Lanarkshiresenior health promotion officer, said:“The festival aims to promote positiveattitudes towards mental health andmental illness. The events are open toeveryone, not just those involved inmental health.“One in four people will experiencea mental health problem at somestage in their life and 75 per cent ofus will know someone who has amental health problem.”The multi-arts festival aims topromote positive mental health in thecontext of equality and social justice,explore the relationship betweenthe mind and creativity and create adialogue with the public, the mediaand the arts about what mentalhealth means to us all.All events are free or of low costand take place in dozens of venuesacross Scotland throughout October.qFor further information on thefestival events in Lanarkshire,please visit the festival website www.mhfestival.com or the Lanarkshirefestival website www.elament.org.uk

4thePulseGENERAL NEWSSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011Getting back on trackWorking together to improve the new patient management systemTRAKCARE has been operationalnow for six months.Generally the implementationwas smooth although, as would beexpected with implementing a newIT system, a number of teethingproblems have been encountered.Robin Wright, general managerehealth, said: “A number ofdifficulties have been experiencedby users of the system includingfunctional constraints and accessrights.“We appreciate that this hascontributed to difficulties andfrustrations among staff.“The implementation team hascontinued to work with staff andIntersystems to resolve any issueswhich have been raised by staff.“We are grateful to all staff fortheir patience, hard work andsupport in helping overcome theissues identified.”Changes to the configuration ofTrakCare continue to be made andthis has contributed to an improvedposition.However, further remedialactions are necessary andsolutions are being pursued withIntersystems.TRACKCARE UPDATES:Accident and EmergencyStaff are working with Intersystemsto agree an approach and timescaleto fully resolve any systemconstraints to ensure it bettermeets the requirements of the A&Edepartment.Work is ongoing with colleaguesin NHS Glasgow and Clyde to seewhat aspects can be adopted fromthe version they will launch laterthis year.Vetting and capturingclinic outcomesSince implementation, all staffincluding medical, nursingWe aregratefulto all staff fortheir patience,hard work andsupport in helpingovercome theissues identifiedand allied health professionalsapply a single patient outcomeelectronically in real time at clinicsacross all specialties.The impact of capturing the clockstops in real time has significantlyimproved the completeness ofthe data for the non-admittedpathways. This is reflected inan overall combined completenessfigure.It is clear, however, that thereare elements of vetting andcapturing clinic outcomes thatrequire simplification, guidanceand support.System experts will be inLanarkshire for two days inSeptember to which cliniciansfrom each specialty will have directaccess to deal directly with vettingand clinic outcomes.Estimated date of dischargeand bed managementThere has been limited use ofestimated date of discharge (EDD)and bed management functionalityof the system. Senior nurses,ward managers and dischargemanagers will be invited toparticipate in discussions toagree the boundaries andimplementation plan for EDDand bed management. Theintention is to roll this out duringSeptember.Order CommunicationsA decision has been taken todefer implementation of the OrderCommunications element untilFebruary 2012. This will ensuresystem stability and robust useracceptance testing.LDS launch learning toolsand healthcare resourcesNEW resources launched by NHSLanarkshire Learning DisabilityService (LDS) will help people withlearning disabilities access thefull range of healthcare servicesavailable to them.At an event held in the AlonaHotel, Strathclyde Park, LDSlaunched a range of new leafletsand DVDs, funded by the ScottishGovernment’s Equally Well fund.Jean Howieson, acute liaison nursepractitioner with NHS Lanarkshire’sAdult LDS, said: “Accessing screeningprogrammes can be difficult forpeople with learning disabilities dueto a number of factors, such as theavailability of information not beingin a format that is easy for them tounderstand.“The aim of this project was toproduce a range of information ineasy-read accessible formats andvisual stories on DVDs.”Working with the Speak OutAdvocacy and Lanarkshire Ace/Pals, and with assistance from NHSLanarkshire’s medical illustrationdepartment, the LDS developed arange of resources. These included:q Easy to read letter templatesq Easy to read leaflets on cancersand treatmentsq DVDs on topics which includedhaving a cervical smear; going fora prostate examination; breastself examination; testicular selfexamination; and bowel screeningq Website with access to a range ofhealth information in an easy-readformatq Total Communication Aide – acommunication tool which has beendistributed across primary andacute care to aide communicationwith people who have learningdisabilities.Hugh Masters, nursing officer forMental Health and Learning DisabilityScotland, said: “This project hasdeveloped an excellent range ofresources and it is very evident that alot of work has gone into this.“NHS Lanarkshire is the first toevidence their work funded fromEqually Well and I would like tocongratulate everyone who wasinvolved in this project.”ALL SMILES: Pictured at the launch of the new resources are members of Lanarkshire Ace and the Adult LearningDisability team, Hugh Masters, Dr Linda Findlay, clinical director for the LDS and Margaret Serrels, service manager forMental Health and Learning Disability ServicesStaff praised for good hand hygiene in various Lanarkshire wardsSTAFF across Lanarkshire have beencongratulated for their good handhygiene practice.Fifteen wards were reviewed aspart of the bi-monthly National HandHygiene Audit and 13 achieved orexceeded the national target.The following areas were allsuccessfully audited for the period from23 May to 3 June: Wards 2 and 4 and theEndoscopy suite at Monklands Hospital;Wards 8, 9, 14, 17, Neo Natal Unit, atWishaw General Hospital; and Wards 2and 15 and the Coronary Care Unit, DaySurgery and Cath Lab/InterventionalRadiology Suite at Hairmyres Hospital.An A4 poster signed by chiefexecutive Tim Davison was givento each area to be displayed at theentrance for the two months until thenext audit period. The senior chargenurse for each area also received aletter from Joan James, divisional nursedirector – acute, thanking them.Joan said: “It is clear that staff in NHSLanarkshire recognise the importanceof good hand hygiene in providing highquality care to our patients and thatthey are putting this into practice. Welldone to all staff who were audited.“We all need to keep up the good workand continue to perform hand hygieneat World Health Organisation’s keymoments for hand hygiene.”The key moments are included inNHS Lanarkshire’s hand hygiene policy(section H of the infection controlmanual) which can be found on theHealthcare Associated Infection site onFirstPort.Joan said: “Performing hand hygieneat the right time is something weshould all be doing, whatever our jobsand wherever we work.”Regular hand hygiene educationsessions are held for all staff acrossLanarkshire. Contact Mary MacLean, handhygiene coordinator, at mary.maclean@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk or on 01698858261 for further information or advice.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011Alison missed seeing belovedboy band to have her own boyA CONDITION which can occur inpregnancy resulted in a new mumgiving birth two months early andmissing her beloved Take That.Alison Brookes from Airdrie, wasdiagnosed with pre-eclampsia and gavebirth to a baby son at Wishaw GeneralHospital 32 weeks into her pregnancy.Alison said: “I went to see mymidwife for my routine check up onthe Monday. She told me that my bloodpressure was very high. It was soonconfirmed that I was suffering frompre-eclampsia and that the baby wouldhave to be delivered by Caesareansection as delivery is the only cure forthe condition.“It all happened so fast andChristopher was delivered on theTuesday afternoon.”Dr Dina McLellan, consultantobstetrician-gynaecologist, said: “Thecause of pre-eclampsia is not fullyunderstood. However, certain factorshave been identified that increase thelikelihood of pre-eclampsia, such as afamily history of the condition.“Symptoms of pre-eclampsia includehigh blood pressure and protein in yoururine. It is unlikely that you will noticeeither of these symptoms, but yourmidwife will check for them at yourregular antenatal appointments.“Other, more obvious, symptomswhich may develop include severeheadache, blurred vision or severeheartburn and if any of these symptomsdo develop women are advised tocontact their midwife or maternity unit.”Sadly, for Alison, she was advisedthat she should not attend the concert.Dr McLellan added: “Given Alison’scondition it was important that wemonitored her blood pressure. Raisedblood pressure could lead to a seizureor stroke so she had to be very careful.“Take That are known for raising thepulse rates of their fans. Unfortunatelyfor Alison it wouldn’t have been wise toattend the concert.”The Hampden gig was the firstTake That tour Alison has missed,having been at every tour since theage of three.Commenting on her emotional fewdays Alison said: “I had never heard ofpre-eclampsia. When I was told I hadthe condition the first thing I thoughtwas ‘oh no I am going to miss my boys’.I didn’t realise how serious it could befor me and my baby.”Alison wanted to call the new babyGary after her favourite member of thegroup. However, after discussion withher husband, the couple decided onChristopher after his dad.GENERAL NEWSthePulse 5EARLY DELIVERY:Alison with babyChristopherNEW LEASE OF LIFEGerard is so happy after transplant successGERARD Falsey has thankedHairmyres staff after his life wastransformed by a lung transplant.And the 29-year-old, fromHamilton, is now urging everyoneto sign up to the organ donorregister to help give others asecond chance of life.Gerard, who had been on theorgan donation list for 19 months,said: “It’s the things that otherpeople take for granted that I’vereally appreciated.“I struggled to breathe, had to befed through a tube, couldn’t walkand found it really hard to evenwash and dress myself.“I’ve had some setbacks sincemy transplant in February andmy body is still a bit weak. Butit’s hard to explain how amazingI feel just being able to go awalk round Strathclyde Park,socialise with my friends andnot be dependent on anyone forsimple tasks.”Gerard had problems withhis lungs from birth.His right lung neverIt’s hard toexplain howamazing I feeljust being able togo a walk roundStrathclyde Parkdeveloped, and although his leftlung was able to compensate andallow him to lead a relatively activeand normal life until his mid 20s,he knew not to overdo things.By 2006, however, Gerard’shealth started to deteriorate.He said: “I was finding it hardto breathe and it just steadily gotworse. In May 2009, I was put onthe transplant list.“It wasn’t just a case of being illand managing it with medication,– if I didn’t get a suitable lung Iwould die.”Finally in February this yearGerard received a new lung.He now returns to the FreemanHospital in Newcastle every secondweek for a check up and alsoregularly attends the chest clinic atHairmyres Hospital, which he hasbeen attending for about 15 years.Gerard said: “I’ve been seeingthe same doctor and respiratorynurses at Hairmyres for yearsand they are fantastic.“As well as my appointmentsthey come out to the house whenI’m not doing too great and I canalso get them by phone wheneverI need them. They’re a huge helpand keep me going.”Gerard wants everyone to signup for the organ donation register.“I’ve a second chance at life. I’dencourage everyone to sign up andhelp improve the chances of otherlives being saved,” he said.qTo add your name to the NHSOrgan Donor Register ring 0300123 23 23 or visit www.organdonation.nhs.ukA nurse’s viewpoint . . .SUSAN Hannah, NHS Lanarkshirespecialist nurse in organ donation,said: “All areas of the UK areshowing an increase in peoplesigning up to the NHS Organ DonorRegister and it’s fantastic thatScotland is leading the way with37 per cent of the population nowregistered.“However, if we want to save thelives of other people in the samesituation as Gerard we need morepeople to sign up.“Organ donation not only helpstransform the individual’s life, butalso that of all their family andfriends who have been waiting andsupporting their loved one.“By signing up you can ensure thatyou could make a huge difference tothe lives of so many people.”Transplants can transform thequality of patients’, and their families’,lives but the number of transplantoperations undertaken is limited bythe availability of donor organs.The facts are:q Tragically around 1,000 peopledie every year while waiting for anorgan to become availableq Nearly 10,000 people in the UKneed a transplantq Black and minority ethnic peopleare three times more likely to need atransplant but they are fewer donors.

6thePulseGENERAL NEWSSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011New tissueformularyis updatedTHE latest information on wound careand recommended dressings is nowavailable following the publication ofNHS Lanarkshire’s updated WoundManagement Formulary 2011.Mhairi Stewart, tissue viabilitynurse, said: “The formulary ensuresthe best possible care is provided andthat it is cost effective.“It is important that we’re ableto justify our clinical decisions andexpenditure on wound managementproducts after considering the efficacy,safety, patient acceptability and costsof the product or dressing.”The use of the formulary is for allpractitioners across NHS Lanarkshireincluding care homes, thus providingcontinuity of wound care across allhealthcare sites.Mhairi added: “It also offers auseful and effective resource forboth wound care management andeducation.“The formulary also reflectsinnovations in practice, considers new,evaluated products and will be evaluatedand updated on a regular basis.”The formulary 2011 has been updatedby a panel of practitioners from primary,secondary and speciality care.WHAT if Monklands Hospitalflooded, the whole ground floorswimming in dirty water?Or what if the ceiling collapsedon one of the consulting rooms atWishaw Health Centre, with no freespace to see patients?Maybe the back up generator failsto come on at Hairmyres Hospitalafter a power cut, leaving wards inpitch darkness. Would you knowwhat to do to get crucial services forpatients up and running as quicklyas possible?The answer depends on howbusiness continuity savvy you are.Business continuity planning isn’tthe most glamorous of activities.But when trouble strikes, knowingyour business continuity plan isthe difference between being theshining star that saves the day andrunning around like a well-meaning,TISSUE VIABILITY SERVICE: From left, Ann Spiers, LauraStevenson, Diane Mitchell, Catherine Logan, Kaye McIntyre,Eileen Manchip, Claire James and Mhairi StewartPharmacy also had a major input toensure availability of products and tomanage best cost-effective practice.The Wound ManagementFormulary is integrated into NHSLanarkshire’s Drug and TherapeuticsAction Plan and it is expected that thevast majority of wound care productsbut headless, chicken. Ian Ross,director of strategic planning andperformance, is the lead executivefor business continuity in NHSLanarkshire.He said: “It’s vital that managersknow the business continuity plansfor their areas of responsibility.“They provide a standardised andwill be selected from this formulary.However, if a product is requiredwhich is not listed within theformulary, the rationale andevaluation for the use of this productmust be supplied in writing via theClinical Evaluation form and returnedto the Tissue Viability Service.Better crisismanagementWhen trouble strikes it’s good to know your continuity planIt reallyis vitalthat all of ourmanagers knowtheir businesscontinuity plansfor their areas forresponsibilitysystematic procedure for gettingour most important patient servicesback online. When things are reallybad, a good business continuityplan can literally save lives.”When Glasgow Airport was thetarget for a car bomb attack on30 June 2007, the airport ownersBAA turned to their business planto cope with the repercussions andmanage their response.Not all service interruptions areso dramatic.In fact, some things such asa flood in a store room can bemanaged as part of everydaybusiness and won’t require abusiness continuity approach.The key question when consideringimplementing your businesscontinuity plan is whether the issuehas a wider and lasting impacton other services. If it does, thenqFor more information, visit theTissue Viability Service siteunder the Clinical Services tab onthe home page of FirstPort http://firstport/sites/tissueviability/default.aspxAlternatively, call the service on01698 858253.the benefits of a planned responseare huge.Ian said: “Every business continuitysituation has three phases – theimmediate response to the incident;managing the situation; and therecovery phase.“Your plan takes you through theactions required in a structured way.“Things will never go exactly asenvisaged and as an organisationit is important we learn fromsituations where services aredisrupted so we can constantlyrefine and improve our responses.“Part of this learning comes fromrecording all business continuityincidents on DATIX.”qFor more information on businesscontinuity and to view NHSLanarkshire’s plans visit FirstPort at http://firstport/C3/Business%20ContinuityIn brief…eAN information event onthe new diabetes standardswill take place in the MedicalEducation and Training Centre(METC) on Wednesday 21September.The interactive hands-onevent will highlight what isnew in Lanarkshire in relationto diabetes.All staff are welcome andthose who attend will alsoreceive a summery of the newdiabetes guidelines.The event, at the MED inKirklands Hospital, starts at12.45 and will include lunchand a prize draw.For more information or toregister for the event, contactHeather McDonald on 01355 593468 or email heather.mcdonald@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.ukeSTAFF are asked to notethat car washing companiesare no longer allowed to operateon NHS Lanarkshire sites.This follows the introductionof new regulations controllingcommercial car washingactivities in Scotland.The Water Environment(Controlled Activities) (Scotland)Regulations 2011, enactedearlier this year, together withassociated SEPA Guidelines,state that NHS Lanarkshirehas responsibility for ensuringall activities on their site havethe necessary permissions andcontrols to prevent pollution.The Risk Management Grouphave agreed that since conditionsand regulations are unlikely tobe met because of cost pressures,all unauthorised commercial carwashing operations must ceaseimmediately.For more information,contact John Kellighan on01698 377665.UNISON’S Scotlande Nursing Conference takesplace on Friday 30 Septemberin Glasgow.This one-day event is opento all UNISON members acrossthe whole nursing familyincluding nurses, midwives,health visitors and healthcareassistants.It will consider the keyissues currently affectingmembers and offer anopportunity to debate thefuture of nursing in Scotland.Conference speakersinclude Cabinet Secretary forHealth and Wellbeing NicolaSturgeon, chief nurse forScotland Ros Moore, headof nursing for UNISON GailAdams, UNISON head ofpensions Glyn Jenkins and chairof the nursing sector and NECMember Gordon McKay.If you are interested inattending contact the Motherwellbranch UNISON office on 01698337480 or email lilian.macer@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011GENERAL NEWSthePulse 7Free oral healthpacks given outFREE oral health packs, includingtoothbrushes, toothpaste andmouthwash were handed out by NHSLanarkshire’s Oral Health Team atthe International Children’s Games inRavenscraig.Lorna Murray, oral health educator,said: “NHS Lanarkshire sponsored theGames so we wanted to support theevent and also promote oral health tothe athletes and supporters from all thecountries taking part.“Oral health is an important part ofhealth and wellbeing.”qFor more information on oralhealth, visit the website at www.nhslanarkshire.org.uk/HealthyLiving/OralNURSERY pupils in Lanarkshirecan now learn to brush theirteeth by singing along to a songproduced by NHS Lanarkshire’soral health team.Feedback from local nurseriessuggested a song would be thebest way for children to learnabout looking after their teeth.The oral health educators dulybrushed up on their song-writingskills to pen ‘Brush and Sing withLanarkshire’, to the music of‘Old MacDonald Had a Farm’.With professional singer DianeBarrie, from Holytown, offeringher services for free, and backingvocals from nursery children, thesong was recorded in August.Elaine Sharp, NHSLanarkshire’s senior oral healtheducator, said: “The song soundsgreat and we think the nurserychildren and staff will love usingthis to learn how to brush theirteeth.“It lasts for two minutes, thelength of time you should brushyour teeth, and the lyrics tellthe best techniques for kids toensure their teeth are clean.“In an evaluation carriedout we received really positivefeedback from the local nurseriesfor our visits and how beneficialthe staff and pupils find them.“A few of them suggested thatit would be great if there was asong they could use with thechildren to teach them the rightway to brush their teeth.“We thought ‘why not’ andsome of the girls in the teamdisplayed some hidden talents tocome up with the lyrics.”Elaine continued: “I can’tthank Diane enough for offeringup her services for free, shewas absolutely brilliant, and thechildren doing backing vocalswere very enthusiastic as well.“We’re delighted with theresults and hope the localnursery children will enjoybrushing their teeth whilelistening along to the song.”‘Brush and Sing withLanarkshire’ will be distributedto nurseries in Lanarkshire sothat they can sing along whiledoing their teeth.BRUSH ANDSINGALONGNursery kids are taught a new song to clean their teeth toSING WHEN YOU’RE GRINNING: Front,from left: Brooke Goldie, Callum and LewisAustin, Adam Murray, and, in the middlerow, Louisa and Erin Rotchford. Back, fromleft: oral health educators Danielle Goldiewith son Saul, Louise Dillan, Elaine Sharp,Maureen McCall and Lorna Murray

8 thePulse GENERAL NEWSSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011In brief…Improvingprocessesof equalityMANAGERS have a new toolto make it easier to ensure ourpolicies and service developmentscomply with equality law.The updated NHS Lanarkshirestandard Equality and DiversityImpact Assessment (EDIA) hasbeen developed to improve theprocess of considering the impactof proposed developments.It replaces the former full EDIAand rapid impact assessments.Hina Sheikh, equality anddiversity manager, said: “Theupdated EDIA is a practical wayof analysing the effects of anexisting or proposed policy orpractice on different groups.“It is also a systematic way toevidence and ensure we meet ourlegal obligations.“The EDIA allows NHSLanarkshire to embed equalityand diversity in all its strategies,policy development and servicedelivery, to ensure that theprinciples and values of theorganisation are inclusive.”From April 2011, the lawrequires that impact assessmentscover all aspects of equalityincluding age, disability, genderreassignment, marriage andcivil partnership, pregnancy andmaternity, race and ethnicity,religion and belief, sex/genderand sexual orientation.Hina said: “Managers areresponsible for incorporatingequality and diversity into theirpolicy, functions and servicedevelopments, and for assessingthe equalities impact.“This should be a continuousprocess, starting at the beginningof the project or review of serviceand continuing through toevaluation and monitoring.“The process should lead topositive changes for differentgroups of people who use oraccess our services, as wellour staff.“It ensures we think carefullyabout the likely impact ofour work on different groupsof people, and take action toimprove policy or practicewhere possible.“The EDIA is designed to be achallenging process, but it is notoverly complicated or about ‘gettingit right’. It’s about having equalityand inclusion embedded into alldecision making processes andtaking a common sense approach.”All documentation relatingto the EDIA is available on thepolicies page of FirstPort.Completed EDIAs should besent to Hina at hina.sheikh@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.ukShe can also be contacted forhelp or advice on 01698 377816.Girls now makehealthy choicesNew NHS programme teaches students about body imageAN NHS Lanarkshire-inspired,schools-based healthy weightprogramme is helping to giveyoung women the confidence andknowledge to maintain a healthybody weight.The Girls DevelopmentProgramme is an initiative whichaims to encourage students to notonly think about eating healthilyand being physically active butalso challenges some of thepreconceived notions about whatthey view as a healthy body weight.The eight-week programme istargeted at girls aged 12 to15 –an age group regarded as hard toreach when it comes to changinghealth and lifestyle behaviours.It attempts to do this througha combination of alternativeNEW governance arrangementshave been introduced to enhance theprotection of children and adults inLanarkshireThe new NHS Lanarkshire Child andAdult Protection Group brings togetherthe former Child Protection ProgrammeBoard and the Adult ProtectionProgramme Board.The group’s remit includesoverseeing the development of bestpractice, policies and procedures.physical activities and interactiveworkshops that allow the girls toget a more accurate perception ofbody image.Each programme begins bymeasuring each girl’s Body MassIndex (BMI). On average it foundthat around 23 per cent of the girlswere above a healthy weight rangewith five per cent below a healthyweight range.However, by the programme’sconclusion 74 per cent of thosewho were initially above a healthyweight, had maintained ordecreased their weight. Of thosebelow a healthy weight, 76 percent had either maintained orincreased their weight.Jonathan Cavana, Child HealthyWeight Programme managerIt will also undertake evaluations ofservices and oversee NHS Lanarkshire’scontributions to multi-agencyprotection arrangements.The group, which met for the first timein June 2011, is chaired by Paul Wilson,executive director of nursing, midwiferyand allied health professionals.Juliet Norman, nurse consultant, childprotection and vulnerable children, said:“By bringing together both child andadult protection in one group we havefor NHS Lanarkshire, said: “Thepurpose of the Girls DevelopmentProgramme is to actively engagewith young teenage girls and givethem the motivation, skills andknowledge to make decisions aboutfood, physical activity and lifestyles.“It is about empowering themto make their own healthy choices,rather than telling them what theyshould do.“Discussing issues such asweight, diet and body image withteenage girls can be seen as asensitive issue.“However, the results of thisprogramme are extremely positiveas it has supported both girls whoare above a healthy weight andthose who are below a healthyweight to move towards a healthythe opportunity to learn from each other.“Child protection arrangements havebeen in place for many years and thereis a lot of experience that can be sharedwith adult protection agenda.“At the same time, Adult Supportand Protection colleagues bring a freshset of eyes to inform child protectionpractice.”Jim Grierson, adult protectionco-ordinator, said: “There are realopportunities for joint learning.RIGHT CHOICE: (Left to right) Lauren McKechnie,South Lanarkshire Leisure & Cultire developmentofficer, Eilidh Mitchell and Kayleigh Cowleyweight range by making positivelifestyle choices.”Hamilton Grammar pupilsEilidh Mitchell, 14, and KayleighCowley, 14, both praised theprogramme.Kayleigh said: “The discussionsabout body image explained tous that many of the models andimages you see in magazines aredoctored or airbrushed.“It not only makes you realisethat everyone has flaws, it alsomakes you feel more confident.”Eilidh added: “I initiallydidn’twant to do the programmebut once I got involved I reallyenjoyed it.“The lessons were reallyinteresting and the activitywas fun.”New group helping protect adults and children“You also find that where there is anadult in need of support there is oftenalso a child in need of protection andthe same is true the other way round.”qFor more information about NHSLanarkshire’s child protectionand adult support and protectionarrangements visit each of the service’ssites on FirstPort or contact the ChildProtection Team on 01698 452861 orJim Grierson on 01698 361100 ext 7006.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011GENERAL NEWSthePulse 9OUR QUIET MAN ISONE IN A MILLIONClinical support worker ishailed by his colleaguesfor work that he doesEXCEPTIONAL care andcompassionate practice by NHSLanarkshire staff deserves to berecognised.In this edition of The Pulsethe work of Gerrard McCulloch,clinical support worker at theHarry Walker Integrated DayService in Airdrie, has beenhighlighted by charge nurseMaureen Youngson.The service provides combinedhealth and social care servicesfor older people with physicaland/or mental health needs inone location and is run jointlyby NHS Lanarkshire and NorthLanarkshire Council.Services provided includeassessment and treatments,including anxiety managementand support sessions for a varietyof conditions and illnesses, such asdepression.Maureen said: “Although he hasonly worked for the service sinceSeptember 2010, Gerrard is someonewho inspires others and has made agenuine impact on the service andthe needs of the service users. He isa quiet, gentle person whose care istotally person-centred.“Since he is the only male in ourteam it gives our male service userssomeone to identify with and hehas set up a men’s group and givesthem the opportunity to talk aboutsubjects that they choose.“He uses appropriate humourand is an excellent listener. Heis calming and always considersthe needs of the people he sees,and involves them in any decisionmaking. He offers them choice andrespects their right to change theirmind.“He has quickly become a keymember of the integrated teamand I often joke about setting up aGerrard fan club.”Typically, Gerrard is keen toemphasise the good team workrather than his own role in theIntegrated Service.He said: “Everyone works as ateam and openness is encouraged.I don’t feel that I am a silentpartner within the team becauseeveryone’s input is acknowledgedand welcomed. I am listened toand guided. The best thing aboutFRIENDLY FACE: Gerrard McCullochhas made a big impressionworking here is the variation anddiversity.“This is different from what I wasused to and the service users can bechallenging to amenable but I try totreat everyone individually.”Gerrard gave an example ofsome of the work he does at theHarry Walker centre.He said: “We had one serviceuser who didn’t engage with therest of the team and had belittledany help and care we had tried togive them.“Through persistence I was ableto develop a relationship with theuser and now we’re able to give theappropriate support that has madea difference to their life.”Clinical supervision is keyto the work of both Maureenand Gerrard.This is planned, ring-fencedtime which allows Gerrardand his line manager to developtogether and recognise the caringand compassionate practicethat is in place within the HarryWalker Integrated Service.Compassion went a long way . . .RECEIVING praise from patientsand families for compassionate carenot only boosts staff morale, it alsohelps us to highlight what we aredoing well.Below are extracts from a letterof appreciation sent by a familywhose mother had been cared for byvarious parts of NHS Lanarkshire’shealthcare system and who diedwhile in the care of the Lockhart unitat Stonehouse Hospital.Although the family has givenpermission for these extracts to bepublished, we have changed thenames to protect their privacy.“A very difficult time was made somuch easier for us by the exceptionalcare and compassion shown by theunit staff. This includes everyonefrom medical, domestic, admin butparticularly the nursing staff.“We were kept fully informed,the staff went through the careplan with us so we always felt fullyinformed.“We felt that there was continuityto the care given and the staffalways told us when they werechanging shifts, for instance if anurse would be going onto thenightshift for a week or so.“We couldn’t have wished betterfor mum and we were so pleasedwith the way she was treated. Wetrusted the staff and knew that theywould support us.“Mum was given attention andspoken too even when she appearednot to be able to take it all in.“Every one of the nurses wasso kind and always made time fora kind word and to make sure we,as well as mum, were kept wellinformed and well looked after.“The staff anticipated our needsand questions and offered ussupport from other sources such aschaplaincy.“We were left in no doubt aboutwhat to do, such as when to pickup the death certificate over a bankholiday weekend.“Not once did the level of nursingcare slip, no matter how pushed thestaff were.“We felt the sister and the nursingteam treated mum as they wouldwish to be treated themselves.“The staff accommodated mum’swishes at all times, such as finding aParker Knoll chair for her to sit up in.They asked us continually what theycould do to help us and mum.“There was a lovely relatives’room where we could sit when weneeded time alone and we wereregularly offered tea and coffee.“We truly felt cared for.”

10 thePulse XXXXXXXXXXXXFEATURE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011XXXXXXXXXXX FEATUREthePulse 11CAN YOU BECOME GREENER?REDUCING energy consumption and improvingour recycling record should be a key aim for us all.Not only does it help reduce waste and carbonemissions – it also saves money, ensuring we cancontinue to offer the best level of healthcare tothe Lanarkshire community.Here, The Pulse looks at the steps NHSLanarkshire is taking to improve its wastemanagement processes, increase recycling andreduce carbon emissions.We also look at how we can all play our part inachieving these goals.We have governmentguidelines to meetALL Scottish Health Boards haveto reduce their energy consumptionby one per cent and carbon dioxideemissions by three per cent eachyear to meet Scottish GovernmentHEAT targets.By reducing its demand for fossilfuels and increasing the use ofrenewable energy, NHS Lanarkshire isworking towards these targets.Marie Porteous, NHS Lanarkshire’shead of sustainability andenvironment, said: “Over the lastfew years the Board has made goodprogress towards meeting thesetargets by carrying out a number ofenergy efficiency improvements in ourbuildings.“We have seen less reliance on oilfor heating by replacing oil fired boilerswith more efficient boilers which havelower emissions.“There have also been a numberof other measures includingimprovements to glazing and insulationin our cottage hospitals and healthcentres, which has reduced our gasconsumption.”Energy and water cost, andHow NHS Lanarkshire is doing year on year:consumption data is recordedat least monthly for all NHSLanarkshire sites.This allows any areas which arenot performing within acceptablelevels to be identified so that actionscan be taken to bring consumptionback into line.Marie said: “In some sites we areseeing an increase in consumption,especially electricity consumption.“As we use more technology andincrease the amount of equipmentin use electricity consumption willcontinue to increase.“We are, however, always lookingfor ways to improve our energyperformance and have recentlyinstalled voltage optimisationequipment in Hairmyres andMonklands hospitals.“In addition, late last year theinformation management andtechnology department (IM&T)installed software to remotelymanage PCs so that a screensaveractivates automatically after aperiod of inactivity, helping tosave energy.”FUEL 2009/10 2010/11Electricity (kw/h) 34,580,761 34,331,109Gas (kw/h) 94,271,953 92,506,125Water (litres) 480,880 465,901Returningunused itemsNHS Lanarkshire is to embark ona campaign to encourage people toreturn any unused health or disabilityequipment including wheelchairs,zimmer frames and crutches.This campaign will not only savemoney. It will also save the needlessmanufacturing of replacementequipment to replenish stock.Head of management servicesGraham Johnston said: “It is estimatedthat £170,000 worth of equipmentremains unreturned by patients – eventhough they no longerneed it. This puts a strain onhospital resources.“As well as the financial cost, thedumping of unused equipment and thecreation of new equipment, has a highenvironmental cost and a detrimentalaffect on the carbon footprint of theorganisation.”Any item of equipment which is nolonger required by patients should bereturned to where it was issued from.The returned equipment will booststocks and help ensurethat future patientsget the right piece ofequipment.It will also meanthat NHS Lanarkshiredoes not spendresources onreplacing items thatare otherwise sittingaround in garages,sheds and attics.Associate directorof allied health professionalsPeter McCrossan said: “It is importantthat equipment that isn’t currentlyused is returned, so that broken, old ordamaged equipment can be taken outof use.“Given the current economic climateand the tough choices ahead for publicservices, I strongly encourage peopleto help us and their community byreturning any unused equipment.”BRIGHT SPARKS: MaureenMcGinn and Libby Costello, fromthe technical services department,who are part of the property andsupport services team involved inensuring the health boardcontinues to improve its energyefficiency and recycling recordNHS Lanarkshirecurrentlyrecycles:q 20 tonnes of plastic sheeting everyyear from the laundry – reducing wasteand saving money.q 15 tonnes of plastic from the renalunit at Monklands Hospital.q Toner cartridges - many sites arecurrently recycling these and the fundssaved have been used to support theRoy Castle Lung Foundation Charityand Children’s Hospice AssociationScotland.q Batteries - there are battery recyclingpoints in many sites which helps uscomply with recent legislation as wellas significantly reducing hazardouswaste to landfill. These battery recyclingpoints will be rolled out acrossall sites shortly.Contract will boost recyclingA NEW waste contract between NHSLanarkshire and disposal specialistsViridor will boost recycling rates andhelp save £60,000 a year on wastedisposal costs.The partnership will manage generalrecyclable, battery, e-waste and specialwaste using Scotland’s most advancedmaterials recycling facility to drive thehealth board’s recycling rates towards75 per cent.Marie Porteous, NHS Lanarkshire’shead of sustainability and environment,said: “We are delighted to have agreedthis deal with Viridor, which will bringsignificant improvements to our wastemanagement and recycling processes.“Not only will these processes bemore energy efficient and reduce ourcarbon footprint, but they will achievesignificant financial savings to theorganisation.“The contract aims to reduce theamount of waste disposed of acrossLanarkshire, while increasing thequantity of waste recycled.“It will also reduce the overall carbonfootprint of the process by looking atvehicle routes, bin sizes and uplifts.”Viridor is Scotland’s leading recycling,renewable energy and sustainableThe Waste HierarchyWE should all be looking to reducethe amount of waste we dispose butrecycling is not necessarily the best wecan do.The Waste Hierarchy shows the mainways of disposing of waste in a slidingscale, from the most environmentallyfriendly option to the least:q Prevention – most beneficial to theenvironment as it focuses on reducingwaste being produced in the first placeq Reuse – includes finding another usefor something such as using old foodcontainers as lunch boxesq Recycle – taking materials from oldproducts to make something new,q Disposal – the worst option for mosttypes of waste as this often involvessending waste to landfill.We should therefore be aiming toincrease our “Prevention” and “Reuse”of waste.Prevention – Reduce:As a starting point in reducing waste itis best to reduce demand for new itemsin the first place which will ultimatelyreduce the amount of waste.The best way of doing this is towaste partner and partners 96 per centof Scottish local authorities and leadingbusinesses such as RBS, Scottish Powerand Coca Cola Enterprises.Chris Sloey, Viridor’s NHSLanarkshire account manager, said:“Viridor is delighted to use the verylatest technologies to help NHSuse less – we should all think aboutwhether we need the item in the firstplace before buying it.At work we can share items of officeequipment such as staplers, holepunches etc.Also think about how you buy things– buying things that last longer anditems that can be used again instead ofdisposable items.Re-UseAt work we should be thinking aboutthings that we can reuse again, forexample use internal envelopes forinternal mail, instead of new stationery.Lanarkshire boost recycling towards anambitious 75 per cent, diverting morewaste from landfill.“Not only is this greenprocurement in action, it representsreal and substantial cost savings to thehealth board – money whichcan be re-invested in frontlineAdvertise work-related itemsthat you no longer have any use forthrough the Staff Briefing, via Alison.McCutcheon@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.ukas other departments may have a usefor them.At home lots of everyday items canbe reused, such as mobile phones,computers, printer cartridges, clothes,books and CDs.Although you have finished withsomething, someone else might be ableto use it.National charity organisations, localcharity shops, internet auction sites andfree exchange schemes may be able toreuse your unwanted items.You can also use the Social Itemssection on FirstPort, under Staff Info,which allows staff to informcolleagues of events, clubs or itemsfor sale: http://firstport/sites/socialitems/default.aspxqFor more details on recycling anduses for recycled materials visit theZero Waste Scotland website at: www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/content/benefits-and-opportunities-recycled-glassTIP TOP: From left: David Birrell,production manager at Viridor; MariePorteous, NHS Lanarkshire’s head ofsustainability and environment, andChris Sloey, Viridor’s NHS Lanarkshireaccount manager.staff and patient care.“Driving environmental benefitsand value from enhanced recycling iswhat we do – for corporates, councils,communities and many public bodies.“We’re delighted to be working withNHS Lanarkshire on their journeytowards sustainability, and lookforward to continued success movingforward.”Viridor will utilise a mix of advancedrecycling technologies located at itsBargeddie hub to process NHSLanarkshire’s waste.This facility at Bargeddie, whichforms part of plans to invest some£800m in Scottish ‘next generation’sustainable waste infrastructure,was opened by ScottishEnvironment Secretary, RichardLochhead MSP in 2009.Current investment of an additional£2.5m will enhance capabilities further.Easy ways to useyour car less andreduce yourcarbon emissionsq Join NHS Lanarkshire’s Cycle toWork Scheme and get a bike andcycling equipment up to the value of£1000 – www.cyclescheme.co.uk andclick on the employees tabq Car Share – register with Liftshareto find a NHS Lanarkshire colleaguewho makes a similar journey to youand arrange to share journeys asoften, or as little as you wish.To register and find out more aboutthe NHS Lanarkshire Liftsharefollow this link: www.westscotnhscarshare.comq Use public transport – travellingby bus or train is not only better forthe environment, it has better healthbenefits, allows you to read a book ornewspaper and is less stressful.qSee the Travel Plan section onFirstPort for more informationon all of the above and other ways topromote and encourage sustainabletravel: http://firstport/sites/travelplan/default.aspx

12 thePulse LOCAL/DISTRICT/PARTNERSHIPSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011Supportingcafe cultureMotherwell FC has helped launch a dementia support serviceA NEW cafe aimed at those withmemory problems has opened atMotherwell Football Club.The Living Well With Dementiacafe is aimed at those with dementiaas well as those with memoryconcerns, and provides an informaland relaxed environment wherethey can ask questions and getinformation and advice from healthprofessionals about any memoryissues they may have.The cafe is a pilot initiative whichwill run for the next year in theclub’s Centenary Suite on the firstFriday of every month.Among those who will be presentenjoying the tea, coffee and biscuits,will be specialist doctors, memoryservice nurses, an advocacyworker, a welfare benefits officer,an occupational therapist as wellas representatives from AlzheimerScotland, Carers Together and NorthLanarkshire Council’s Housing andSocial Work department.One of the cafe organisers, NHSLanarkshire community nurse HazelBoyle, said: “We want to reducethe stigma of a dementia diagnosisand give those with dementia – andother memory problems – theirfamilies and informal carers, a placewhere they can gather, share theirexperiences and get some practicalsupport in a friendly setting.KICK OFF: MFC legend Stevie Kirkwas joined by current starletStuart Carswell to help promotethe new living well with dementiacafe set to open in Fir Park“Visitors will be able to pop intothe cafe at their leisure and speakinformally to a wide range ofprofessionals and discuss allaspects of memory problems andget signposted to relevant services,”added Hazel.The cafe is another example of thelong-standing partnership betweenNHS Lanarkshire and the club topromote positive mental health.Charlie Bennett, head of adultLearning and Motherwell FCin the Community, said “We’realways happy to work with NHSLanarkshire, and this initiative is ofparticular interest to me as my ownmother suffered from Alzheimer’s.“I’m well aware of its effect, notonly on the sufferer, but the familyas well.”The cafe is open on the firstq Friday on every month in the FirPark Centenary Suite from 1pm to 4pm.For more information, telephone01698 269649.Enjoy a coffee inaid of MacmillanLANARKSHIRE’s Macmillannurses are looking for donations tosupport their annual event for theWorld’s Biggest Coffee Morning.This is the third year thenurses have held their coffee andquiz evening to raise money forMacmillan Cancer Support.Last year they raised aphenomenal £2590 and they arelooking to match or even exceedthis amount at this year’s event.Jan Smith, Macmillan nurseco-ordinator, based at UdstonHospital, said: “It is a reallyworthwhile event for us becausewe can directly see the benefitsthat Macmillan provides for thoseliving with cancer.“Often people just hear aboutwhat Macmillan do, whereaswe can directly see the benefitspatients get, for example grantsgiven by Macmillan.“This event is our way ofcontributing and givingsomething back.”The fundraising event will beheld in Hamilton Rugby Club onSaturday 8 October.In addition to the quiz, thenurses also organise a disco anda couple of raffles on the eveningand they would very muchappreciate any donations fortheir luxury raffle.If anyone would like to donateq a prize, please contact Janon 01698 723282. Anyone whowould like to organise their owncoffee morning should register fora free fundraising pack at www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee or call0845 602 1246.Help for sufferers of lymphoedemaIMPROVED SERVICES:Claire Stewart, Susan Dalyand Heather CooperCANCER survivors who suffer fromlymphoedema will benefit fromimproved services in Lanarkshire.Lymphoedema is a long-term swellingcaused by a build up of excess fluid.Heather Cooper, lymphoedemanurse specialist at the BrentnallPlace Lymphoedema Clinic, partof the Dalziel Centre day hospicein Motherwell, provides a range oftreatments and services.However, additional treatmentsand services are now available afterstaff nurses Susan Daly, from theDalziel Centre, and Claire Stewart,from St Andrew’s Hospice, completeda graduate certificate in lymphoedemamanagement.Heather said: “I’ve been here since2007 to provide treatment, advice andsupport to people with lymphoedemabut the number of people with thecondition has continued to increase.“It’s wonderful that Susan and Clairehave now completed this course.“We can now see more patients andexpand the range of treatments.“For example, we can now providemanual lymphatic draining (MLD)which we’ve not offered before as itwas too time consuming.“It takes about an hour and drainsthe fluid. It forms part of the overalltreatment and can help ease any pain.”Lymphoedema can have a realimpact on breast cancer patients’quality of life and can occur anywhereon the same side as surgery orradiotherapy and at any point after atheir treatment.Susan said: “We can provide adviceto patients, help to reduce the riskof lymphoedema occurring, assessany cases of the condition and helppatients manage it.”Claire added: “We can also educatepeople and other health professionalson lymphoedema as it’s a conditionthat is not well known, which can helpto reduce the risk of the swellings.”As breast cancer survival ratesimprove, increasing numbers ofwomen in Scotland go on to developlymphoedema.It is estimated that one in fivewomen who have breast surgery willdevelop lymphoedema in the arm.Carol Murphy, team leader atthe Dalziel Centre-Bretnall PlaceLymphoedema Clinic, said: “I’mdelighted the two girls successfullycompleted their course.“It’s been hard work for them,working here, looking after theirfamilies and doing the course butthanks to their efforts we can nowoffer an improved service to the peopleof Lanarkshire.”If you have lymphoedema causedby cancer you can self refer to theBrentnall Place Clinic, which is onthe grounds of the formerStrathclyde Hospital.qOther health professionals, GPsand Macmillan nurses can referpatients to the clinic, which is openMonday to Friday 9am to 5pm, and onTuesdays from 3pm to 6pm. For moredetails call 01698 258798.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011LOCAL/DISTRICT/PARTNERSHIPthePulse 13Childrenpresenta pictureof healthA MARVELLOUS mosaic designedby local school children and serviceusers for the Kylepark Assessmentand Treatment Unit in Bothwell hasbeen unveiled.The artwork now sits proudly inthe foyer of the new facility atKirklands Hospital.Occupational therapist (OT)assistant practitioners JacquelineEvans and Kath Lees facilitate theOT Enabling Arts Group, whichproduced the mosaic.Jacqueline said: “We decidedto organise an art competition forBothwell Primary and St Bride’sPrimary schools to produce a designfor a mosaic based on a specific briefrelating to health and wellbeing.“The actual mosaic artworkwas then to be produced byservice users of the occupationaltherapy service as part of theirtreatment programme.“We unveiled the mosaic duringLearning Disabilities Week, from 20to 26 June and it is a fantastic piece ofart which brightens up the foyer.“The pupils and the service usersshould be very proud of their work,which will be on display here formany years to come.”St Bride’s pupils Patrick Rooneyand Liam Callahan, and BothwellPrimary pupils Katie Hull and LoisWintrip were delighted to see thefinished mosaic.Liam said: “I was surprised when Ifound out my design had been chosenas one of the winners which would beused for the mosaic.“It’s really cool to see how theyused our designs and to see them upon the wall.”Katie said: “It’s brilliant as ourdesigns will now be on display herefor everyone to see and will be herefor years.”Sabrina Hunter, from Larkhall, andGerry McGuinness, from Hamilton,were two of the service users whotook the designs and turned them intothe stunning mosaic.Sabrina said: “I enjoy art but thiswas something a bit different and itwas good to learn new skills.“It’s great to see our work displayedhere and it will make me happy tolook at it whenever I’m here.”Jacqueline added: “I’d like to thankScott Morrice, the senior arts officerat South Lanarkshire Leisure andCulture Trust for kindly allowing us touse the fantastic facility at the TownHouse for the eight week period weneeded to produce the mosaic.”Prison health planachieves BronzeTHERE was success for thehealth promotion team at ShottsPrison after they achieved theHealthy Working Lives Award atBronze level.The team achieved this awardby promoting general health andhealth and safety to all the staffwho work at the prison.Stephanie Campbell, healthpromotion officer (oral health),said: “Our work involved planningand delivering events on topicssuch as healthy eating, physicalactivity and oral health.AWARD: The health promotionteam with staff from Shotts Prison“A small working group –which involved myself, addictionsnurse Liz Holmes and healthand safety co-ordinator JohnWardrope – also gatheredevidence for the Bronzeportfolio including items suchas a smoking policy and absencemanagement documentation.“The group are now workingtowards the Silver award whichhas a big focus on mental health,which is important for prisonstaff considering the stresses ofthe job.”LAUNDRY AWARDSayRoSPA gives award inrecognition of healthand safety record andemployees’ hard workTHE West of Scotland Laundry(WoSL) has received a Goldaward in the prestigious RoSPAOccupational Health and SafetyAwards 2011.Speaking of the award, RobertO’Hara, head of linen services,said: “We are absolutely delightedthat our commitment to healthand safety has been recognisedby RoSPA“The management and staff haveworked tirelessly to enhance healthand-safetyprocedures and trainingthroughout the laundry.“We always set high standards forourselves and we are committed toprotecting the health and wellbeingof our employees.“The support from the widerproperty and support servicesdivision and Salus occupationalhealth and safety has been crucial inthis success.”The WoSL, which is part ofNHS Lanarkshire’s property andsupport services division (PSSD),processes over 220,000 items aweek including sheets, pillowcasesand barrier gowns for all hospitalsand care centres within NHSLanarkshire, NHS Dumfries andGalloway, NHS Ayrshire and Arranand the State Hospital.RoSPA’s awards manager DavidRawlins said: “RoSPA believesorganisations that demonstratetheir commitment to continuousimprovement in accident andill health prevention deserverecognition.“NHS Lanarkshire – property andsupport services division – West ofScotland Laundry has shown thatit is committed to striving for suchcontinuous improvement and weare delighted to honour it throughthe presentation of an award.”The Royal Society for thePrevention of Accidents launchedits awards programme 55 years ago.The scheme looks not onlyat accident records, but alsoentrants’ overarching healthand-safetymanagement systems,including important practicessuch as strong leadership andworkforce involvement.David Browning, PSSD’s generalmanager, said: ‘Winning the RoSPAgold award at the first attempt is agreat achievement.“It is the first RoSPA gold awardNHS Lanarkshire has won andhighlights our commitment tohealth and safety.”goodbye to‘hospital corners’A NEW bedding system with fittedbed sheets, designed to enhancepatient care and comfort, is beingrolled out across NHS Lanarkshirestarting at Wishaw General.Following a successfulintroduction at a number ofcommunity hospitals the new‘Sleep-knit’ linen will also beintroduced to the entire consortiumincluding NHS Ayrshire and Arran,NHS Dumfries and Galloway andthe State HospitalGone are the carefully folded‘hospital corners’. ‘Sleep-Knit’ linencomprises of soft-fitted sheets,uniquely designed to reducepressure on feet and ankles, andlightweight thermal blankets.Robert O’Hara, head of linenservices, said: “The introduction ofthis modern and practical beddingsystem has benefits for everyone.“It offers improved patientcomfort, quicker and less frequentbed changing, improvements tomanual handling procedures andreductions in linen usage which willmean reduced costs.”The new linen also hasadvantages for nursing and laundrystaff. Bed making is quicker andmoving patients is easier. Alsothe linen does not need ironing orfolding like traditional hospital linen.Robert added: “Full supportwill be provided to nursing andlinen room staff throughout theroll-out ensuring the least possibledisruption at ward level.”

14 thePulse LOCAL/DISTRICT/PARTNERSHIPSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011QUITTING: Emma, left,and Sharon, right, withmembers of the groupAre youaware?Environmental awareness andmore expensive energy haveconcentrated everyone’s minds onthe importance of recycling andreducing waste.The Pulse asked HumanResources staff based in Law Housewhat steps they took to reduce theircarbon footprint in the workplaceand in the home.KICKING THE HABITStop smoking group helps people with mental health issuesA STOP smoking group whichoffers additional support to peoplewith mental health issues has beenvoted a success by its members.The Community MentalHealth Stop Smoking Group isrun by mental health nurses atMonklands Hospital.Emma Newall, mental healthnurse, said: “People with mentalhealth issues who smoke canoften be heavy smokers and needadditional support.“They may also be on medication,which can become more effectivewhen they stop smoking.“Our groups are small andare run by staff who work in theacute admissions mental healthward who specialise in smokingcessation. It means we can offerpeople the additional, specialisedsupport they need and monitortheir medication.“We can also offer alternativetherapies including relaxation andauricular acupuncture.”Sharon Rankine, charge nurse,mental health, said: “It is a relaxedenvironment. The clients comein, have tea and coffee, and havean informal chat with the othermembers and with ourselves.“We then offer advice andcan provide various nicotinereplacement therapies.“At the end of the class we thenhave a relaxation session.”The feedback received frommembers is also very positive.Jim has been attending thegroup for seven weeks.He said: “It has been really goodfor me. I’d been smoking since Iwas a young man and was up to 40a day. Since coming to this groupI’ve managed to quit. Not only am Isaving a fortune I feel a lot better.”Pauline said: “I’m bi-polar andget stressed quite easily. I’m 44 buthave been smoking since I was 13.“The nurses have been a greatsupport and the fact that youare with other people who havemental health issues means theyunderstand what you are goingthrough.”Anne said: “The nursesunderstand your situation and cangive you the help you need.”Joan had smoked 40 cigarettesa day before attending the group.She said: “I know the nursesand they know me which is agreat support.“It’s a small group and becauseit’s for people with mental healthissues, if you need to walk outhalf way through it everyoneunderstands.”The Community Mental HealthStop Smoking Group is held everyTuesday, from 6pm to 7pm in theMental Health Unit at MonklandsHospital.qAnyone interested in finding outmore about the group, or to refera patient, can call Emma or Sharon on01236 712383.Susan Mackin said: “I’m always onefor putting the lights out.“I’m also more aware of the needto only use heaters when they’rerequired as you sometimes findthem on when it’s not that cold.“As a department I think we’re allvery good at recycling.“All of us now also make sureeverything that we have to print isdouble sided.”Jane Robinson said: “I feel verystrongly about recycling.“I always like to use up oldenvelopes and in general we’realways trying to reduce the amountof paper we use.“We’ve become a very paperlight department as most of thedocuments we send are electronic.“I don’t see why everyone can’trecycle these days.”FIREFIGHTERS dousing smoke isnothing new. However, a CommunityFire Station in North Lanarkshire willhost a group which aims to preventsmoke altogether.Coatbridge Community FireStation has agreed to work with NHSLanarkshire smoking cessation staff tohelp locals who want to quit smokingby housing a cessation group withinthe station.It will run for eight weeks and willoffer wannabe quitters professionalhelp and advice, peer support, and freenicotine replacement therapy.The group’s location will also act as areminder that many house fires startas a result of smoking some of whichcan result in tragic consequences,including death.While there are a range ofsmoking cessation groups takingplace across Lanarkshire, this is thefirst time one has been held in aCommunity Fire Station.Sheila MacFadyen, NHS Lanarkshirestop smoking specialist nurse,said: “We’re delighted CoatbridgeCommunity Fire Station has agreed tosupport this group in this way.“It’s been shown that quitters whogo to groups are four times more likelyto succeed as those who try to stopsmoking on their own.“Past participants have said it’sbecause they find the group acts as agreat support network as everyoneencourages each other to stay offcigarettes.“For some it can be stress, for othersit’s social, while it might be a routinesomeone’s got into over the years.“Whatever the trigger point, thegroup discussions help people thinkdifferently about how they will reactthe next time they ‘automatically’go to ‘light up’.Station Commander StuartMcQueen, from Coatbridge CommunityFire Station, said: “We were more thanhappy to provide a meeting space forthe group and it demonstrates ourcommitment to working with variousgroups within our local communityto achieve joint objectives and alsoencourage a healthier lifestyle.“Anything which reduces smokingwill without doubt reduce fires, whichis in everyone’s benefit.”qFor more information on smokingcessation visit: http://www.nhslanarkshire.org.uk/Services/StopSmoking/Pages/default.aspxGillian Shevlin from Workforce/Modernisation said: “If the truthbe told, I’m probably not the mostenvironmentally friendly but I amgetting better.“I’m much better at doingsome of the small things such asswitching off my computer at theend of the day. I’m also gettingbetter at recycling glass, paper andplastic bottles.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011SAFETY FIRST: Senga Cree, back right,with NHS Lanarkshire chairman KenCorsar and the speakers at the NoNeedless Falls eventMedia WatchTOP HEALTH ISSUESthePulse 15Can’t thank hospitalenough for saving sonHELPING STOPNEEDLESS FALLSHairmyres event helps folk keep their feet on the groundAS part of Falls Awareness Week,NHS Lanarkshire Falls SteeringGroup hosted a ‘No Needless Falls’event in the lecture theatre atHairmyres Hospital.The Falls Steering Group is apartnership of NHS Lanarkshirestaff (acute and primary care), localauthority and care home staff.Senga Cree, professional leadand head of physiotherapy services,said: “The aim of the falls event wasto improve safety by developinga proactive approach to fallsprevention in older people.“Every year, around one in threeover-65s living in the communityTHE Lanarkshire Eye-health NetworkScheme (LENS) is a new service fromNHS Lanarkshire.LENS is a network of optometristpractices throughout Lanarkshire whichcan offer emergency eye appointmentsfor any concerns you may have with thehealth of your eyes or eye injuries.Dr Rod Savides, consultantophthalmologist, said “Optometrists arethe community eye experts. They havethe professional training and necessaryequipment to diagnose most eyeproblems.“The aim of LENS is to improvecommunity eyecare and to preventneedless visits to hospital for those whohave a health concern over their eye.”The optometrists who are part ofthe LENS can offer an appointmentand one in two people aged over 85will have a fall.“The consequences can bedevastating, both physically andemotionally.“Falls can cause an injury orfracture which could mean the lossof function, mobility, independenceand confidence.”The event was attended by arange of staff from various partnerorganisations and covered a numberof topics:q The falls context – where we arenow and where we need to beq Reducing inpatient fallsq Measuring the impact of fallsand assessment service for any eyecondition. Posters and leaflets have beendistributed to raise awareness.Following the introduction of LENS,an Ophthalmology Clinical DecisionUnit (CDU) was established in orderto provide a source of help and advicefor optometrists, GPs and accident andemergency staff.All calls to ophthalmology regardingeye casualty patients should be directedto the CDU in the first instance.The CDU operates Monday toFriday from 9am to 5pm on 01355585387. Patients are triaged using theinformation provided and arrangementsmade for the patient to attend theophthalmology department if necessary.Contact the on-call ophthalmologist atHairmyres Hospital on 01355 585000.q Improving safetyq Engaging older people to stayactive.The falls steering group hascreated a Falls Prevention section onFirstPort, accessible by all staff.The site is a resource to shareknowledge and information ofcurrent services across Lanarkshireand includes:q General Falls Informationq Community Falls Preventionq Hospital Falls Preventionq Care Homesq Osteoporosis Serviceq Lanarkshire Falls & Bone HealthCommunity.LENS is real eye-openerEXPERT: Dr Rod SavidesHub will puthealthy foodon the menuEvening TimesePatients have soup-er time atheart care day – Wishaw Press.An event for heart patients andtheir families, organised by NHSLanarkshire’s Coronary HeartDisease Network, to promote healthyliving also helped shape futureservices. The event was covered bythe Wishaw Press and STV localwebsites.eNew service has an eyeto the future – Airdrie andCoatbridge Advertiser.The new emergency eye service –the Lanarkshire Eye-health NetworkScheme (LENS) was launched. Thisservice is a network of optometristpractices which will offer emergencyeye appointments for any concernspeople have with the health oftheir eyes. The new service washighlighted in the Airdrie andCoatbridge Advertiser, EastKilbride News, Evening Timesand Wishaw Press.eClub host café fordementia – Evening Times.The Evening Times, MotherwellTimes/Bellshill Speaker, andHamilton Advertiser were among thenewspapers reporting on a new caféfor people suffering from dementiaSHARE YOUR STORIESHamilton AdvertiserTacklingtot TBLanark & Carluke Gazettewhich opened at MotherwellFootball Club.Patients will have access to arange of experts includingspecialist doctors, nurses andcarer groups, as well as peersupport from fellow sufferers in arelaxed environment.eMonty digs deep in memory ofmother – The Scotsman.The national and local media,including The Scotsman, TheHerald, The Daily Record and TheAirdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser,were at Monklands Hospitalto see Ryder Cup captain ColinMontgomerie bury some of his mosttreasured golfing memorabilia on thesite of a new cancer centre dedicatedto his late mum.eDay centre in line for £1.2mof work – Cumbernauld News.Services for older people inCumbernauld are set for a £1.2million upgrade with replacementof the Antonine Older People’sDay Centre in Seafar, reported theCumbernauld 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 858108 and help usshare the good news stories told about NHS Lanarkshire every day.

16 thePulse RETIREMENTS/APPOINTMENTSSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011In brief…LIZ IS LOOKINGePOETRY, music and giftsduring her retirementlunch ensured Sheila Dorrensreceived the send off shedeserved following 35 yearsservice with the NHS.The health improvementsenior officer, who was based atthe Red Deer Centre in EastKilbride, had worked inGlasgow and Lanarkshire for theNHS, in roles such as a nurse,midwife, health visitor and publichealth practitioner.Sheila said: “I received afantastic send off. My colleaguessang to me and read a poem onmy retirement, which thoroughlyembarrassed and delighted me.“They also gave me a beautifulgift and flowers.“I’m looking forward tospending more time with myfamily, gardening and travellingand I’ll also look to do somevoluntary work.“There’s a creative writingclass at Strathclyde Universitywhich I also want to do.“I’m sorry to be leaving andI’ll miss the department and myfriends here in Lanarkshire.”Lorraine Smith, manager ofthe out of hours service, and aformer colleague, said: “Sheilawill be very much missed withinEast Kilbride.”TO THE FUTUREOncology secretary hasmore time to spendwith children andgrandchildren nowLIZ Gillespie admitted to havingmixed feelings following herretirement after 11 years withthe oncology department atHairmyres Hospital.The oncology secretary, who isfrom The Murray, in East Kilbride,was presented with gifts and flowersduring her retirement celebrationin June.Liz said: “I’d like to thank everyonevery much for a great send off.“I’ll definitely miss them all –they’ve all been so lovely to me andI’ve got mixed feelings about retiring.“While I’m looking forward tohaving freedom and being ableto see all my family more often,I’m sad to be leaving everyone inoncology as I’ve really enjoyedworking with them.”Prior to working at Hairmyres, Lizhad worked with Motorola in EastKilbride and also British Energy.She has four children and ninegrandchildren and is lookingforward to helping to look after hergrandchildren and visiting her sons,who live in the north of Englandand in London. Margaret Kelly,cancer services manager, said: “Lizhas always worked very hard andis respected by all her colleagues.“She never loses her calmapproach to things, even whenshe’s under pressure, and alwaysworks well.“Liz worked in a behind-the-scenesrole, ensuring patients received theirchemotherapy on time, and thatWE’LL MISS YOU: Liz Gillespie,holding flowers, with hercolleagues at the oncology unitat Hairmyresvisits to the Beatson are properlyco-ordinated, to ensure theirtreatment journey runs smoothly.“We’ll all miss her and her calm,soothing manner.”eANN Crossley retired fromher position at StrathclydeHospital in April after more than25 years service.The information assistantbegan her NHS Lanarkshirecareer at Beckford Street,Hamilton, until her move toStrathclyde Hospital in 2006.Colleague Hazel Towers said:“Ann has been a joy and greatfun to work with and will betruly missed by all her workcolleagues.”Ann, who has lived in Clelandall her life, lives with herhusband Arthur.They have two children, a sonStuart, who lives in Motherwellwith wife Monica and daughterOrla, and daughter Jillian, wholives in London with husbandStuart and daughter Isla.As a doting grandmother, Annlooks after Orla one day a weekand will have more time now totravel to London to see herprecious granddaughter Isla.Alec has send-offALEC Logan retired from his post as so many years in nursing, and to beoccupational therapy (OT) assistant honest I didn’t think I’d like it but I’vepractitioner in June after 37 years in really enjoyed working here and withthe NHS.all the various medical disciplines.Having begun his career in“I’d like to thank all my colleagues,July 1974 at Bellefield Hospital, past and present for their friendshipLanark, Alec started his enrolled and support through the years.”nurse training in 1983, returning to Alec, who originates from Lanark,Bellefield 18 months later.lives with his partner Lorraine andIn 1991 he moved to Kirklands his two younger children, NatashaHospital, initially working inand Michael.Fallside Cottage.He has another two older childrenThroughout his time at Kirklands – Steven, who lives in London, andhe worked in a number of cottages Angela, who lives in Lanark.finishing his nursing career inSince joining the occupationalFairfield Cottage before moving to therapy department, Alec has joinedoccupational therapy in March 2009, the hill walking group and has walkedwhere he was based within the parts of the West Highland Way.learning disability service.Occupational therapy managerAlec, from Bellshill, said: “ISusan Cotterill said: “Alec moved fromthoroughly enjoyed my years working nursing into OT two years ago andas a nurse and more recently in fully embraced the new opportunity.occupational therapy.“He quickly became a valued“I was worried going into OT, after member of the team and excelledboth in the work place and duringsocial events with his OT colleagues.“He will be greatly missed bythe occupational therapists, themultidisciplinary team, his clients andespecially the two therapy dogs Nelland Sabby.“We wish him all the best.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011RETIREMENTS/APPOINTMENTSthePulse 17In brief…ALL SMILES: Myrawith husband IanFAREWELL: Fromleft, Tim Davison,NHS Lanarkshirechief executive,Margaret Nelson,and Ken CorsarNON-EXECUTIVE director Margaret Nelson retired from her positione following the June meeting of the Lanarkshire NHS Board. Margaret,who had a 30-year professional career in management with the civil service,the Post Office and British Telecom, was appointed to the board in 2003.During her time as a member of the board, Margaret chaired theClinical Governance Committee and was a member of the Acute OperatingManagement Committee and the South Lanarkshire Community HealthPartnership Operating Management Committee.Ken Corsar, NHS Lanarkshire chairman, said: “Margaret has been a diligentand conscientious board member.“She contributed significantly to the delivery of the board’s aims andobjectives, particularly in the area of clinical governance and quality, throughthe direction she provided as Chair of the Clinical Governance Committee.”FRIENDS ande colleagues paid tributeto Josephine Donaghy whoretired from her positionas Patient Focus andPublic Involvement (PFPI)facilitator in June after 27years service in the NHS.She began her careerwith NHS Lanarkshirein 1984 where she wasappointed as part-timeclerical officer at Hunter Health Centre, East Kilbride.On being promoted to the full-time position of higher clerical officer,Josephine was soon promoted again to administration manager andthereafter service operational manager covering East Kilbride.In 2006, Josephine became PFPI Facilitator for north and south Lanarkshirebased at Beckford Street before transferring to Strathclyde Hospital andlatterly Kirklands headquarters.Josephine lives in East Kilbride with her husband Sam and has two sons,Grant – who also works in NHS Lanarkshire - and Brian.She is planning to continue with her travels abroad and join a walkingclub.Stephen Kerr, head of planning and performance, said: “Josephine willbe missed by all her colleagues who have worked with her over the yearsand by the members of the Public Partnership Forums who valued her goodnatured ongoing support.“We wish her a happy and healthy retirement.”CLINICAL supporte worker Mary Lammierecently retired fromher position within theemergency room atWishaw General Hospital.Mary also previouslyworked at Law Hospital.Tracy Dodd, chargenurse, said: “Mary hasbeen an asset to thedepartment for many years.“She was a very hard working and conscientious nurse and was a valuedteam member providing a high standard of care.“Latterly, Mary worked as one of the flow co-ordinators in the emergencyroom, which is a very demanding roll, but one in which she gave greatcommitment and enthusiasm.“We all wish Mary the best in her retiral and for the future.”Mary, who is married to George, will continue her membership of CarlukeBowling Club and will enjoy caravanning and traveling abroad and spendingtime with her children and grandchildren.Myra tributeHigh praise after 41 years serving the NHSTHERE were mixed emotions asMyra Lockhart retired from herposition after 41 years of servicewith the NHS.Myra, who lives in Larkhall withhusband Ian, began her careerin August 1970 where she wasappointed as speech therapist atGlasgow’s Victoria Infirmary.She joined NHS Lanarkshire inMay 1987, where she worked at LawHospital before transferring to thespeech and therapy department at‘Gentleman’ John will be missedJOHN Robert Marshall will be sadlymissed by his colleagues at MotherwellHealth Centre’s health improvementteam following his retirement in Julyafter more than 30 years’ service.The higher clerical officer, whohad been based in Motherwell sinceJune 2007, started his career as anadministrator at Yorkhill Hospital Trustand dedicated his career to the NHS,mostly in Scotland.John was a key and committedmember of Motherwell’s HealthyWishaw General. Pauline McCartan,professional lead/head of servicespeech and language therapy, said:“We are absolutely delighted forMyra and sad for the service.“Myra is an exceptional speechand language therapist. She hasbeen a real driver for the adultservice and a huge support to me asmy deputy.“I know she has been passingon her knowledge and expertiseto many of the staff over theWorking Lives Steering Group and wasinstrumental in the team achieving theGold Award in September 2010.Susan Lyttle, senior health promotionofficer, said: “John has been a fantasticasset to the health improvement team.“He is always professional, helpfuland shows a caring attitude to hiscolleagues. He is always agentleman and is very polite whendealing with colleagues and the generalpublic alike.”Susan added: “All of the North Eastyears and that they will carry themantle forth.”Throughout her career, Myra hastaken on various roles such as speechand language therapy adult servicemanager, speech and languagetherapy consultant in voice, head andneck and, finally, as deputy head ofspeech and language therapy.She enjoys music and walkingand even after 41 years she isstill passionate about speech andlanguage therapy and voice.Unit health improvement team willmiss John very much, although I suspecthe might miss us too as he loves theattention of being the only man in anoffice with 10 women!”John, who is originally fromPeterborough, is married to Catherineand has three grown up children from aprevious marriage.He is passionate about cars and isthe proud owner of a new Mercedes.John plans to buy a greenhouse anddo lots of gardening.

18 thePulse COMPETITIONSSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011Welldone!q MARION Reid will be enjoying a freehead to toe pampering session – worth£100 – at Premier Beautyin Wishaw.The medical receptionist, in thematernity scans department at WishawGeneral, correctly answered thatPremier Beauty is located at 352 MainStreet Wishaw.NHS Lanarkshire staff can also getgreat discounts at Premier Beauty: 30per cent off hairdressing and 10 percent off beauty treatment on your firstvisit and thereafter 10 per cent off alltreatments – just show your NHS ID.q FIONA McGiff will be enjoying a topnotch meal for two at Zucca RistorantePizzeria in East Kilbride courtesy ofanother great Pulse competition.The clinical secretary with theIntegrated Addictions Service at theBuchanan Centre, correctly answeredthat the stunning ristorante, situatedat 33 Main Street, The Village, EastKilbride, opened its doors in November2009.NHS Lanarkshire staff can receive a10 per cent discount off their meal atZucca. Just show your staff ID.qALL the companies featured onthese pages offer discounts toNHS Lanarkshire staff.For the full range of benefits anddiscounts available to you, visit theStaff Benefits webpage at www.nhsstaffbenefits.co.ukA PAIR of SCUBA divingtaster sessions for two– wortha total of £100– are up forgrabs in a cracking competitionwith Deep Blue Scuba inEdinburgh.Normally costing £25a diver, the DiscoverScuba Experience is apool-based SCUBA (selfcontained under water breathingapparatus) course.The two prizes on offer willallow you and a friend to trydiving in a controlled, stress-freeenvironment.And all NHS Lanarkshire staffcan also benefit from a range ofdiscounts with Deep BlueScuba and their retailpartners, EdinburghDiving Centre.Deep Blue Scuba owner PaulMurray said: “We love introducingpeople to the underwaterenvironment and the DiscoverScuba session is a great way todip your toes in, quite literally.“After all, it’s how all of usstarted out at one point.“As a five-star, ProfessionalAssociation of Diving Instructors(PADI) certified diving centre, weoffer a full range of PADI divingcourses, from beginner (openwater diver) to instructor level.“To achieve this we keep classsizes small, so that you get morepersonal instruction.“Deep Blue Scuba alsoorganise various UK and overseasdiving trips.”The Discover Scuba Experiencesession is ideal for anyonewishing to try out SCUBA divingbefore enrolling on an open watercourse.All your equipment is includedBLUE HEAVENYour chance to win amazing diving day outand you will learn how to useit and communicate underwater and then you’ll takethe plunge.By the end of the session youwill know how to control yourbuoyancy and will be well on yourway to being able to explore theunderwater world.NHS Lanarkshire staff receivea 10 per cent discount off anycourse costing over £50 and a 10per cent discount off equipmentat their partners at the EdinburghDiving Centre.For a chance to win one of thetwo Discover Scuba Experiences,for you and a friend, just answerthe question below.Send your answers, nolater than Friday 7 October, toMartin Stirling, CommunicationsDepartment, Kirklands Hospital,What doesSCUBAstand for?Fallside Road, BothwellG71 8BB, or email martin.stirling@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk with “Deep Blue Scuba” in thesubject field.Remember to include your jobtitle, place of work and a contacttelephone number.qTo find out more about the courseson offer at Deep Blue Scuba visittheir website at www.deepbluescuba.co.uk Alternatively call them on 0845838 7785, 07904 139 259 or email info@deepbluescuba.co.ukTasty treat for NHS staffMOUTH-WATERING foods made fromwell-sourced local ingredients is keyto the success of Bar MC and Grill.Located on the lower level of theboutique ABode Glasgow hotel onBath Street, BarMC is a stylish latenightlounge bar offering informal,freshly prepared food, day and night.Now NHS Lanarkshire staff canenjoy a 10 per cent discount off theirfood bill. And one lucky Pulse readercould win a meal for two in a deliciouscompetition.BarMC and Grill is the latest conceptfrom ABode hotels, who have awardwinning chef Michael Caines at thehelm of all their dining experiences.Located on the lower level ofABode Glasgow, with its own streetentrance, BarMC is a fabulous dayand night venue that combines a latenightlounge bar with a modern grillrestaurant open day and night.It offers a menu featuringmouth-watering foods cooked on astate-of-the-art char-grill.There is an exciting new grill menuwith burgers, steaks and market fishof the day, all fire-cooked on the grill.At lunchtime, there is a range ofsatisfying and filling dishes and dailyspecials that are economical and quick.After dining, you can move on tothe adjoining BarMC to spin out therest of the night.In addition to their regular all-daymenu, BarMC also offers a two orWho is theawardwinningchefat the heart ofABode’s diningexperiences?three-course set menu for £9.95 or£14.95 respectively.To reserve your table at BarMC andGrill, telephone 0141 572 6002.For a chance to win the meal fortwo just answer the question shown.Send your answers, no later thanFriday 7 October, to Martin Stirling,Communications Department,Kirklands Hospital, Fallside Road,Bothwell G71 8BB, or email martin.stirling@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk with“MC & Grill competition” as the subject.Remember to include your job title,place of work and a telephone number.For more information visit www.q michaelcaines.com/barmc-andgrill/glasgowPulse SudokuEnter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must containone of each digit. So must every column, and every 3x3 square.Get the solution on FirstPort.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011TRAININGthePulse 19WORK SMARTERFresh new approachto the daily routineA NEW approach to managingmeetings, email and filing/recordkeeping called WorkSmart hasrecently been launched by NHSLanarkshire.WorkSmart aims to ensure we areusing our administration resourcesefficiently. The key WorkSmartactions are:q All internal meetings bookedthrough Outlookq All key meeting papers posted onFirstPort and distributed via a linkq Standard templates to be used formeetingsq Implementation of emailetiquette.Yvonne Cannon, OrganisationalDevelopment manager, said:“Improving our administrationprocedures can have a huge impact.“We can reduce the time spentscheduling meetings; the timetaking minutes at meetings, andthe number of both hardcopies andelectronic copies of papers.“We can also improve accessto the papers for meetings andpromote a more efficient use ofemail.”Sessions were held at thenew corporate headquartersat Kirklands Hospital to raiseawareness of the new ways ofworking for all staff and to supportthem in implementing the new waysof working.Yvonne said: “WorkSmart will bereviewed over the coming monthswith a view to rolling it out acrossLanarkshire.”qA WorkSmart section with guidanceon the new ways of working, tips andtemplates is available on FirstPort at http://firstport/sites/worksmart/default.aspxAS part of WorkSmart ae standardised approach to emailshas been established which will helpsave you time.Email should be used with care,should be short, under-standableand have a clear message andexpectation on whether a responseor specific action is required.To help with this, NHS Lanarkshirehas a prefix standard for the ‘SubjectLine’ in emails.These prefixes are:q ACTION or ACT – used to showaction is required by the emailrecipientq FOR INFO or FYI – when the emailis for information only and no actionis requiredq URGENT or URG – messageis urgent. Use judiciously, givingconsideration to the importance forthe person receiving the emailq SOCIAL or SOC – e.g. A night outq [EOM] (suffix) – End of Message– for example ‘Fire Alarm test todayat 3pm [EOM]’ – saves recipientopening full email.NEW IDEAS: Yvonne Cannonwith some of the staff whoattended the WorkSmartsessions at Kirklands HospitalTraining PlannerORGANISATIONALDEVELOPMENTq Training schedules,nomination forms and moreinformation is available onthe Training and Developmenthomepage on FirstPort orat http://firstport/sites/odandtraining/traininganddevelopment/default.aspxIf you have any other enquires,please contact the trainingco-ordinators:Sue Devine (Law House)01698 377807sue.devine@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.ukLorna Galloway (WishawGeneral) 01698 366765 lorna.galloway@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.ukMEDICAL EDUCATIONq For queries, contact trainingco-ordinators on 01698 855510or meded@lanarkshire. scot.nhs.ukTraining co-ordinators willcontact new consultants directregarding the ConsultantInduction and ProfessionalDevelopment programme.To book any other seniorcourses, use the bookingsystem which is available onthe MEDED websitewww.medednhsl.comPRACTICE DEVELOPMENTContacts:Rita Cloughley 01698 366581Morag Downie 01698 366575Anne Halavage01698 366582Natalie Snodgrass01698 366590EDUCATION PROGRAMMEq Courses for nurses,midwives and AHPsCourses for all NHS Lanarkshirenurses, midwives, AHPs andtheir support workers areavailable.For more information onthe different courses anddates available, log on tothe PDC website. Visitwww.lanpdc.scot.nhs.ukHEALTH & SAFETYq For training schedules andnomination forms, access asfollows: Firstport/Staff SupportServices/Occ Health SALUS/DownloadsFor more information, contact:Sandra Sweeney 01236 707721or email sandra.sweeney@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.ukContacts: Amanda Minns(Hairmyres) 01355 585488/7Lisa McLaren (WishawGeneral) 01698 366316Paul Herbert (Monklands)01236 712005Carol Hallesy (Law House)01698 377600/01Grant Donaghy(Law House)01698 377602MOVING & HANDLINGq For training schedules andnomination forms, access asfollows: Firstport/Staff SupportServices/Occ Health SALUS/DownloadsFor more information, contact:Sandra Sweeney 01236 707721LIBRARIESq Classes are available in:The Knowledge NetworkRefWorksOvid MedlineEbsco CINAHLCochrane Libraryor email sandra.sweeney@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.ukPaMOVa(Prevention and Managementof Violence and Aggression)q It is essential for all staffto take care of their personalContact your local library fordates and availability.safety and be aware of thesafety of others. To reducethe risk of being a victim ofaggression or violent behaviour,NHS Lanarkshire providesPaMoVA training for all staff.Contact PaMoVA advisors on01236 707198.

20 thePulse ACHIEVEMENTSSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011TOP AWARDFOR ANGELAMental health nurse’s work recognisedA NURSE has been recognisedas one of Scotland’s top mentalhealth nurses for care of theelderly.Angela Campbell, a care homeliaison mental health nurse basedin the Clydesdale Locality, wonthe first category in the MentalHealth Nursing Forum Scotland,Practice Excellence Award forOlder People’s Mental Health.Angela received the awardafter she developed a model ofcare home liaison nursing thatinvolves working alongsideresidents with dementia and theirfamily members in relation totheir care and support needs.The model also provideseducation and training to carehome staff to help them bettermeet the mental health needs ofolder people including those withdementia.Angela was presented with heraccolade by Karen Robertson,associate director of nursingfor Mental Health and LearningDisability, at GreenhillsNursing Home among hercolleagues, residents and some ofher family.Karen said: “It’s testimonyto Angela’s professionalismthat it was her colleagues in theClydesdale Community MentalHealth Team for older people,who nominated her for this award.“We’re delighted the modelthat Angela developed has beenrecognised in this way.NEW IDEAS: (l-r) Karen Robertson, Angela Campbelland Jim Wright, general manager of the Mental Healthand Learning Disibilty Service“It has proved to be successfulin reducing the need for residentsin the care homes to have to bePhotograph courtesy of Lindsay Addison , Carluke and Lanark Gazettereadmitted to hospital and NHSLanarkshire has plans to roll themodel out across Lanarkshire.”ALL SMILES: (l-r) Albert Yeung, Professor Mark Hector, president of IAPD whopresented the prizes, and Matina Angelopoulou, University of Athens, who won theBright Smiles – Bright Futures AwardOral health posterrecognised by IAPDA POSTER featuring NHS Lanarkshire’soral health resource for secondaryschools won a runner-up prize in aninternational awards ceremony.Highlighting the Smile withConfidence project, which includesDVDs and teaching materials, theposter was shortlisted for the BrightSmiles – Bright Futures Award at the23rd International Congress of theInternational Association of PaediatricDentistry (IAPD), in Athens.And it was awarded a runner-upprize of $500, which will be used toenhance staff members’ continuingprofessional development.Albert Yeung, NHS Lanarkshire’sconsultant in dental public health, said:“The competition aimed to showcaseindividual organisation’s creativity inimplementing a preventive oral healthcommunity programme serving children.“We are delighted to have beenrecognised internationally for our workin improving oral health in Lanarkshire.“The health improvement team whoworked hard on the resource shouldbe very proud of this achievement andso should the schools and pupils whoparticipated in developing Smile withConfidence. The resource has beentested within school curriculum to showthat it is an effective teaching tool inpromoting oral health improvement.”Two DVDs were produced for Smilewith Confidence.The first DVD combined interviews,cartoons, quizzes, documentaries andthe opinions of the young stars of theDVD on oral health and nutrition.The second DVD was adapted foruse with pupils that have additionalsupport needs using Makaton – a way ofcommunication using signs and symbols.There were also two A4-sizecolour brochures.One contained teaching materialsfor three oral health sessions, whilethe other was a set of worksheets withpractical ideas for activities to reinforcethe learning.The resource was launched to allschools in Lanarkshire in October 2009and special needs establishments weregiven a Makaton version of the DVD.qVideo clips from the DVD areavailable from the followingwebsite: http://fpsmedia.org.uk/videosolutions/case-studies/case-study-smileSusie nominated for book prizeCOMMUNITY midwife Susie Murphyhas been nominated for a prestigiousprize at the General Practice AwardsCeremony in London.Hamilton-based Susie is anadvocate of the benefits of aquanatalactivities for pregnant women.Despite her busy schedule, Susie,together with fellow midwife SusanBaines, who she met during acourse at Salford University, wrotea fascinating book, Aquatic Exercisefor Pregnancy, which has now beenturned into a training module.The module can be accessed bystudents wishing to study from basiccertificate level to masters level andis now officially recognised by theAquanatalexercisesbring wonderfulhealth benefitsRegister of Exercise Professionals asan accredited training provider.Susie will now attend the awardsceremony being held at the RoyalLancaster Hotel London on 16November. She said: “I am obviouslythrilled to have been nominated. Thepanelists told me that to make the finalis a remarkable achievement as thisyear the calibre of nominees wasexceptionally high.”Susie continued: “Aquanatal exercisesbring wonderful health benefits formums. It’s an enjoyable, comfortableway to exercise the whole body.“Since you are working all the majorjoints and muscle groups there’s littlechance of overworking a particular oneand causing a strain.“It’s also unlikely to cause maternalfatigue, a common problem duringpregnancy as the sessions aredesigned to take account of women’schanging physiology so as to maximisesafety for both mother and baby.”Photograph courtesy of DouglasMcKendrick, Hamilton Advertiser.