THE NHS HIGHLAND STAFF NEWSPAPER
August 2016
NOVEMBER 2015
ANNUAL REVIEW
Let’s step up the
pace of change
N
Maureen Watt signs a ‘Reach Out’ pledge form
Former chair of board dies in
road accident: Story on page 3
- -
HS HIGHLAND’S chair has
underlined that there is a
greater need than ever before to
look at how health and social care
services are provided.
The health board’s annual review
was conducted this month by the Minister for Mental Health, Maureen Watt,
at the University of the Highlands and
Islands in Inverness, with board officials,
members of the public and representatives from a wide range of health care
organisations present.
In his opening address, board chair
David Alston spoke of some of the successes and challenges that the board has
faced in the last year and highlighted, in
particular, staff recruitment and retention.
He said: “There are continuing
problems with the sustainability of
some of our models of service delivery
due to challenges with recruitment.
Therefore, it is clear that we need to be
moving towards different models of
care that are sustainable. The pace of
Continued on page 2
Board’s annual review
Continued from front
Help us to fight loneliness and
social isolation. Check out:
http://www.reachout.scot.nhs.uk
Contents
4
9
7
9
11
12
13
17
22
23
29
30
Reach Out mini-launch
Commuters’ corner
Award-winning app
Commuters’ Corner
RCN centenary film
At Your Service
Department Profile
Comings & Goings
Prosthetics help
Peer review honour
Other Lives: Mike Flavell
Q&A: Kenny Clarke
Keep us informed
Do you know of something you
think should be featured in Highlights? An award, an achievement,
a piece of research, an appointment, a retiral … you name it,
Highlights has a place for it. Please
send your
articles
to
[email protected] (01463
704903) or visit the Staff Dropbox
on the NHS Highland intranet
home page.
change certainly needs to be faster in
the future.”
Welcomed by the minister, guests
then asked a range of questions
which she, along with David Alston,
NHS Highland chief executive Elaine
Mead and John Connaghan, NHS
Scotland’s director of health performance and delivery, answered.
These related to the situation in
Raasay, where more flexible models
required to provide sustainable outof-hours and emergency cover for
the future were discussed.
Also raised were the challenges of
GP recruitment in remote and rural
locations, innovative service models
which could see more health professionals such as pharmacists and advanced nursing practitioners being
the first port of call rather than the
GP, and the development of homegrown talent by encouraging more
youngsters in the Highlands to study
science subjects, or think of caring as
a career.
Other subjects discussed included
care at home provision, palliative
care, changes to the public dentistry
service and how to balance public
expectations with increasing demands made on NHS Highland’s services.
Prior to the public session at the
Beechwood campus, the minister and
the Scottish Government team attended a meeting of the Area Clinical
Forum, which advises the board on
clinical matters.
She then met the Highland Partnership Forum, which provides staff
with an opportunity to influence the
board’s work, and then a group,
which represents patients, carers and
the public in mental health matters.
After the public meeting, the minister went into private session with
the full board of NHS Highland.
Just before this session the minister took time out to sign the health
board’s Reach Out pledge – part of
NHS Highland’s campaign to combat
loneliness in the region.
She said: “I am happy to sign this
pledge so that it makes sure that we
help reduce social isolation and loneliness which I know can be a particular problem in rural areas.”
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Jinty Moffett (left), chair of the St Vincent’s Therapy Garden charity based
in Kingussie, meeting Maureen Watt, Minister for Mental Health, at the
NHS Highland annual review
-2-
TRIBUTES
Former board chair
dies in car accident
NHS HIGHLAND chair David
Alston has paid tribute to Caroline
Thomson, a former chair of the
health board, who died in a twocar crash near Dingwall on 17th August.
David said: “I am profoundly saddened by the death of Caroline. It was
Caroline who first encouraged me to
apply to become a member of the board
of NHS Highland and I can honestly say
that she changed the course of my life.
“She cared deeply about our health
services and made an important contribution to the Highland community.”
Mrs Thomson, who qualified as a
state registered nurse in 1974, worked
as a nurse at St Bartholomew’s Hospital
in London before moving to Inverness.
She was chair of NHS Highland from
1997 to 2004.
In 2003, Mrs Thomson was presented with an OBE for her services to
the NHS in Scotland.
After leaving NHS Highland, she
chaired the Highland Community Care
Forum and was co-founder of Caring
and Sharing Highland
In a statement, her family said: “As
well as being a loving wife, mother and
grandmother Caroline was someone
who devoted herself to serving the
Highland community. She was particularly well known for her time as a board
member and chair of NHS Highland and
in the charitable sector.”
RAIGMORE
Critical care upgrade continues
WORK is continuing this month on
the upgrade to Raigmore Hospital,
which equates to the single biggest
investment the Inverness hospital
has had since it was built.
Approval and funding to upgrade the
hospital’s critical care service was given
by the Scottish Government in March
with an investment of £28 million over
the next three years.
Last month Graham Construction,
who will be completing the UPGRADE
project, carried out invasive drilling surveys to test noise and vibration levels
and this month saw Ward GC, which
looks after oncology patients, move to a
newly refurbished ward on the fifth
floor.
Doreen Bell, clinical advisor for the
tower block upgrade, explained that
with Ward GC now empty work could
begin on preparing the ward for the
next move.
She said: “Work will now start on a
redesign of GC to prepare it for the
move of Ward 1A, which is scheduled
to happen later in the year.
“Ward 1A, which cares for our daycase patients and is also our common
admission lounge, will be housed in GC
for approximately 18 months, allowing
work to start on the first floor as we
look to upgrade our critical care services.”
The upgrade will bring all Raigmore’s
critical care services, which includes the
Acute Medical Assessment Unit, the
Intensive Care Unit, Surgical High Dependency Unit, CCU, cardiology and
theatre suite, adjacent to each other
over two floors.
The operating theatres at the hospi-
-3-
tal will be refurbished and an additional
theatre will be added to bring the total
number of theatres in the suite to 10,
seven of which will be equipped with
specialist laminar air flow, ensuring the
air within the theatre environment is at
the cleanest possible standard.
Katherine Sutton, deputy director of
operations for Raigmore Hospital, commented: “Having critical care services
over the two floors will not only allow
best use of space and staff but it will
also improve patient flow in the hospital
and the privacy and dignity of our patients.
“This work and investment will not
only greatly improve the facilities but
also provides an opportunity to colocate wards and ensure that first-class
healthcare can be delivered in modern
facilities for years to come.”
R
OSS
COUNTY
Football
Club, a Ross-shire councillor
and a local charity have joined
forces to help further launch a
major campaign by NHS Highland to tackle loneliness and social isolation.
The Ross-shire launch of ‘Reach
Out – Make a difference for someone
who’s lonely’ was held this month at
the football club’s Global Energy Stadium in Dingwall.
Ross County’s community coaching
team, local councillor Margaret Paterson and charity Connecting Carers
signed a pledge to join the campaign to
help combat loneliness in the area.
NHS Highland’s head of health improvement Cathy Steer gave an overview of the campaign before County’s
head of youth and community, Steven
Ferguson, explained why the Staggies
were keen to get involved.
Cathy Steer said: “There is very
strong evidence that loneliness and
social isolation can have a major impact on people’s mental and physical
health and wellbeing.
“For example, loneliness increases
the risk of dying earlier by 10 per cent,
and it can have the same impact on
health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
“We hope that, faced with facts
like that, people throughout Ross-shire
will embrace our campaign and further
enhance the area’s already strong
reputation for friendliness and community spirit.”
Steven Ferguson said: “We are
delighted to be involved in the Reach
Out campaign. We are holding this
event to officially launch the campaign
in Ross-shire and we invited people to
come along and find out more about
how to tackle social isolation and loneliness.”
Connecting Carers manager Roisin
Connolly then outlined her pledge to
support carers to the guests gathered
in the club’s community hub.
She said: “People who are caring
for someone who could not manage
without their support often experience
higher degrees of loneliness and isolation. Coupled with the stress of their
caring role, this can lead to a range of
REACH OUT … 1
Staggies stage
campaign’s
county launch
emotional and physical problems.
“This is something we see every
day throughout the Highlands and
‘Reach Out’ is an initiative we fully
support.
“Any actions that help to alleviate
social isolation and loneliness have to
be a positive thing, and we are delighted to pledge to the ‘Reach Out’
campaign.”
The event was the Ross-shire
launch of a Highland-wide campaign
-4-
which was formally announced by the
health board in May. The campaign has
been endorsed by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Shona
Robison, and the minister for mental
health, Maureen Watt.
 Pictured above are, from left:
Cathy Steer, NHS Highland head of
health improvement, Steven Ferguson,
Ross County’s head of youth and community and Roisin Connolly, Connecting Carers manager.
REACH OUT … 2
City drop-in centre
signs up for campaign
T
HE Social Circle at Merkinch
Community Centre in Inverness is the latest community
group to sign up to NHS Highland’s Reach Out campaign.
The aim of the campaign is to
tackle loneliness and social isolation
and make a difference to people’s lives
throughout NHS Highland’s area, including Argyll and Bute.
And, according to Merkinch Centre’s development
officer, Elsie Normington, the Social
Circle does exactly
that for people in
Merkinch.
“We
run
a
weekly drop-in centre for people to
share activities and
learn new skills,”
explained Elsie.
“People
can
have a cup of tea,
play board games
and develop their
online skills.
“Many of the people who come
along every Thursday can go for days
without seeing anyone or speaking to
another person, so the Circle plays a
crucial role in getting them out of the
house and interacting with others.
“We are delighted to sign the
pledge to tackle loneliness and social
isolation in our community.”
The Social Circle is held in Merkinch Community Centre every Thursday between 10am and 12.30pm.
Each session costs just £1 and Mrs
Normington is hoping to attract more
people — and a wider range of people
— to attend.
She commented: “Our doors are
always open to anyone who would like
to meet new people and learn new
skills.”
Conference to focus on loneliness and health
THE IMPACT of social isolation
on mental and physical health
was key to NHS Highland’s decision to launch its ‘Reach Out’
campaign.
And it will also be the subject of
the annual Voluntary Health Scotland
conference and AGM, to be held in
Edinburgh’s Roxburghe Hotel on 24th
November.
The conference will consider
compelling evidence about the impact
of social isolation and loneliness on
health and the part the third sector
-5-
plays in preventing and addressing
this.
Speakers will include Dr Andrew
Fraser, director of public health science at NHS Health Scotland, and Liz
Watson, chief executive of Befriending Networks.
DIABETES FUND-RAISER
Jeff gets on his bike
for a good cause
A ROSS-SHIRE man is pedalling
500 miles across the north of Scotland to raise money for NHS Highland’s endowment fund.
Jeff Foot (54) hopes his efforts will
enable NHS Highland to buy glucose
monitors to help people with Type 1
diabetes keep track of their blood sugars.
He also hopes his cycle inspires
other people with the condition to enjoy outdoor activities with confidence.
“I have had Type 1 diabetes for 40
years, and I wanted to do something to
help other people with the condition,”
explained Jeff.
“It can be difficult to take part in
physical activity when you have diabetes,
as there as so many factors to take into
account such as how your blood sugars
will be affected by physical exertion and
knowing how to alter your insulin to
take account of that.
“Technology has come a long way
over the last few years and glucose
monitors help people to monitor their
blood sugars in real time. However,
they can be very expensive, with a
starter kit costing £160 and sensors,
which last two weeks at a time, £58
each.
“I would like to help the NHS Highland fund their diabetes team to buy
starter kits and sensors.”
Jeff, who lives in Evanton, has already
clocked up a substantial amount of miles
across the Highlands, and has raised
over £500 of his £1,400 target.
“There isn’t a budget for this technology within NHS Highland’s diabetes
department, so the more money we can
raise will fund more glucose monitors
and sensors,” Jeff said.
“I have been charting my progress
on my JustGiving page and uploading
some photos of the stunning scenery
I’ve encountered on my travels so far.
Any donations are gratefully received
and will go towards a wonderful cause.”
Donations can be made to Jeff’s
fundraising
efforts
at
www.justgiving.com/Jeff-summer-cycles
SUTHERLAND
Proposed redesign of services along
north coast goes out to consultation
THE PUBLIC consultation on the
proposed redesign of health and
social care services along the north
coast of Sutherland is under way.
A 12-page green-coloured summary
consultation document and feedback
form has been distributed throughout
the area. The consultation will run for
three months and responses should be
submitted no later than 25th October.
The review will cover the area along
the north coast from Scourie in the
west to Melvich in the east, including
Altnaharra and Strath Halladale.
During 2015/16 a steering group,
drawing together local people, staff,
councillors and agencies reviewed services in the area.
The group recommended that a new
single health and social care ‘hub’ facility
should be located in the Kyle of Tongue
area. This would offer residential and
nursing care and improved coordination of care through the colocation of some staff and services.
The proposal, if implemented, would
mean NHS Highland would no longer
provide residential care home services
-6-
at Talmine (Caladh Sona) and Melvich
Community Care Unit (Melvich). The
redesign would be supported by
strengthened community and primary
care services.
A series of meetings to discuss the
proposals have been arranged including
with residents and staff in both care
homes. Other events planned are dropin sessions allowing the members of the
public to come along and ask questions. These will be held in locations
across the north coast over the period
of the consultation.
RAIGMORE
IBD
Catering discount
now extended
to unpaid carers
WRISTBANDS which will allow unpaid carers visiting Raigmore Hospital to benefit from a 50 per cent
discount in the hospital’s dining
room are now available to all wards.
This is an extension to the system which has been in operation in
the children’s unit for a number of
years and will give that extra bit of
support to unpaid carers on their
visits to Raigmore.
Bands are being supplied to all
areas free of charge with a small
charge for any future requests as
they will need to be ordered
through the suppliers.
Ward staff will add the ward
number and note who has been
given a wristband on a daily basis.
Catering has been informed and
staff are aware of the potential for
more carers to be claiming this discount.
For any further information contact Joyce Macleod, carer lead.
CONFERENCE
City event to put
spotlight on RD&I
activities in board
NHS HIGHLAND’s research, development and innovation annual conference will take place at the Centre
for Health Science in Inverness on
Friday 25th November.
The event will feature keynote
speakers, break-out sessions, posters, lunch, project and business
stands, and networking opportunities.
It promises to be an engaging
and informative day to highlight the
wide range of research, development and innovation activities in
NHS Highland.
If you are interested in attending,
submitting a poster, or presenting
your work at one of the event’s
break-out sessions, contact [email protected]
Sue Maniquiz, a member of the local Crohn’s and Colitis UK Highland Group,
hands over a cheque for £11,200 to the inflammatory bowel disease clinical team
at Raigmore Hospital. Pictured, from left, are consultant gastroenterologist Dr
Lindsey Potts, specialist dietitian Lisa Ann Macleman, specialist nurse David Armour and Sue Maniquiz.
Board takes further
step towards
transforming care
NHS HIGHLAND, along with
Crohn’s and Colitis UK and openbrolly.com, a local digital health
company, have created an awardwinning ‘app’ for patients in the
Highlands and Islands.
Patients can now directly message
their care team and receive information
about their disease which may help
them to guide their own care. The app
can be used to record daily symptoms,
which are then displayed on the NHS
Highland intranet which is viewed by
staff.
Now, money raised by the local
Crohn’s and Colitis UK Group will be
used to create video infographics which
will be sent to patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) via their
smart devices.
-7-
Importantly with technological advances, the clinical team can now record the details of telephone and video
consultations in real time and this information then goes straight into the hospital and primary care electronic records. This development means patients still get all the advice they need;
they don’t have to go into hospital but
all the information is recorded.
The learning from this approach is
being shared as part of NHS Highland’s
work on Transforming Outpatients,
which is responding to patient feedback
to look at ways of improving the quality
of care.
NHS Highland’s IBD team recently
won a top prize at national level for
innovative care for patients with
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
B&S
Board hosts
drop-in
events on
redesign
SENIOR staff from NHS Highland
has launched a series of drop-in
events in Badenoch and Strathspey
to update local residents and organisations updates on the redesign of health and care services in
the area.
The first event was held in the
court room in the Town House in
Grantown-on-Spey on 26th August.
NHS Highland associate medical director Dr Boyd Peters said:
“We are holding a series of drop-in
sessions across Badenoch and
Strathspey to update people on the
service redesign.
“This will be an another opportunity for people to find out more
about the work that is underway as
we modernise community and hospital services in the area, especially
the new model of service and
workforce plan that was finalised
last month.
“We will of course keep local
people informed of further sessions
elsewhere in Badenoch and Strathspey that will take place over the
next few months.”
Two of the main issues that
have resulted in this redesign process are the condition of NHS Highland’s estates in the area and supporting more people to be looked
after at home – which was a topic
of discussion at the NHS Highland
annual review earlier this month.
A recent national report entitled ‘Annual State of NHS Scotland
Assets and Facilities for 2015’ further highlighted the need to upgrade the facilities in Badenoch and
Strathspey.
You can keep up to date with
the latest news on the service redesign in Badenoch and Strathspey,
including the June edition of
STRATHchat, on the NHS Highland
website.
WALKING FOOTBALL
The beautiful
(and slow)
game kicks off
THERE IS nothing quite like pulling on your football boots and going for a kick-about with your
friends.
It’s a pleasure that is enjoyed by
billions of people around the world, as
the beautiful game brings people together, creates lasting friendships and is
a great way of staying fit and healthy.
Despite our best efforts, age comes
to us all – and for some a game of football is just too much to handle.
However, a solution has been found
to help people in the north of Scotland
get back onto the football pitch – or
experience the beautiful game for the
very first time.
Walking football is an activity that
can be enjoyed by men and women of
all ages and fitness levels, as it takes the
basic elements of football and slows
them down to walking pace.
NHS Highland consultant clinical
psychologist Andrew MacDougall is a
newcomer to a sport that, although
very much in its infancy, is proving to
be a popular pastime among people of
all ages.
“I’m a huge football fan, and I regularly played all versions of the game up
until a few years ago,” he explained.
“After I hung up my boots, I really
missed the feeling of playing football so
I started looking at ways to get back
into playing the game I love.
“I’m a season ticket holder at the
Global Energy Stadium, and it was during yet another Ross County victory
that I saw a poster for a game of walking football. I decided to head along for
a taster session, and I loved it.
“It was quite surprising how fast the
game was, and the standard was very
-8-
good. You have to almost re-learn how
to play football – as you have to think
more about the weight of your pass, or
the timing of your ‘runs’.”
Andrew and his friends play every
Monday evening from 6pm-7pm at Ross
County’s indoor pitch at the stadium in
Dingwall. It is run by the club’s community coaching team and is free to anyone who wishes to come along.
Andrew said: “We have a good
group of players who play every week,
although numbers have dipped slightly
over the last few weeks due to holidays.
“We are on the look-out for anyone who is over 50 years of age and
interested in coming along and joining
in. The game is played in the right spirit;
however, it can get quite competitive at
times!”
As a consultant psychologist, Andrew is well placed to comment on the
health benefits of taking part in regular
exercise. And he says walking football
offers men in particular an opportunity
to socialise and meet new people.
“Playing in a team sport offers a
number of mental health benefits,” he
said. “Typically, men can find it difficult
to make friends as they get older; however playing in a team sport such as this
is a great way to meet new people and
challenge social isolation.
“This can have as big an impact on
your health as any physical illness, so
it’s vitally important to stay active in
the community and build a strong network of friends.”
Anyone that is interested in finding
out more about the walking football at
the Global Energy Stadium should contact Amy Gibb on 01349 860 862.
COMMUTERS
We continue our regular series
about how our staff travel to
work. This month, diabetes dietician Charlotte Heppenstall
describes the plus points of a
120-mile daily commute.
A TRADITIONAL recipe for
Cullen skink has been one of the
unexpected rewards of moving
from Devon to the Moray coast
for diabetes dietician Charlotte
Heppenstall.
The fish soup is a famous local
delicacy of smoked haddock, potatoes, onions and milk, and the recipe
for the dish, which Charlotte described as “delicious”, came from her
80-year-old neighbour’s family.
Charlotte moved to the north
east in 2012 and works part-time for
NHS Highland in Inverness.
She said: “I moved here for several reasons. It gave me the opportunity to do a job I love, my parents
have lived here for many years now
and I am able to pursue my other
passion – surfing.
“People may think Devon and
Cornwall are the prime locations for
surfing but Scotland is amazing. It’s
not costly and crowded and the quality of life is far better. In the evening I
can leave my front door and be on
the beach in under a minute, which I
could never do down south.
For most people, a 120-mile
round trip would be daunting but
Charlotte explained: “My travelling
has actually reduced as when I initially
started with NHS Highland my work
was based in Golspie.” She said the
distance was a catch (a snag), but “the
advantage was that after working
hours seeing patients I was able to get
out to some fantastic beaches”.
“When I’m driving I do plan my
work a bit but I mostly switch off and
listen to music. I appreciate this more
since becoming a mum (her daughter,
Izzy, is now 18 months old). I find it
nice to have that ‘me’ time.”
’ CORNER
RIGHT:
Charlotte and
her 18-month
old daughter
Izzy pictured
on the sea wall
in Cullen.
Where they
live.
What to do on a 120-mile
daily commute? Switch
off and listen to music...
She added: “The journey on the
A96 is a bit dull but Cullen to Fochabers is interesting. On the way home
I like going through woods at Fochabers and seeing the beautiful Bin of
Cullen. It lifts my spirits and I know
I’m nearly home.
“What keeps me doing it? It’s a
great team I work with and I love my
job being able to help people manage
their diabetes.”
Charlotte, who has been a diabetes dietician for 10 years, continued:
“It’s so worthwhile teaching people
about dietetics and lifestyle changes as
diabetes can be under-rated and a
really difficult condition for people to
manage. I do both one-to-one and
group education like the Highland
Education in Diabetes and Insulin
-9-
(HEIDI) course. This is a four-week
course for patients who have been
diagnosed for over a year to help
them better understand and manage
the condition.
“There are some exciting new
developments coming. The diabetes
team is in the process of making it
available online with a website. This
will mean that it’s more accessible for
people in remote locations and for
those who are working.
She added: “Recently, because I
am interested in the psychology of
change and behavioural techniques to
help change, I have trained as a mindfulness teacher and plan to run
courses to help patients manage the
anxiety and emotional aspects of diabetes.”
ASSETS REPORT
Buildings rankings ‘will
improve’, says director
NHS HIGHLAND says it is looking
forward to moving up the charts
for the condition of health board
buildings.
A national report, ‘Annual State of
NHS Scotland Assets and Facilities for
2015’, states that comparison between
boards should be treated with caution
for a number of reasons.
And NHS Highland insists that the
fact that the report shows only one
other regional health board in the country has a fewer percentage of properties
classified as either A or B for physical
condition does not tell the whole story.
Nick Kenton, NHS Highland’s director of finance, said: “The report states
that a little over one-third of our buildings are in what it categorises as in A or
B condition, but it also shows that only
one other area board fared better in
terms of patient rating of the hospital
environment.
“However, we know there are issues with some of our properties – and
we are doing something about it.”
Mr Kenton pointed to the redesign
projects in two parts of the board’s
area. In Badenoch and Strathspey it’s
proposed that two existing hospitals be
replaced by a new facility in Aviemore.
It’s also planned to replace the existing
hospital in Broadford by a new facility
and have a smaller a ‘spoke’ facility in
Portree.
He also highlighted a programme of
work to upgrade and reconfigure wards
at Caithness General Hospital and to
the recent the opening of a new, £1.5
million health centre in Drumnadrochit,
a new health centre in Eigg and a community dialysis unit in Kintyre.
Similarly, the report did not take
into account the new children’s unit at
Raigmore.
Looking ahead, Mr Kenton said a
£28 million investment at Raigmore
would see major improvements to the
hospital critical care services, and there
was the prospect of the Belford Hospital being replaced, as well as plans for an
elective treatment centre in Inverness.
Mr Kenton added: “We have been
working hard to improve our buildings.
I’m sure that the figures for the condition of our properties will be a lot better in future reports.”
GUESTS “IMPRESSED”
American
students
visit Argyll
SIXTEEN nursing students from Kentucky USA have
visited Argyll’s Cowal Community Hospital and Lochgoilhead Medical Centre as part of a global education
programme.
The nursing students and their professors were from the
University of Louisville, and their visit was part of the university’s programme to enable its students to experience different healthcare services around the world.
Thanks to local doctor Annette McCulloch, who has connections with the programme, this particular group chose to
come to Scotland.
Liz Higgins, lead nurse for Argyll and Bute’s Health and
Social Care Partnership, Viv Hamilton, locality manager, and
Jayne Lawrence-Winch, local area manager, welcomed the
group who enjoyed meeting staff and seeing how patients are
cared for.
They all agreed that the students were very impressed
with the hospital and the range of services and loved the
views our patients have from the wards. They asked lots of
questions and showed a keen interest in understanding how
our service works and commented on how impressed they
were with the innovation and forward thinking particularly
with regards to health and social care now being a single service and how that is working.
- 10 -
ENVIRONMENT
Bike project
aims to get
folk moving
VELOCITY CAFE and Bicycle
Workshop has been awarded funding from the Climate Challenge
Fund (CCF) to run the GoByCycle
Project, which aims to help more
people to make the choice to cycle
or walk for their everyday journeys.
By choosing to walk or cycle, we
can reduce our community’s carbon
dioxide emissions, as well as making
our streets safer, quieter and
healthier.
NHS Highland wants to help
people in Inverness to reduce the
number of private car journeys by
supporting groups and individuals in
making the choice to travel by bike
or on foot instead. Support is available in a number of different ways:
Skills sessions to improve confidence on your bike (including accompanied commuting!)
Bike maintenance sessions so
you know how to fix your bike if you
run into problems on your journey
Safer routes advice – finding the
most enjoyable ways to travel
Advice on bikes, what to wear,
how to stay safe
Pedometers to motivate you
while you walk
Competitions to enter with the
chance of winning prizes
The option for you to tell us
what would help you – if we can
help you we will!
Making the choice to cycle or
walk instead of driving has many
benefits. Aside from reducing carbon emissions and contributing to
better air quality and safer, quieter
streets, building active travel into
your routine can contribute to improving and maintaining fitness,
reducing stress and enhancing social
interactions with workmates and
the wider community.
Importantly, riding and maintaining your bike can also be fun!
It is planned to work with a
broad range of partners in the Inverness area to secure the city’s
position as Scotland’s Cycling City.
ROYAL COLLEGE’S CENTENARY PROJECT
Meet the modern
face of mental
health nursing...
AN NHS HIGHLAND rehabilitation assistant is playing a part in
the Royal College of Nursing’s centenary celebrations.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
is marking its centenary year with a
number of projects, including a series of
short films detailing how nursing has
changed in the last century.
And Inverness-based Daniel Gibson
(27) features in a film exploring the
modern-day face of mental health nursing.
“My manager asked if I would be
interested in taking part, and I was only
too happy to say yes,” Daniel explained.
“The RCN media department came
to Inverness at the beginning of August
to interview me about my role, my relationship with the patients I work with
and my hopes for the future of the service.”
Daniel works at the Aonach Mhor
community unit in Inverness, a rehabilitation ward affiliated with New Craigs
Hospital. Patients live on-site in shared
accommodation and are supported by
nurses and rehabilitation assistants.
He has worked as a rehabilitation
assistant since May 2015, having previously worked in New Craigs Hospital
for five years.
Daniel said: “I work in the community rehabilitation team and my job is to
support patients in the community. Each
individual is different and require differ-
ent levels of support – it can be something as simple as helping them get fitter
or meeting them for a coffee.
“We work with patients until they
feel comfortable enough to be discharged. We play a key role in supporting patients to live independently.”
Daniel continued: “The RCN sent
me a list of questions beforehand that
looked at what a typical day was for me,
what is unique about working in mental
health and the support in place to enable
me to do my job. I really enjoyed being
able to talk about my job and why I love
it, and I’m looking forward to watching
the finished article.”
I really enjoyed being
able to talk about my job
and why I love it
- 11 -
AT YOUR SERVICE
Dr John Wallace: General
practitioner, Fort William
The Lochaber News is running a series of articles by NHS Highland which puts the
spotlight on people who work in healthcare in its area. Answering the questions here
is Dr John Wallace, a GP at Glen Nevis Surgery in Fort William.
Q. What does your job involve?
A. I am a full-time GP. My work involves seeing
patients from all backgrounds and age groups,
listening to their story, performing examinations, discussing the problem and investigating,
treating and referring as appropriate. There is a
huge variety in the work including home visits,
carrying out some basic minor surgical procedures and leading our in-house diabetic clinic. In
addition, I have a management responsibility in
running the practice, shared with my GP partners and practice manager. We have 3,500 patients in our practice and there is admin work
to be completed for every patient contact. I
also work as an out-of-hours GP for Lochaber
based at the Belford Hospital.
Q. What attracted you to work in a remote and rural setting?
A. Working here allows me to build relationships with my patients and understand what
matters to them. It enables me to work in
more innovative and creative ways that perhaps
I wouldn’t be able to do in an urban setting. It’s
certainly a lifestyle choice and I love living in
such a beautiful part of the country and within a
vibrant community.
Q. What are the most rewarding elements of your role?
A. I enjoy thinking through diagnostic challenges. Continuity of care is really valuable and I
also work in a fantastic team alongside practice
nurses, district nurses and allied health professionals, as well as my colleagues in the Belford
Hospital. Primary care is, for most patients,
their main contact with the NHS and working
with a supportive team is so important for sharing workload and ensuring we continue to provide high quality care.
Q. There is a well-documented shortage
of GPs across the country at the moment. What can be done to attract more
people to the profession?
A. This is undoubtedly a problem. Within our
practice a part-time GP moved on last summer
and we have been unable to recruit a replacement yet. I think we need to highlight the positive aspects of this job, especially in remote and
rural areas. I think with the new national GP
contract they are trying to alleviate some of the
considerable administrative burden of the job.
Being a GP is a wonderful profession and I
would recommend it to any medical students
and junior doctors unsure of their career path.
Q. What is your background?
A. I’m 35 years old and am a farmer’s son from
near Dundee. I studied in Edinburgh and undertook my elective placements in general medicine at the Belford Hospital and in general practice on Harris. It was during this time that I
knew I wanted to work in rural medicine, and
later signed up for the Highland GP training
scheme. I have been fully qualified for eight
years and have been based in Lochaber since
2011.
Q. How do you switch off from the pressures of your job?
A. We live locally in Lochaber and I love getting
outside for walks with my dog. I enjoy spending
time in the garden and living in the outdoor
capital of the UK means there is lots of opportunity to make the most of the wonderful landscape around us. I also enjoy engaging with the
wider community and I’m involved in the Caol
play park regeneration group as well as a couple
of groups at Kilmallie Free Church. I like listening to some of the contemporary west coast
folk music bands and follow Kilmallie Shinty
Club.
I think we need to highlight the
positive aspects of this job, especially
in remote and rural areas
- 12 -
DEPARTMENT PROFILE: SELF-DIRECTED SUPPORT PEER ADVISORS
Adventures of being a peer
advisor for Highland SDS...
By John Gallon, Emma Grant
and Ruth Macaulay
HIGHLAND SDS is a partnership of three
organisations (Cantraybridge College; People First Highland; and Health and Happiness in the Highlands).
It is funded by Scottish Government to
provide information, training and research
in accessing self-directed support (SDS).
The work of peer advisors ensure that
the voice and views of supported people
are at the heart of the project. This is the
story of John, Emma and Ruth as they
take us on their journey of having experience of being ‘supported people’ to employee, working as an SDS peer advisor.
SO how did it all start?
Ruth explains: “ At the time I had
never heard of SDS but after being
told what it was and what being a peer
advisor involved, I agreed to take on
the challenge.”
John felt the same: “When I was
first asked to be a peer advisor, it felt
daunting. But what I love is being part
of a proper staff team. It’s really
working for us!”
Emma needed to overcome a lack
of confidence: “I took that leap of faith
and went for it! I was so happy when I
was told that I had been given the opportunity but I was really nervous . I
thought I wasn’t as brainy as the others.”
The work of the peer advisors is
“SDS is an outcome based assessment, which aims to
give choice, flexibility and control about how you are
supported. It’s about the person and their lives,” said the
peer advisors. We can offer information, training and
sharing your story as part of Highland research. Visit the
Highland SDS website www.highlandsds.org and find us
on Facebook.
varied and they all commit to intensive
training about SDS, the four options,
outcomes, evaluating providers and
also learning skills in public speaking,
interviewing, presenting information
and offering advice.
In addition to the experience of
being employees, the peer advisors
have also learned a lot about themselves as people and challenged themselves in their own lives, such as being
away from home for the first time,
dealing with phone calls to the Benefits
Agency and planning for their own
transition from college.
The peer advisors work alongside
The team is diverse and we
learn from each other,
playing to our strengths and
offering support when
required.
- 13 -
Shirley Buchanan, manager of Highland
SDS who moved from Fort William to
take on this role.
She said: “The team is diverse and
we learn from each other, playing to
our strengths and offering support
when required. The peer advisors are
team players who are motivated and
focused, their enthusiasm can be infectious and they are very keen to work
hard. Always on time, organised and
committed to the job in hand as well
as being pleasant and cheerful, they are
a pleasure to work alongside.”
But what does SDS really mean to
the peer advisors and working on such
a challenging project?
“I'm happy to say I am now working as a peer advisor one day a week
and getting paid for the privilege. We
are working hard on getting the word
out there about SDS,” explains Ruth.
“I love going out to events and
doing our presentation, especially our
poems and song which we are very
Continued on next page
DEPARTMENT PROFILE: SELF-DIRECTED SUPPORT PEER ADVISORS
Continued from previous page
proud of. The smile they put on people’s faces is fantastic and the feedback
so far has been amazing. We have also
started doing community journalism,
using this as a way of telling other SDS
users’ stories. I’m excited to promote
and raise awareness of how important
SDS is. This journey has also made a
big difference to me as a person.”
John feels passionate about what
SDS can mean for people who are
assessed as having a need.
He said: “Lots of people are coming to us who need support and feel
they haven’t got a clue about SDS because a lot of information they are
being told is wrong. SDS can help a lot
of families and benefit a lot of people.
“I’ve heard a lot of emotional stories about how SDS can change people’s lives. It really has completely
changed my life. It is helping me work
towards a proper job because I want
to help young people with disabilities,
so this is benefitting me.
“I’m passionate about improving
people’s lives. The most important
part for me is being paid because I
never got paid before in my entire life
for working. I really feel I am doing a
proper job and loving every minute!
Emma talks frankly about how
scary SDS can be: “I was first introduced to SDS through chit-chat, and
naturally I started panicking. All this
information sounded scary, and too
much for me to have to handle. I also
had ‘light bulbs’ over my head about
outcomes, which I think are so important to get across to people. An outcome is a personal choice, a dream,
what you want to achieve in life. You
have to show it is making your life
better. There’s nothing more satisfying
when people give us great feedback
and it shows us we are making a difference.
“I’m enjoying the work, I feel a part
of society and I love when people ask’
what do you do?’ I love trying to show
that an SDS budget is not just about
buying support or going shopping too:
it’s about choice, control and flexibility
and to have the best out of your life.”
Ruth, John and Emma, SDS peer advisors
But as with any change in health
and social care, there are challenges:
“What we are saying sounds great, but
people are having trouble getting assessed and a budget approved. There
are also problems with spending the
money sometimes, because the services are not there yet. Not everyone
seems to be treated the same, too and
it depends where you live whether you
will get SDS. That is worrying and people should know what to expect,” she
said.
The peer advisors have taken a risk
in becoming paid and putting themselves out there in order to talk about
SDS, so why does it matter so much?
Ruth: “I get to be with an amazing
bunch of people doing something we
- 14 -
all love and we are passionate about.
The future of SDS is bright, and is going to improve so many peoples’ lives”.
John is proud that their work has
been refunded: “SDS matters because
you have your own choice of what
outcome you want to have in the future and it’s really important what
option you have. It makes a difference
to people’s lives! Getting more money
for the SDS project is a huge achievement for us, so we must be doing
something right for Scottish Government”.
Emma sums up perfectly: “We all
deserve this, we are showing society
that you can do things if you put your
mind to it. Everyone has to put their
mind to it – it’s called passion.”
ARGYLL & BUTE HOSPITAL
Tennis
clash
inspires
tasty
treats
LORN & ISLANDS HOSPITAL
Beds change at
Oban welcomed
ARGYLL and Bute Health and Social Care
Partnership (HSCP) is reconfiguring the
acute medical unit within Lorn & Islands
Hospital in Oban to build on the services
that are currently provided to patients from
the hospital.
It is the aim of the HSCP to ensure that acutely
ill patients are admitted to the hospital as required
and also to further develop services to support
people at home. As part of this reconfiguration
the HSCP has initially redesignated four medical
beds as short-term assessment beds.
The introduction of these assessment beds will
provide an opportunity for patients to spend more
time with the hospital’s medical, nursing and other
associated professionals without the need to be
admitted to the hospital. This will allow investigations to be undertaken and treatment and care
planned. The patient can then be safely discharged
back to their own home if a longer admission to
hospital is not required.
The HSCP will be trialling this model of care
over the next few weeks and evaluating the outcomes for patients.
Dr Richard Wilson, the HSCP’s clinical lead for
North Argyll, said: “The introduction of the medical assessment beds within the hospital is a welcome development for patients and in many cases
it will allow them to be seen by an appropriate
health professional and to receive the appropriate
treatment without having to be admitted to hospital.”
- 15 -
PATIENTS and
staff in Succoth
and IPCU Wards
at the Argyll &
Bute Hospital
got into the
Wimbledon
spirit as they
watched Andy
Murray take the
title of men's
tennis champion
for the second
time.
Healthcare assistants Daniel
Broderick and
Carol Ross prepared cucumber
sandwiches, strawberries and cream,
fruit punch and a
range of other nibbles for all in attendance on what
turned out to be a
very enjoyable afternoon.
Carol commented: “It’s not
every day a Scot
wins such a prestigious tournament,
so it was good that
we were all able to
celebrate such a
fantastic achievement together."
Donald Watt,
mental health manager, commented:
“The event was a
great success and
enjoyed by patients”.
LOCHABER
Care home residents
use video pharmacy
RESIDENTS of Lochaber care
homes can now have their medications reviewed by an NHS Highland pharmacist located many
miles away thanks to new video
technology – and there are plans
to extend the scheme to people’s
own homes.
Project lead Patricia Hannam (right)
was able to run her remote clinical
pharmaceutical care project from the
board’s north and west operational unit
headquarters in Dingwall by establishing
video-conferencing (VC) links with the
care homes.
And with the assistance of the
eHealth department, she set up remote
links with GP practices in the Lochaber
area.
The initial success of her project
generated considerable interest at the
NHS Scotland event held in Glasgow
recently.
A poster entered into the ‘effective
quality of care’ category about the remote video pharmacy clinic was chosen
as one of the finalists of the exhibition
in June.
“We launched the programme in
May 2015 and the initial results seem to
indicate that patients and practices
benefit from the service,” Patricia explained. “We started by establishing
remote links with five GP practices’
computer systems. By October, we
started to conduct medication review
clinics using established VC links in care
homes in the area.”
A key part of the pharmaceutical
care review was to invite patients, along
with their families if they wished, to
attend a pharmacy clinic by VC at their
care home.
The scope for the project was widened in December to accommodate the
use of VC links to join multi-disciplinary
team meetings at the GP practices and
engaging in clinics for her care home
patients with other healthcare team
across Highland.
Patricia said: “We now have VC
links with New Craigs Hospital and The
Highland Hospice in Inverness, and we
have even managed to use the service
to provide temporary cover for a pharmacist in north-west Sutherland.
“We have some challenges to overcome, such as how to connect to noncare home patients. We will be looking
at using new apps and technology to
create links with patients’ in their
homes with the support of NHS Highland’s Technology Enabled Care team.”
WICK
Jocky’s garden gift
A SECTION of the memory garden at Wick’s Town and
County Hospital has been completed thanks to the generosity of a local firm.
Jocky Sutherland at Caithness Flagstone Ltd donated a Caithness flagstone bench, bird bath and chippings towards the garden
this month.
The Friends of Town and County Hospital Garden appealed for
help earlier in the year in making the garden space at the hospital a
therapeutic, enjoyable, accessible space for patients, their relatives
and friends.
Iain McHardy, acting senior charge nurse, is delighted with the
donation. He said: “Jocky’s kind donation has provided a lovely
feature for the garden which will not only be enjoyed by both patients and staff but also reflects the heritage of Caithness.
“We are all very grateful for the support we have received for
our memory garden.”
If you would like to learn more about the garden project or
Acting senior charge nurse Iain McHardy is pictured have any ideas about fundraising or what can go in the garden
please contact Iain McHardy on 01955 880389.
with Caitlyn Mowat from Caithness Flagstone Ltd
- 16 -
COMINGS & GOINGS
Alternative
care model
in place
at Ross
Memorial
NHS HIGHLAND has confirmed
new arrangements have been put
in place to provide clinical leadership to the general ward and minor injuries unit at Ross Memorial
Hospital in Dingwall.
On 1st August, Karen McCance took
up the role of Advanced Nurse Practitioner and will provide clinical assessment, treatment planning and oversee
discharge arrangements.
She will be supported in this role by
an experienced team of nursing staff,
Allied Health Professionals
(physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and radiographers) and prescribing pharmacist.
An off-site GP and consultants will
be available to provide advice with clinical decision-making.
These changes have been brought in
following the Dingwall Medical Group
withdrawing from providing the medical
cover due to GP recruitment challenges
in the practice.
Chris Arnold, district manager for
the area, said: “This alternative model
of care utilises the advanced clinical
skills of local staff who have been developing over a number of years.
“We will be monitoring the new
approach very closely to make sure
high standards of care are maintained.”
COLLEAGUES said a fond farewell to Christina Macdonald (above) last month.
Christina, who has for the past four years been working as the Freedom of Information administrator and was previously with the communications team, retired
from NHS Highland after more than 20 years of working within the NHS. She
was based in Assynt House, Inverness.
Brian moves on
BRIAN HOUSTON. (pictured right)
NHS Highland’s payroll manager, has
left the board for pastures new after 41
years of service in the NHS.
Brian, who was based in Inverness, is
pictured here with director of human
resources Anne Gent.
- 17 -
NATIONAL PLAY DAY
T
HE FRIENDS of the Birnie support group, a registered charity, held a summer session at the
Birnie Centre this month to celebrate National Play
Day.
The session at the development centre for children with
learning difficulties and special needs at Raigmore Hospital
allowed for the opportunity to bring some of the older children, who are no longer able to attend because they are in
school, back together again. The weather was kind and whilst
the sun shone the doors were opened into the garden where
the children had a picnic and played while those who stayed
inside were able to do arts and crafts and messy play.
The group normally runs two weekly drop-in sessions
during term time and is a valuable source of support to children with additional special needs and their families and carers. Parent and/or carers can come along and have a coffee
with others and share experiences, advice and support while
the children have fun in a safe and friendly environment.
DUNDEE
Plaque ceremony
marks opening of
young people’s
mental health unit
SCOTTISH international footballer Gemma Fay was in Dundee
this month to open a new purposebuilt facility for young people with
mental health problems.
And there was a strong NHS Highland interest in the occasion.
Gemma unveiled a plaque before
meeting staff and patients during a tour
of the £8 million Young People’s Unit
(YPU), which is based on the site of the
previous YPU at Dudhope Terrace.
The YPU is part of the North of
Scotland Regional Child and Adolescent
Mental Health Service (NoS CAMHS)
Among those at the plaque unveiling was Sally Amor, child health commissioner/public health specialist, NHS Highland (second from right)
project, a partnership between Tayside,
Highland, Grampian, Orkney and Shetland NHS boards.
The 12-bed in-patient unit includes
an education facility and family accom-
- 18 -
modation for patients from across the
north of Scotland.
All bedrooms are en-suite and there
is private outdoor space and a gym
available for patients.
AUGMENTED REALITY
N
HS HIGHLAND staff are
to be given demonstrations of how advanced versions
of
technology
similar
to
those used in Pokemon Go are
being used to help revolutionise
healthcare.
Alongside
a
week-long
‘Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality’ event at #hellodigital, UHI campus, Inverness, from 29th August to
2nd September, there are to be two
sessions specifically for health board
staff and those working in health industries.
These sessions are designed to
highlight local advances in Augmented Reality (AR) – a real-time
view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such
as sound, video, graphics or GPS
data.
One session will be held from 12
noon to 2pm on 29th August at the
Centre for Health Science. The second session will take place on 1st
September from 1.30pm to 2.30pm
in #hellodigital at Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s new An Lochan
building at the UHI Inverness Campus. Book online at: http://bit.ly/
healthAR
Both sessions will allow staff
‘hands-on’ experience of the latest
home-grown developments. They
Pokemon Go-style
technology to be
used in healthcare
Anyone interested in
attending either of the sessions should contact Alan
Whiteside
on
[email protected] or
0774 333 4585.
Anyone wishing to attend the #hellodigital Augmented Reality and Virtual
Reality applied in Health
and Life Sciences should
register on: http://bit.ly/
healthAR
will also be asked for their own ideas
about potential applications.
The Pokemon Go phenomenon
showed how this simplest form of
AR has come of age by allowing
‘virtual’ Pokemon icons to be ‘seen’
in the real world across a different
range of smart phones through seamlessly blending digital and physical
realities.
Chris Bryson (right), of Summit, shows Epson’s Moverio ‘smart glasses’ to
NHS Highland consultant cardiologist Professor Stephen Leslie
- 19 -
The session will feature how local
firm Summit Wearable Solutions is
helping to take this placement of
virtual objects through AR to a different, more sophisticated, level.
Using Epson’s Moverio glasses,
Summit has developed and incorporated software to overlay images and
data to a viewer in real time.
Effectively wearable computers
with various self-contained mobile
apps, the smart glasses are internet
connected. They work by projecting
images onto the lens while allowing
the user to function – and see – as
normal. They also have high resolution camera and voice recognition
software that can turn speech into
text so can be used as a playback
device or heads-up display of information from EPRs, live video or archived images to improve outcomes
and speed up procedures.
Alan Whiteside, innovation consultant with the board’s research,
development and innovation department, said: “Several NHS Highland
clinicians have already shown interest
in the smart glasses and made suggestions for possible applications.”
Primary care practitioners could
be guided through procedures remotely by doctors based many miles
away.
“In addition, the glasses could be
an excellent training resource because they are able to record procedures using apps for record taking,
combining speech recognition with
videos and images.
“And they could be used for dispensing and administrating medicines,
providing an automatic record of
what was administered, where when
and by whom,” he said.
WIZARD WINNERS
INSPECTION
Raigmore
HEI report
published
S
TAFF from the X-ray department in Caithness General Hospital
dressed up as characters from the Wizard of Oz for the town’s recent
gala. Organisers were so impressed they awarded the group first prize in
the adult group foot walkers’ section.
Kirstin Mackay, deputy superintendent radiographer, explained that they found it
a good team-building experience.
She said: “We took part last year and really enjoyed the atmosphere. The A&E
department at the hospital won this prize last year so we’re more than happy to get
our name on the trophy this time.”
EARLIER this month, the
Healthcare Environment Inspectorate published a report into an
unannounced inspection visit to
Raigmore Hospital.
The report highlighted a
number of areas of good practice
in the hospital and cited a number of requirements.
Iona McGauran, lead nurse
for Raigmore, said: “The inspection team highlighted a number
areas of good practice which included
a good standard of
cleanliness in the wards, departments and theatres, good staff
compliance with infection prevention and control and the information displayed for patients.
“I am particularly pleased
with the excellent feedback the
inspection team received from
our patients about their stay in
hospital.”
She added that work had begun, and in some cases completed, on the areas identified
for improvement.
“Our theatre cleaning schedules have been updated and we
are progressing some enhanced
training in a number of areas
including cleaning techniques in
theatres,” she said.
WORKSHOPS
Healthy Weight training sessions announced
A SERIES of Healthy Weight training opportunities has been organised for later in the year.
The Scottish Natural Heritage headquarters in Inverness will be the venue
for four free workshops, each of which
will run from 9.30am-4.30pm.
The first, ‘Introduction to Weight
Management’, will be held on 10th October and will introduce a health-centred
approach to weight management for
health and wellbeing.
It will be followed on 11th October
by ‘Intuitive Eating’, which has been de-
- 20 -
signed for people who have completed
the ‘Introduction to Weight Management’ course.
‘Introduction to Weight Management’ and Intuitive Eating’ workshops
will also be held on 14th and 15th November respectively.
- 21 -
TECHNOLOGY
Crofter’s new prosthetic arm
helps him build up business
DON
CAMERON’s
successful
management of the family croft
despite losing an arm four years
ago has been further boosted
thanks to staff at NHS Highland
and Glasgow.
The hard-working 43-year-old lost
his left arm above the elbow in a hay
baler accident in September 2012.
Fitted with a traditional-style prosthetic arm, determined Don was soon
back at work and building up the croft
business he runs with his wife Cara near
Lairg in Sutherland.
But Don, who also works offshore
as a subsea supervisor, had a problem.
The harder he worked, the prosthetic
would lose its grip and, even worse,
come off.
Now, thanks to staff at Raigmore
Hospital in Inverness and the Queen
Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow, Don has
been given a new, American-design.
After the accident the father of two
was soon back at work offshore. Within
a year, he had managed to teach himself
to shear his 20 sheep one-handed.
With the recent downturn in the oil
industry Don took the opportunity to
make use of his farming equipment to
Detail of the harness below
Don Cameron (left) with WestMARC’s senior prothetist Vincent MacEachen
build up contract work on other farms.
But Don said: “If I start to get a bit
sweaty, the arm would loosen.”
A suggestion from Elaine McCurrach, prosthetic service manager at
Raigmore, that he access the Specialist
Prosthetics Service provided the solution - the Hi Fidelity interface.
Unlike traditional silicon sockets that
just fit the periphery of the limb, the
ROYAL LUNCH
T
IREE district nurse Catriona
Cowling won a draw to attend a
Patrons’ Lunch in London where the
Queen was guest of honour .
The lunch on the Mall was arranged
to acknowledge the Queen’s patronage
of over 600 organisations as part of her
90th birthday celebrations.
The draw was arranged by the
Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland and
saw 12 nurses chosen for the London
event, including Catriona, pictured
sixth from left.
Catriona said she thoroughly enjoyed her visit to London and even
managed a chat with Princess Anne.
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interface uses moulded technology to
capture and control the residual bone.
Between April and May this year,
Don went to West of Scotland Mobility
and Rehabilitation Centre (WestMARC)
at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where
Vincent MacEachen, the centre’s senior
prosthetist and Hi Fidelity practitioner,
took a specialist cast. Vincent then
modified this to provide the new arm.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Peer review honour for
NHS Highland doctors
TWO NHS Highland clinical psychologists have recently been published in professional journals.
Dr Brigid Walker and Dr Ann
McPaul, who are both based at New
Craigs Hospital in Inverness, have had
articles published in peer reviewed journals.
“It’s the culmination of a lot of hard
work over a number of years, and I’m
delighted to have this article published
by such a renowned journal,” said Dr
Walker, whose article was published in
the British Journal of Learning Disabilities.
“All articles are peer reviewed, so
there have been one or two changes
along the way to ensure that it is a clinically robust piece of work.
“My article focuses on the reliability
of an assessment tool for dementia in
people with Down’s syndrome, and is
drawn from my clinical work. I want to
thank everyone who has helped me with
this article.”
Dr McPaul said: “My study looked at
an assessment tool currently used in the
general population and its suitability for
use with adults with learning disabilities.
“I feel very lucky to be published but
I couldn’t have done it without the support from my colleagues and the participants who took the time to take part.
“I wrote the article as part of my
doctoral thesis and I was thrilled when
it was accepted for publication by the
Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities.”
NHS Highland community mental
health services manager Michael Perera
Dr Brigid Walker (left) and Dr Ann
McPaul, NHS Highland clinical psychologists
said: “I would like to congratulate both
of my colleagues for this fantastic
achievement. These journals publish the
best work from across the United Kingdom.
“It is another example of the high
calibre of staff that we can attract to
work in the Highlands of Scotland.
Writing articles such as these takes a lot
of time and dedication, and Dr Walker
and Dr McPaul can be justifiably proud
of their achievements.”
EDUCATION
Caithness trio now
better equipped
to work on
health inequalities
UNDER THE guidance of community health practitioner Arlene
Tait and assistance from colleague
Pat Groves, three course members
have completed their Health Issues in the Community (HIIC)
Course in Caithness.
The course is designed to give local
people and workers the tools to tackle
health inequalities at the community
level.
The HIIC (Part 1) course is the second one to be run in the youth club
in Wick. The training programme aims
to increase community capacity and
participation and support community
development approaches to tackling
inequalities in health.
As part of the programme, course
members had to make presentations.
Morena Mackenzie spoke about domestic abuse, Carlene Rosie had addiction
for her topic and Naomi Watson tackled the problem of loneliness.
- 23 -
The three speakers are seated at the
right front of the picture. They are,
from left, Naomi Watson, Morena
Mackenzie and Carlene Rosie. Arlene
Tait is second from left.
FALLS PREVENTION
New strategy roll-out planned for Sutherland
SUTHERLAND residents who suffer falls will soon be able to be
cared for at home rather hospital
thanks to an award-winning programme by NHS Highland.
First set up in 2014, the ‘Making the
Right Call for a Fall’ initiative has seen
dramatic reductions in fall related admissions as part of successful multiagency work across the Highlands.
NHS Highland’s prevention and
management of falls co-ordinator Dr
Christine McArthur says the programme will “help to stop people falling,
and start saving lives and money”.
Results have shown that once put in
place, falls-related hospital admissions
drop by more than 20 per cent.
Christine, who along with programme lead physiotherapist Lynne
Siddiqui received a prestigious UK
‘Advancing Healthcare Award’ earlier
this year, says the programme identifies
those at risk in order to prevent falls;
and provides a support pathway so they
can stay in their own homes after a fall.
The response involves NHS Highland staff, agencies such as the Scottish
Ambulance Service, Scottish Fire and
Rescue, Highlife Highland, and thirdsector organisations under the Voluntary Groups East Sutherland umbrella
and Let’s Get On With It Together.
BETTYHILL
Unit clinches
first prize for
floral display
A BROCHURE for Bettyhill Gala
dropping through the door at Melvich Community Care Resource
Unit started a conversation among
staff and day care users which
ended in first prize for the unit.
Beryl Mackay, relief day care
officer, was chatting with day care
users about the gala and the competitions that she entered.
Being able to engage and be
part of the local community is very
important to those who live in the
home and use the day care services
and they showed a particular interest in entering the floral display.
Staff supplied the flowers, base
and tools required and assisted day
care users in putting together a
display which subsequently won
first prize at the gala.
- 24 -
- 25 -
- 26 -
ORAL HEALTH
Smile please
NATIONAL SMILE Month recently came to Kintyre in the form
of special events to highlight the
UK’s biggest oral health campaign.
A series of events took place aiming
to promote and raise awareness of
good oral health was organised by
Caroline Glen and
Catherine Armour
from the oral health
improvement team.
Information displays were held in
Tarbert
Health
Centre and Campbeltown
Hospital
between May and
June 2016.
On 15th June a free electric
toothbrush trial was held in Campbeltown Hospital and staff, patients and the
public were invited to come along and
test drive an electric tooth brush. These
brushes have been proven to be more
effective at removing plaque and improving oral health.
Left: Campbeltown Hospital staff
Above: Drumlemble nursery children
The children kept a diary of healthy
snacks and tooth brushing and received
certificates, smileys and smiley bags
from the oral health team to encourage
healthy smiles!
Liz Peat, oral health improvement
manager, said that National Smile Month
is an ideal opportunity to build on our
oral health programmes and activity
throughout Argyll and Bute by raising
awareness and promoting positive oral
health behaviours.
She said: “Oral health is integral to
achieving good general health and I hope
all those involved enjoy the activities.”
They are easily accessible for clients
in wheelchairs, and clients can view
their labours from the communal lounge.
Staff and clients have enjoyed plant-
ing the first flowers together.
In the picture, clients and staff look
on as a Royal Bank of Scotland cheque is
presented to the Friends of Caladh
Sona.
In Drumlemble and Campbeltown,
nursery staff showed young children
how easy it is to take care of their
smiles with ‘Nemo the Fish’ and ‘Leo
the Lion’.
SUTHERLAND
Care home gets
new flower beds
FOLLOWING the loss of the summer house at Caladh Sona, a small
residential care home in Talmine,
Sutherland, two winters ago their
charity, Friends of Caladh Sona,
had been looking for something
which could replace it.
Their remit was simple – something
which would ideally be as accessible and
useful for as many of their clients as
possible.
In 2016, the Royal Bank of Scotland
selected Friends of Caladh Sona as their
charity to sponsor and, working with
the Friends, they decided to fund new
raised flower beds for the home.
These are now up and running and
offer the chance for our clients to garden and enjoy the outdoors.
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HIGHLAND HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARY
Assuming tin openers:
Statistics and NHS Highland electronics book use
Highland will be contributing. In the light of
this the Librarian has been looking at the usage
of the current stock of electronic books.
Did you know that we currently have a
stock of around 50 books which are available
electronically? The subject range is broad –
from dementia to dentistry, from burns to managing change.
The simplest way to find these is to use the
keyword option of the catalogue and type in
NHS Highland electronic then search. The full
text of the books are then accessible to you via
your Knowledge Network username/password.
THE Librarian was hopeless at Maths at
school (and still is). One thing that used
to really irk him was the reliance of
mathematicians on assuming things.
Mr Librarian is not one of the world’s most
sociable creatures but you’ve got to give it to
him that he makes the effort.
In summer he hosts the odd barbecue and
in winter the hirelings sometimes get called into
his opulent office for mulled drinks.
On those occasions he is apt to wax lyrical
on his favourite topics (fly fishing, sailing, and
horse racing) or regale people with what he
sees as amusing (boring?) anecdotes. These
tend to get repeated again and again.
One of his favourites is his joke about the
philosopher, artist and mathematician. This
group were stranded on a desert island along
with a vast amount of tinned food. Try as they
might they couldn’t get the tins open. Finally
they sat down to brainstorm. The philosopher
suggested that they should try to use rocks, the
artist was for fashioning some form of flint tool.
The mathematician’s response:
“Let’s assume we
have a tin
opener”.
Statistics,
however, are a
different matter. Ever since university, when he
discovered the book Statistics Without Tears
(QA 200 ROW) the Librarian has been an avid
analyser of figures.
He spends hours hypothesising the reasons
for trends in figures – you
may have already seen
some of these musings
gracing past pages of Highlights.
NHSScotland is currently embarking on a
national electronic book
project to which NHS
The results of the Librarian’s dabble in these
sets of statistics show low usage of the collection so far.
The highest use is of
the Maudsley prescribing
guidelines – the ‘Bible’
of drugs used in treating psychiatric conditions.
Rob Polson,
Subject Librarian,
Highland Health
Sciences Library
([email protected])
Remember, whatever your needs the Highland Health Sciences Library exists to help you. Save time and money. Don’t
spend more than 10 minutes on a problem you may be having – contact the library instead. To find out more about the
library call 01463 255600 (x7600).
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OTHER LIVES
Ever wondered what our staff do in their spare time?
‘Other Lives’ reports on colleagues’ outside interests
Mike came here to
surf … and stayed!
WHEN Mike Flavell first visited Caithness to surf the cold waters off the coast,
little did he realise that he would still be
here some 30 years later.
Back in 1985, keen surfer Mike was travelling the world seeking out the best surfing spots
and had travelled north to see what Caithness
had to offer.
And Mike, 53, was so impressed with what
he found that he decided to stay, eventually
becoming NHS Highland’s district manager in
Caithness.
He said: “At that time I’d been travelling
around – Australia, Indonesia, and California –
for a couple of years. I’d heard about Caithness
when in Cornwall and heard that the surfing
was good. I knew a fellow Kiwi who was staying
up here and I came up to see for myself.”
What so impressed Mike that made him
decide to stay was that the surfing here ticked
all the boxes for him.
He said: “You can surf here all year round if
you want. But it’s best to surf in the winter.
You get big swells from the North Atlantic
which can produce waves of 10-15 feet.”
“Along with the big waves, it was also uncrowded and the water was so clear you could
see to the bottom.”
Mike first learnt to surf in his teens in his
native New Zealand where some of the
beaches were busier.
I bought
myself a
stand-up
paddle
board so
it is really
old man’s
surfing
- 29 -
He said: “I learnt to surf in Raglan – one of
New Zealand’s big surfing spots – with my mates
back in the 1970s.”
Nowadays, Mike, who was always a recreational surfer, doesn’t spend as much time as he
used to in the water, nor does he try to tackle
the big surf.
He said: “When I first came here and was
much younger, I used to surf Thurso East
(Caithness’s most famous reef break). Now I
prefer more sedate surfing and tend to go
beaches such as Strathy, Melvich or Dunnet. I
brought myself a stand-up paddle board last year
so it really is old man’s surfing as I don’t even
need to get wet when paddling out.”
After marrying a local girl, and with his
mother-in-law being a physiotherapist at the
Dunbar Hospital in Thurso, Mike decided to follow the same career path.
He completed his training in Glasgow in 1993
and worked as a physiotherapist in Raigmore
Hospital for two years before settling in Caithness again in 1995. He became superintendent
physiotherapist four years later.
A spell as Caithness’s physiotherapy team
lead followed before his appointment as Caithness district manager in 2013.
Outside work Mike spends time now passing
on his love of surfing to his three children.
“I go surfing now about once a month with
my children,” he said. “I have two boys and a girl.
They started using body boards that you lie on
but have progressed to surfboards.”
And Mike says he is family are not the only
ones. Surfing in Caithness is now very popular.
He explained: “There were only about 10
people surfing in Caithness back in 1985, of
whom two were Kiwis and one was an Aussie.
But it’s become very popular nowadays.
“However, there are still a lot of places to
surf that are uncrowded and you can always still
find a wave that will make your day.”
Answering the questions this
month is Kenny Clarke,
assistant divisional manager
for surgical at Raigmore
How would you describe your job, Kenny?
It keeps me very busy.
And how would you describe yourself?
Friendly and sociable .
Do you have any hobbies and interests?
Landscape and nature photography, Blues music & DIY.
What was the first single you ever bought?
Itchycoo Park by the Small Faces. I also bought the album
Nursery Cryme by Genesis at the same time.
What is your favourite food?
Seafood paella with a glass of wine.
Do you have a favourite film?
Lord of the Rings ... with a glass of whiskey.
What about your favourite TV programme?
Blindspot … with a glass of cider.
Is there a book you’ve particularly enjoyed?
Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan … with several glasses of
cider
Inconsiderate drivers and litter louts.
If you won £10 million in the lottery, what would you
spend it on?
Family, friends and early retirement.
What about a smaller sum, say £1,000?
A weekend away.
What are you pet hates?
If you could have dinner with three people, dead or
alive, who would they be and what would you cook
them?
My guests would be Ansel Adams, Eric Clapton, Nigella
Lawson and I would serve whatever Nigella wanted as long
as she helped me cook it.
What are the best and worst parts of your job?
The best parts are the people I work with. The worst parts
are when we disappoint the patients.
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