Minor Injuries Clinic is twenty years old!

WesternGeneral

The Minor Injuries Clinic will mark a major milestone this week when it celebrates its 20th anniversary​. The unit, which was the first in Scotland, opened at the Western General Hospital in 1994.

It broke new ground when it was launched by becoming the first nurse-led unit of its kind. Now 20 years on, the unit continues to be one of NHS Lothian’s flagship services and treats around 25,000 people every year for a variety of aches, pains, cuts and sprains.

Fiona Churchill, lead nurse practitioner, NHS Lothian, said the unit was a one-stop shop for patients and provided a crucial alternative to busy Emergency departments which were dealing with life-threatening injuries.

She said the unit has ensured that patients are treated at the right time, by the right people in the right place.

She added: “We are delighted to be celebrating our 20th anniversary. The minor injuries clinic was pioneering when it was created and over the years it has continued to be at the forefront of quality care.”

The service has grown and evolved over the last two decades and paramedic practitioners and a physiotherapy practitioner are now attached to the unit.

One of the other major changes has been that all staff are, or are working towards becoming independent prescribers, which has helped enhance the patients’ journey and help the unit become the one-stop shop it was designed to be.

The number of patients attending the clinic has more then doubled since it was launched in 1994 because of its prompt and expert care.

It is estimated that on average 60 adults and children now attend the clinic every day – around 25,000 every year – for a range of injuries, especially to their ankle or wrist and for burns, cuts and sprains.

The clinic will continue to evolve and will soon move into a specially-designed unit on the same site as part of the work to re-design the Western General Hospital site to make it more effective and improve patient flow.

It will continue to be a walk-in service, so no appointment is required for treatment from a range of staff, including nurse, physiotherapy and paramedic practitioners.

Over the years, opening hours have been extended to make the clinic more accessible and in line with patients’ needs, meaning that it is now open every day of the year from 8am to 9pm, with last book in at 8.30 pm.​

That seems incredible – can it really be that the Western General Action Group campaign was over twenty years ago?

wgag10

wgag2

Invite to Health Project's AGM

PCHPlogo

You are invited to attend

PILTON COMMUNITY HEALTH PROJECT

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

on Wednesday 12 November 10:30 – 12:30

at Pilton Community Health Project
73 Boswall Parkway, Edinburgh, EH5 2PW

Come along and find out what we’ve done this year and hear more about what we have planned!

Light refreshments will be served

RSVP
admin@pchp.org.uk or 0131 551 1671

Invite to Health Project’s AGM

PCHPlogo

You are invited to attend

PILTON COMMUNITY HEALTH PROJECT

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

on Wednesday 12 November 10:30 – 12:30

at Pilton Community Health Project
73 Boswall Parkway, Edinburgh, EH5 2PW

Come along and find out what we’ve done this year and hear more about what we have planned!

Light refreshments will be served

RSVP
admin@pchp.org.uk or 0131 551 1671

It's Primary Schools Open Day

Visit your catchment school today

On 5 November 2014 you are welcome to visit your catchment primary school for their open day.

Find your catchment schools using our catchment map.

Any parents or carers with children under primary school age are welcome. There’s no need to make an appointment. Just come along to your catchment school during the open hours or for the start of one of their tours.

Find your school’s open day

Find your school in the list of primary schools to find out when the open day takes place. Some schools are having their open day on a different date to 5 November 2014 or are running an extra day. You can find the details in our directory.

It’s Primary Schools Open Day

Visit your catchment school today

On 5 November 2014 you are welcome to visit your catchment primary school for their open day.

Find your catchment schools using our catchment map.

Any parents or carers with children under primary school age are welcome. There’s no need to make an appointment. Just come along to your catchment school during the open hours or for the start of one of their tours.

Find your school’s open day

Find your school in the list of primary schools to find out when the open day takes place. Some schools are having their open day on a different date to 5 November 2014 or are running an extra day. You can find the details in our directory.

#StrongerNorth: working together to make Pilton safer

#StrongerNorth initiaitive launched in WestPilton

DSCF2321Police Scotland, the city council and the local community have joined forces to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour in North Edinburgh. Working together under the #StrongerNorth banner, they will work together to address community safety concerns across the area.

Last month, residents expressed anger at an apparent failure by local agencies to respond to concerns over antisocial behaviour in West Pilton. A public meeting followed the stabbing of a Chinese takeaway shop owner and residents demanded action to tackle gangs of ‘out of control’ youths. Last night’s meeting, again organised by West Pilton West Granton Community Council, was an opportunity for the authorities to respond.

Around twenty local residents attended the meeting in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre, and heard that both police and the city council have poured extra resources into the area to address community concerns. The agencies are working closely together on a number of initiaitives to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour in the area and local residents were told that ‘West Pilton will remain a high priority for us as long as it needs to be’.

Local area Commander Sarah Buchanan acknowledged that communication with the local community was not as good as it should have been and told the meeting that this now being addressed. “We are very aware of your concerns and we are acting to address these”, she said. ” It is really important to share information about what we are doing at all sorts of different levels and we will continue to do this. #StrongerNorth will help to improve communications with the local community- we will endeavour to get out as much information about what we are doing as we can, as quickly as we can.”

North Neighbourhood Manager Peter Strong highlighted a number of ongoing initiatives and assured the meeting that community concerns are being taken seriously. “We recognise there is a crisis, and we are here to help. This is not just about the council, or the police. It’s about all of us working together to make this a good community to stay in.”

Concerns were raised again over punishments and ‘rewards’ – there is still a perception that the ‘bad’ kids get all the treats to encourage them to change their behaviour, while ‘good’ kids go without.

Senior Children & Families official Alistair Gaw outlined procedures for dealing with offending children, and said: “The Children’s Hearings have substantial powers, but we are dealing with very serious problems. A number of these young people have had hundreds of charges”.

Community councillor Willie Black called for the local community to rally round to to support – and lead – efforts to change the area. “It’s fight or flight”, he said. “We don’t want to see people leaving the area, we’ve got to fight to make our community a vibrant place that people want to come to. There are some truly great things happening all across this area and we’ve got to build on that.

“We’re here – it’s our patch and we need to get it sorted. We can build an area where everyone can feel welcome – an area everyone can be proud of.”

#StrongerNorth Leaflet Nov 14