Tag: Health and wellbeing

Climate emergency: Shift to vegan diet vital to meet Paris targets, urges charity

Major political parties are being urged to include veganism at the centre of food and farming policies after declaring a national climate emergency. Continue reading Climate emergency: Shift to vegan diet vital to meet Paris targets, urges charity

Government announces plan to tackle workplace bullying in the NHS

A summit will be held this summer to consider what more can be done to promote positive workplace practices across the NHS. Health Secretary Jeane Freeman made the announcement as part of a package of measures in response to John Sturrock QC’s report into allegations of bullying and harassment in NHS Highland. Continue reading Government announces plan to tackle workplace bullying in the NHS

Over 6,800 youngsters to be taught CPR in Lothian every year

Around 40,000 youngster in Lothian are set to be taught CPR in the classroom before they leave school, with over 6,800 pupils being taught every year,  thanks to a national campaign by British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland. Continue reading Over 6,800 youngsters to be taught CPR in Lothian every year

City consults on ‘new vision’ for health and social care

 ” … right care, at the right time, in the right place” – Cllr Ricky Henderson, Chair of Edinburgh Integration Joint Board.

Edinburgh Residents are being asked to comment on a “bold new vision” for way the city delivers health and social care services. The Edinburgh Integration Joint Board has launched an online consultation as it seeks feedback on its new draft Strategic Plan.

The high-level vision – which intends to rapidly influence the way services are delivered by the NHS and City of Edinburgh Council – proposes the creation of a bespoke ‘Edinburgh Model’ for collaborative health and social care, placing Edinburgh’s communities and citizens at its heart.

Developed in collaboration with patients and their families, voluntary groups and care workers, the draft plan seeks to tackle inequality and concentrate resources at a local community level rather than in hospital settings.

Through a range of measures, the strategy intends to create the right conditions for the EIJB’s existing systems to evolve over the next three years and beyond so that it can provide the city with a “radically more modern, inclusive and sustainable offering”.

Residents are being asked to what extent they agree with the vision and its aspirations which include developing a:

  • Person centred, patient first and ‘home first’ approach, working towards shifting the balance of care from acute services to the community through a change programme
  • Refreshed Edinburgh Offer, using a Three Conversations Model to support prevention and early intervention
  • Motivated, skilled and balanced workforce and an enhanced partnership with the voluntary and independent sectors to continue to tackle inequality
  • Care supported by the latest technology and a culture of continuous improvement, fostered by greater use of data and performance management
  • Working with the strengths of citizens and communities to make sure that age, disability, or health conditions are not barriers to living a safe and thriving life in Edinburgh.

Chair of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, Ricky Henderson, said: “At its heart, the strategic plan sets out our desire to support people to be well at home, and in their community, for as long as possible. Providing first class acute hospital care only when medical intervention is needed, and the right care, at the right time, in the right place.

“Age, disability or health conditions should not stop people living a safe and good life and so our approach aims to work with individuals and their carers to see what matters most to them and support them to reach their goals. Everyone also deserves to live as comfortably and independently as they can, and by working towards a ‘home first’ method, we hope to empower people and communities to make these choices where they can.

“To do this, we need input from everyone who is touched by health and social care services in Edinburgh and we need to work collaboratively with our partners to optimise available resources. I urge people to take part in the consultation and have their say.”

How can I take part in the consultation?

You can take part online through the consultation hub. A number of specific drop in events will also take place with staff, members of the third sector and EIJB stakeholders.

 

What is a ‘three conversation’ model’?

The Three Conversations Model is proving successful as an approach to health and social care and is expanding fast.

The conventional approach to care triages people, attempts to divert and connect the level of support required, and then too often makes people wait for an ‘assessment for services’.

To move away from the idea that the task is to process people, complete unwieldy documents and presume the need for formal services, the Three Conversations Model offers three clear and precise ways of interacting with people that focus on what matters to them.

It is a radically different approach which recognises the power of connecting people to the strengths and assets of community networks, and the necessity to work dynamically with people in crisis. It is focused on improving the experience of people and families needing support, and in so doing, improving the satisfaction, fulfilment and effectiveness of those working in the sector, whether they be health care professionals, volunteers or carers.

The Three Conversations Model not only improves the experience of service users but is popular with those working in the sector and can lead to a significant reduction in recurring funded support.

What is the Edinburgh Model?

Essentially, we believe people are experts in their own lives, so our aim is to work with individuals and their carers to identify what matters most to them and support them to reach their potential.

We will introduce the Edinburgh offer to redefine the services and support that we offer to Edinburgh’s people. It will concentrate on supporting and enabling people to be as independent as possible.

We will engage our citizens in a more active and collaborative way. People who find themselves needing our support will know how to engage with us and realistically what to expect from that relationship.

It will be an explicit statement of our intent and mutual expectations, with greater definition on the kind of contract we wish to have with Edinburgh’s citizens.

What is a ‘home first’ approach?

Under a Home First approach, Integration Joint Board staff would work closely with colleagues in the community and in social care to plan for a patient to return home from the first day they arrive.

Some patients may not need any help when they get home, but for those who do, Home First would make sure the right support is in place. Patients would be seen at home within hours and receive an assessment by a Home First Team, made up of community nurses, therapists and social care professionals.

Every patient would have a personal care plan and this may include therapy, goals, support for carers, any equipment they may need and self-help advice. It helps patients to get home quicker and helps them to lead independent lives, with the support they need.

MSPs concern over hospital infections

Questions have been asked about the approach to and extent of surveillance and monitoring of infection within the NHS in a letter issued yesterday by the Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee.  Noting its concern with the current system, the Committee have been unable to identify a proactive approach to either. Continue reading MSPs concern over hospital infections

Get fit for life with Edinburgh Leisure

If your new year’s resolutions of getting fit never materialised, it’s not too late to get started. Instead of wishing and wanting, start doing and resolve to get fit for life, not just for the summer.

Edinburgh Leisure’s new membership offer could be just the promotion to help you get started.  With 30 venues across the capital, their May promotion will give new members a month free, when they join before the end of May 2019.

New members joining between 1 and 31 May 2019, will get June free.* The deal is available online and in venue.

Edinburgh Leisure is also running a ‘refer a friend’ offer for existing members. If a member refers a friend and they sign up during the time of the offer, the member will get £30 cash back (£20 cash back if they are members of Jack Kane, Queensferry or Kirkliston). This deal is only available in venue.

With 1 world class climbing centre, 6 golf courses, 8 saunas and 4 steam rooms, 10 swimming pools, 13 state of the art gyms and 800+ fitness classes per week across the various centres, Edinburgh Leisure is the biggest club in town, with something for everyone to enjoy moving and getting fitter.

David McLean, Fitness Manager at Edinburgh Leisure said: “Past research carried out by Edinburgh Leisure has revealed that those who attend regularly in the first two months of membership are significantly more likely to sustain the fitness habit.

“And rather than focusing on getting fit for the summer, why not make a pact with yourself to get fit for life.  Our helpful Edinburgh Leisure staff will be on hand to offer new members support and advice to help you enjoy increased physical activity in the long term and work out a programme that’s achievable, whatever your goal.”

For further information visit www.edinburghleisure.co.uk

Healthcare in Crisis: Four Seasons goes into administration

Four Seasons Health Care, one of the country’s biggest heath care organisations, has gone into administration.  The company, which has been struggling to tackle massive debt, says the move would not affect care arrangements or lead to the closure of homes.

Four Seasons employs around 20,000 staff who support approximately 17,000 patients and care home residents. It runs three care homes in Edinburgh: Gilmerton (above), North Merchiston and Guthrie House.

Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs MSP said: “Residents in the five Edinburgh care homes and their families will be very concerned about Four Seasons going into administration and what this presents for the future provision of the care homes.

“This is yet another example of the care crisis engulfing Edinburgh. We need to see urgent steps taken to stabilise the situation and support find a future for the company.

“It is crucial that the Scottish Government ensures operations at these care homes continue.”

Responding to the announcement, GMB Scotland Senior Organiser Drew Duffy said: “This is yet another case in point of the crisis in our care sector.

“Our immediate priority is the safeguard of our members’ jobs and conditions across Four Seasons homes in Scotland and to help tackle any uncertainty for an estimated 1,800 service users and their families.

“That’s why we have asked for an urgent meeting with the Scottish Government and COSLA representatives. We will also continue to work with our union across the rest of the UK and in our engagements with the employer, administrators and the UK Government.

“Four Seasons is just the tip of the iceberg and there is a far wider debate that needs to be had about the sustainability of our care sector in its present form.

“Let’s be clear that the public purse is largely funding these failing providers and the financiers behind them, while the rights of workers at the coal face, mainly low paid women, are constantly under attack. This is a toxic mix for staff and service users alike.

“If we leave this unchallenged then we will only continue to revisit the problems we are facing today in Four Seasons elsewhere in the sector. This must stop and the sector must change.”

 

 

Over 14 million UK adults don’t know where a stroke occurs

  • Over a quarter (27%) of the population don’t know that a stroke occurs in the brain – highlighting a lack of knowledge around the UK’s leading cause of disability.
  • Nearly half of UK adults know someone who has had a stroke (20 million people), but most admit to a lack of awareness and understanding needed to support stroke survivors in their recovery.
  • In a separate survey of stroke survivors, more than four out of five (85%) people said the people they had daily contact with did not understand the impact of the stroke.

Startling research unveiled today shows nearly half (45%) of people who know a survivor of stroke personally admitting that they are struggling to support them to make their best possible recovery, according to new findings published today by the Stroke Association.

The research reveals that one important reason for the lack of stroke support for survivors stems from a lack of awareness of what stroke is and how it affects people. Shockingly, more than a quarter (27%) of the public(ii) don’t know where in the body a stroke occurs: the brain. For those that know a stroke survivor, a huge 82%(i) feel that a greater understanding of stroke would help them support the survivor better.  All this, despite stroke being the country’s leading cause of disability.

The research(i) also found that of those who know someone personally who has had a stroke:

  • Nine in 10 (95%) agreed that family and friends play an essential role in the recovery process.
  • Nearly half (46%) admitted wanting to do more to help the stroke survivor that they knew but lacked the knowledge to do so.
  • Nearly a fifth (18%) say they do not properly understand the overall impact of the condition.

In a separate survey (iii) of stroke survivors, more than four out of five (85%) of stroke survivors said the people they had daily contact with did not understand the impact of the stroke. This ‘knowledge gap’ is preventing survivors getting the support they need from those closest to them, and stopping survivors from making the best possible recovery to rebuild their lives after stroke.

Tom Middlemass from Edinburgh had a stroke at the age of 52.  He was at work at the time when it happened. All he remembers is not being able to talk or get up.  He had lost the ability to communicate and wasn’t able to walk.

When the emergency services arrived, he was taken straight to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he remained in hospital for several days.  Tom couldn’t talk for three days and he had to learn to walk again.

Tom and his wife Joanne didn’t know anything about stroke including the fact it can affect your ability to communicate.  So Joanne had to find ways to help him whilst struggling to grasp the enormity of it all herself. She wrote things down, she tried to encourage Tom to talk, but it was hard to stop herself from finishing sentences for him.

Tom said: “Coming home made me realise just how much my life had completely changed. Everything changed for me: physically, emotionally and financially. I found myself going into deep depression.  I called it my ‘black, evil dog’.

“I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning. My life felt like a tunnel that I couldn’t escape from. There was no light at the other end.  The whole family were aware of it, but didn’t really know what to do and how to help me.”

Joanne, Tom’s wife said: “There’s nothing more distressing than knowing you have to help the person you love get better, but not knowing how to do it. And it wasn’t until Tom starting talking about his depression, that he started to turn the corner.  

“He’s never been one to talk easily about his feelings, but something had to change. Since then, Tom has gained confidence from volunteering with the Stroke Association in Scotland. He still has good days and bad days, but things are definitely better than they were.”

The charity published these findings to mark the launch of its newest campaign, Rebuilding Lives, which aims to showcase the challenges faced by stroke survivors and those who support them with their recoveries.

Other findings reveal the damaging effects that stroke can have on social networks and relationships:

  • More than one in 10 respondents admitted to seeing the survivor less after the latter had a stroke.
  • More than one in six of those who know a stroke survivor, admitted spending less time with them because the latter was perceived as not being the same person following the stroke.
  • A quarter (25%) said there had been a drop in social activity on the part of the stroke survivor.

Juliet Bouverie, Chief Executive of Stroke Association, comments: “A stroke happens in the brain, the control centre for who we are and what we can do. The impact varies depending on which part of the brain is affected.

“It could be anything from wiping out your speech and physical abilities, to affecting your emotions and personality. So, it’s a real challenge for everyone as they come to grips with this sudden and life changing event. These findings highlight the complexity of stroke and raises the desperate need amongst people to understand the impact of stroke in order to better support their loved ones.

“There are over 1.2 million stroke survivors living in the UK of which 124,000 are from Scotland.  Many of those are reliant on their friends and family, from help with daily living to understanding their emotional and mental health needs.  

“It doesn’t have to be this way. We’re urging those people who know someone who has had a stroke, to help turn this around and fill this knowledge gap. Reach out to the Stroke Association for help, so that together we can support stroke survivors to rebuild their lives.”

For more information about Rebuilding Lives or about stroke, visit www.stroke.org.uk/rebuildinglives.

For more information about what you can expect after a stroke, the Stroke Association has partnered with the Royal College of Physicians to produce an easy to read booklet accessible here: https://tinyurl.com/yyqj638z