Tag: NHS Lothian

Partnership addresses people going missing from hospitals

A partnership between police and NHS Lothian has been hugely successful in reducing the number of people going missing from healthcare facilities in the Capital.

Between 2014 and 2015 analysis was undertaken by Police Scotland into the time and resource devoted to tracing those who left the grounds of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital and Western General Hospital.

The average amount of policing hours spent looking for an individual, who goes missing from an acute health unit, is over three hours. This figure rises to 15 and a half hours for those who absconded who go missing from mental health care units.

The analysis by Edinburgh Division officers alongside NHS Lothian staff NHS Lothian staff was used to formulate a strategy in order to address this issue.

As a result, an joint initiative was launched to help dissuade people who were attending hospital from leaving without first notifying staff.

The campaign, which included leaflets and posters for display in prominent locations, outlined what happens when someone goes missing, the associated costs involved and what people could do to ensure that they did not inadvertently become a missing person.

Posters and leaflets were displayed and distributed within these facilities advising the public that if they go missing, then family members, friends and even work colleagues may be contacted to establish their whereabouts.

The literature also provided an overview as to the associated policing costs of a missing person inquiry.

In addition to raising public awareness, information sharing protocols were agreed with NHS Lothian, which enable enhanced risk assessment, allowing us to take a more informed approach when responding to a missing person case. to each case.

Since the launch of this campaign, the number of missing people from hospitals in Edinburgh reduced by 26% in 2019.

Work continues to reduce these numbers further to relieve the burden on frontline policing and spare families from the distress of a loved one going missing.

Chief Inspector Neil Wilson from Edinburgh Division said: “The reasons why a person goes missing are often complex and varied and the purpose of this initiative was as much to understand these issues, as it was deterring people from becoming a missing person.

“We, along with our partners, felt it prudent to inform the public about what actually happens once they are reported missing and what that means for their family, friends and colleagues, as well as the staffing hours incurred by police and NHS staff.

“The support this project has received from NHS Lothian has been outstanding and demonstrates a real commitment to joint working. and they have demonstrated a real commitment to mitigating against people going missing from their premises.

“It is great to see this initiative having such a positive impact, however neither agency will become complacent in our efforts, as we continue to work together to minimise the number of people who go missing from Edinburgh’s hospitals. “

Dr. Tracey Gillies, Medical Director, NHS Lothian said, “I would like to thank Chief Inspector Wilson and his team for their continued support, as together we respond to this important issue.”

Briggs: NHS Lothian Covid-19 funding fears

In May, the NHS Lothian Local Mobilisation Plan (LMP) forecast additional costs of £149.8m associated with the COVID-19 response across the Board and four HSCPs (health and social care partnerships). Of this, £71m is anticipated in the four months to the end of July.

Scottish Conservative Health Spokesperson, Miles Briggs, said: “NHS Lothian was facing significant financial challenges before Covid-19 struck and now these financial challenges are even greater.

“SNP Ministers must ensure that health boards are properly funded to deliver essential health services during this public health crisis and have appropriate measures in place.

“The poor management of NHS Boards by consecutive SNP Health Secretaries has meant that NHS Scotland was not in as strong a position as we should have been to deal with this crisis.

“Waiting times for operations are going to be longer in all health boards and I do not have confidence that SNP Ministers will be able get on top of these long treatment waiting times.”

Rehabilitation support available to Covid-19 patients in Edinburgh and Lothians

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs has praised Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s work to reform the way people with lung conditions access rehabilitation and support.

Covid-19 is expected to lead to a dramatic increase in the numbers of people managing what will possibly be long-term lung conditions and needing support for rehab and recovery.

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland have been working with NHS Lothian to make rehabilitation support to accessible to patients who are recovering from Covid-19.

A total of 2,807 people in NHS Lothian have been confirmed as having Covid-19 since that start of the outbreak.

As of 16 June, 131 patients were in NHS Lothian hospitals with Covid-19, 193 patients with suspected Covid-19 and 6 patients in Intensive Care.

3,929 patients who have tested positive for Covid-19, who have previously required hospital treatment, have now been discharged from hospital since the start of the outbreak, with the most serious cases having longer term conditions.

A full list of measures put into place by NHS Lothian and CHSS Scotland is included below.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “I am pleased that NHS Lothian have put a range of measures in place to support survivors who have had severe cases of Covid-19.

“Having rehabilitation support in place for patients is crucial for their recovery and quality of life after having Coronavirus.

“The Covid-19 pandemic will have an impact on NHS Scotland for years to come, with increased waiting times for treatments.

“Prevention and recovery will be more important than ever for keeping people in Scotland healthy.

“I have called on SNP Ministers to develop a national Covid-19 rehab strategy to support people who will have long term health conditions from contracting Covid-19.”

Measures put into place by NHS Lothian and CHSS

Establishment of a comprehensive rehabilitation and support pathway for survivors of severe COVID across all three Lothian acute sites.

An Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) discusses all cases weekly, and agrees personalised requirements for physiotherapy, dietetics, Occupational Therapy (OT), and Speech and Language Therapist (SLT).

In addition, all patients have psychological review and support.

Case management is coordinated by an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) trained nurse, who uses previously established pathways to liaise with relevant health-social care hubs, GPs, pharmacy, and other community based services in relation to anticipatory discharge planning and support post discharge.

Rehabilitation services at Astley Ainslie Hospital (AAH) join the weekly Multidisciplinary Team and where appropriate review patients and transfer them at an appropriate time to the AAH.

NHS Lothian are also working with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) to liaise with their community staff (who are linked with the Managed Clinical Network (MCN) for respiratory).

NHS Lothian are producing a patient/family information resource for COVID survivors in collaboration with CHSS (funded in part by the Edinburgh and Lothian Health Foundation).

There has also been a community advice line resource set up by therapists in Edinburgh which allows patients to access community services such as pulmonary rehabilitation’.

More services to move to New Sick Kids

NHS Lothian has announced that from July 20, a number of children’s outpatient services will move to the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) at the same time as remaining services from the Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN) complete their move.  

A phased move will see some Children’s outpatient services, including Neurology and Orthopaedics migrate, along with a number of administrative support staff.

The plan, which has been agreed with the full involvement of clinical teams, will not only help to free up space at the existing Royal Hospital for Sick Children site, but will enable NHS Lothian to continue to deliver paediatric clinics in a way which fully adheres to and supports social distancing.

Susan Goldsmith, Director of Finance and Executive Lead for the project, NHS Lothian, said: “Delays to the opening of the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People have been well publicised, but today we celebrate this important milestone for children’s services in Lothian.

“We are delighted to make this announcement, and look forward to welcoming our first outpatients in July, who will be able to benefit from the fantastic facilities and surroundings on offer.  It goes without saying that this move would not be possible without the continued hard work and support from our project team, as well as the contractors on site.

“Whilst we celebrate this moment, I know many people will be wondering when the rest of our children’s services will open at the new site. It very much remains our aim to complete the full migration of children’s services to the RHCYP in the Autumn. We are mindful, however, of the ongoing COVID-19 situation, which may yet impact supply chains and the pace of work, as contractors on site observe safe social distancing, but at present the work is progressing on track.”

The final phase of the move of the Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN) will also take place in mid-July. This will see inpatient Neurosurgery and Neurology wards, along with Neurosurgery Theatres and Interventional Neuro-Radiology relocated to their new home from July 13. The very few remaining DCN outpatient services will also make the transition from the Western General Hospital to the Edinburgh Bio Quarter site at Little France.

Jacquie Campbell, Chief Officer, Acute Services, NHS Lothian, said: “This will mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the provision of these highly specialised services for our patients.

“It will also represent a huge moment for those DCN staff who have remained at the Western General Hospital to support our Covid-19 response. They are really looking forward to providing world class treatment and care in superb facilities at the new Department of Clinical Neurosciences.”

FAQs on Children’s Services Outpatients Move

How do I know where my child’s appointment will be?

Your appointment letter will tell you where your child’s appointment is being held. If it is to be held at the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, you will also receive a phone call to make sure you know where you are going. 

Is there parking available?

Parking is available on site. Parking stewards will direct you to the most appropriate car park. A small number of spaces are also bookable in advance, but these are reserved for patients with the greatest need based on clinical priority.

With COVID ongoing, is it safe to bring my child to hospital?

Yes. We have separate areas for patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 and for those who have not. There are also a range of enhanced infection control measures in place, such as staggered appointment times to limit the number of people in any one area of the building, physical distancing within waiting areas and enhanced cleaning in consulting rooms between each patient.

My child has an appointment in August, does this automatically mean it will be in the new building?

No. Although most outpatient services will be moving in July, some will remain at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, until the new building is ready to be opened to all services, including inpatients. This is because some services need access to other clinical support, which will not be moving until the whole building is open. Departments that will not be moving in July include, but are not limited to: Pain, Respiratory (asthma, allergy, CF), Cardiology, Haematology Oncology, Plastics and Plastics dressings clinic.

Does the move mean that the reported problems in the building have been fixed?

Our project team, as well as the contractors on site, are continuing to work on the final stages of the remedial and enhancement work. Once this has been completed, and following final commissioning, the second phase of the move will take place. At this point, those Children’s services still situated at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children site will migrate to the new building.

Why has everything not moved across to the new building?

Remedial and enhancement work is still taking place at the new building, which means that some services cannot move at this time.

If my child has an emergency, where do I go?

Children’s Emergency Services remain at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Sciennes. If you need to access this service, you should continue to do so at the old site. There are no Emergency Services at the new building within the Little France site at this time.

Does this move set in motion a timeline for the full building to be open and can you tell us when that will be?

This is the first phase in the move of our Children’s Services to the Little France site. We have made significant progress on the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN). It is possible that changes may have to be made to the work programme and the delivery of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People.

It has been reported that the RHCYP building will be opening in Autumn 2020, are things on track for then?

Possible changes may have to be made to the programme and the delivery of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People.

Given the current climate, this may not come as a surprise, but because of the complexities involved and the impact of COVID-19, which could never have been predicted, the timeline for a full handover is under review.

A revised works programme is being established, which will be as close to the Autumn timeline as possible.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “The moving of services to the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children is long overdue, but I am glad that this could finally present the beginning of the end of what has been a national scandal surrounding the SNP Governments mismanagement of the new Sick Kids Hospital.  

“It is vital assurances are provided surrounding the remedial works and inspection regime at the hospital so that it adheres to the highest health and safety standards. I will be seeking assurances from SNP Ministers before patients and staff move to the hospital.

“Above all families across the East of Scotland will welcome the fact that we hopefully will soon see the full opening of a state of the art hospital to help our NHS professionals provide the care and treatment for our loved ones that we all want to see.

“I look forward to visiting the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children once lockdown measures have been eased and it is safe to do so.”

NHS Lothian thanks big-hearted volunteers

NHS Lothian has paid tribute to the hundreds of volunteers and those who stepped forward to help during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Volunteer Week kicked off NHS Lothian took the opportunity to thank people from all walks of life who offered help in many different ways when it was feared that the NHS may be overwhelmed by the virus.

The response from hundreds of people keen to help in the early days of the pandemic was overwhelming and around 620 new volunteers bolstered the ranks of the existing community of 494 volunteers.

They went on to become ward helpers, take up a role in shopping and distribution of donations or laundry, or become meet and greet/stop and gel volunteers in sites all across Lothian, dressed in their purple T-shirts.

Fiona Ireland, Deputy Nurse Director, NHS Lothian, said: “It has been quite heartening to see the response from the public, and to welcome so many new faces to our volunteer network.

“Volunteers really do provide so much across our sites – whether it’s helping patients to video call loved ones, transporting personal laundry to pick up points , fulfilling patients’ shopping requests or assisting with meal times – the friendly faces of our volunteers are having such a huge impact on both our patients and staff.

“It seems fitting, that during Volunteers Week, we take a moment to recognise and celebrate the contribution that every single volunteer is making every single day. Thank you for your continued support.

“The pandemic has seen our volunteering numbers swell, there are positive benefits of volunteering, not only for the recipients but for the volunteers as well – it would be a positive legacy of this situation if we were able to sustain this level of volunteering .”

John Naismith, 59, from Edinburgh, began volunteering as a ward helper when the country moved into lockdown. John, a keen fiddle player, often plays to entertain the patients in the ward where he was posted as a helper in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

The engineer and his wife Serena, 59, were both keen to show their support and Serena, a dyslexia specialist teacher, took up a post providing patients with a shopping service in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

John said: “We both felt really strongly that we needed to do something to help and show our support. We thought that the NHS was going to be overrun and thankfully that has turned out not to be the case.

“It has been really rewarding for both of us and we have felt as though we have made a difference.”

Dan Williams, 17, from Edinburgh, was volunteering at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh as a ward helper before the pandemic and continued to help as the virus continued to grow.

The secondary school pupil, who hopes to study medicine, took on an additional commitment as a meet and greet/stop and gel volunteer and has clocked up 100 hours in this role alone so far.

Dan said: “I have been volunteering since before the COVID-19 pandemic began and thoroughly enjoy it. Since school closed, volunteering has helped to provide a sense of direction, the opportunity to see and interact with different people and some structure to my week.

“I’m hoping to study medicine at University, so it is great to spend time in a busy hospital, getting a flavour of what the job might be like.”

Volunteering in NHS Lothian is supported by Edinburgh and Lothian Health Foundation, the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity and the Pears Foundation.

NHS Lothian to play key role in COVID-19 vaccine trial

NHS Lothian is set to become involved in a major clinical vaccine trial testing the new Covid-19 vaccine in collaboration with Oxford University and 17 other sites across the UK.

The vaccine study will run at both the Western General Hospital and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

The aim is to enrol approximately 600 Lothian frontline health and social care workers which will include doctors, nurses, emergency department staff, paramedics, care home nurses, porters and domestics to test a new vaccine.

Screening volunteer health and social care workers is planned to begin from next week.

Dr Tracey Gillies, Medical Director, NHS Lothian, said: “We are pleased to be participating in this unprecedented clinical vaccine trial and I would like to thank everyone for their participation in this vital research.

“Their involvement will be essential in the development of a vaccine and this pioneering and important research allows us the opportunity to contribute to the development of a globally approved vaccine against Covid-19.”

The main focus of the study will be to develop a safe vaccine for use across the population.

As part of that, it will investigate the effectiveness of the vaccine, to pinpoint any side effects and to establish if it induces good immune responses against the virus.

To recruit the large number of participants needed for this trial, multiple clinical research sites across the UK are involved in delivering the study. The collaborative effort, led by the University of Oxford, will see vaccinations taking place throughout May and June.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “I am delighted that the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow along with NHS colleagues are taking part in the human safety trials for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine by Oxford University.

“Scotland has a long established reputation for medical research, and I would like to thank the research community across the country. The pace of work and the commitment of teams across Scotland has been outstanding and is testament to the world-class research infrastructure and expertise we have here.

“Of course, while the prospect of an effective vaccine developed here in the UK is exciting, there is no guarantee of success and we must continue to follow the guidelines set out by the Scottish Government to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect our NHS.”

Wellbeing ‘Hub in a Tub’ for NHS Lothian staff

NHS Lothian and its official charity partner, Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation, are working together to prepare and deliver wellbeing boxes to NHS Lothian staff working in the community.

The pilot, which is being called ‘Wellbeing Hub in a Tub’, recognises that not all staff have access to the Wellbeing rooms that are being set up across some of the hospital sites and need alternative ways to access support that will make a positive difference to their health and wellbeing during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The boxes are now being sent out and include sleep packs, handcream, lip balm, energy snacks, refreshments, car chargers, headphones, and many other items which will support the wellbeing of our teams in the community as they carry out their day to day role.

They also contain a wellbeing booklet with advice and guidance on how to look after their own emotional and physical health during these challenging times.

Part of a wider staff wellbeing initiative, these boxes have been made possible thanks to funding from Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation through its NHS Lothian Covid-19 Rapid Response Fund, collaboration with NHS Lothian teams, as well as through generous donations from companies including British Airways, Friendly Soap, Doublebase, Cetraben, Hydromol, Diprobase, Epoderm KIND Snacks, RitterSport and BaxterStorey, with Network Rail supporting distribution.

Amanda Langsley, Associate Director of OD and Learning, who has been spearheading the initiative, said: “It was really important for us to acknowledge the important role that all staff are playing during the pandemic and ensure that we were also supporting the wellbeing of our staff in the community.

“We have undertaken a lot of work setting up wellbeing rooms in various hospital sites and we needed to find a way to replicate this as best we could for staff who were unable to easily access these resources. 120 Wellbeing Hub in a Tub boxes will be distributed this week.

“This initiative will then be evaluated to ensure it is having the right impact and to determine the ongoing sustainability of this approach moving forward.”

Director of Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation, Jane Ferguson, said: “Improving health and wellbeing is at the core of everything we do. During this time, staff are under increased pressure and often put their own wellbeing second.

“That is why it is so important that while they are helping us, we help them. This is another fantastic example of everyone coming together to support our amazing NHS Lothian colleagues and we are proud to be part of it.”

Wellbeing Hub in a Tub is part of a range of staff wellbeing initiatives that are being funded by Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation through their NHS Lothian Covid-19 Rapid Response Fund.

These include: supporting the provision of wellbeing rooms with recliner chairs, TVs and appliances so staff can rest, relax and get some much needed downtime, hot meals and drinks to keep staff nourished and refreshed during long and busy shifts, accommodation costs for staff who are self-isolating from their families, and an increased staff listening service offering support to NHS Lothian staff who are under extreme pressure during these challenging times.

Call to restart cancer services in Scotland

Scottish Conservatives Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has called for the Scottish Government to publish an NHS Scotland Recovery Plan to restart services disrupted by Covid-19, particularly cancer services.

In preparation for the Covid crisis NHS Scotland went to great lengths to free up capacity and many services were paused.

Elective surgeries were postponed for three months to free up beds and cancer screening programmes for breast, cervical and bowel cancer as well as some cancer operations were also indefinitely halted.

Now cancer charities have issued a plea to the Scottish government to get cancer services up and running again and the Scottish Conservatives have asked for a plan to deal with the backlog in treatment and operations.

In NHS England cancer treatments restarted over two weeks ago.

In addition, this morning ISD Scotland published figures showing that attendances at A&E services have dropped dramatically since the end of march, due to the measures put in place to respond to COVID-19.

The statistics highlight that during the week of the 3 May only 16,107 people were seen at A&E, compared to 27,845 for the same week in 2019, the previous year, a staggering drop of over 40%. 

Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary said: “It is vital that the Scottish Government brings forward an NHS Recovery Plan – a plan to restart our health service, particularly cancer services and operations, in Scotland.

“Over the last two months, in so many ways, people have selflessly put their own needs on hold.

“The A&E figures show that people have been staying away from the NHS meaning many people may be suffering in silence.

“But further delays will mean more patients could have poorer outcomes.

“It is now over two weeks since NHS England restarted cancer treatments, we could too.

“Thanks to the incredible work from everyone who works in our NHS, our health service has not been overwhelmed during this crisis.

“The Scottish Government must publish a plan to deal with the current backlog of operations and treatments and give everyone access to the healthcare they need before it’s too late.”

NHS Lothian welcomes 910 new nurses on International Nurses Day

NHS Lothian has welcomed 910 new nurses and midwives to support the Health Board to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new recruits are made up of nursing staff and midwives and will be working in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the Western General Hospital and St John’s Hospital, Livingstone as well as across the community.

All 910 of the new staff were recruited  through a national effort to boost the workforce during the pandemic and beyond, during the national recovery phase.

One of the new Staff Nurses, Alex Simpson, said: “I’m really enjoying doing my bit to help and the team have been so welcoming and supportive of me.”

Jacqueline Reid, Senior Charge Nurse, said: “What a privilege it is to have all these students volunteer to come and work with us and our patients during the current pandemic of Covid-19. An inspiration to us all.”

Craig Stenhouse, Deputy Chief Nurse for Royal Edinburgh Hospital and Associated Services, said:  “Having the student nurses join our team has allowed us to continue to provide the high level of care we strive for.

“Each of the students I have met so far have been motivated, enthusiastic and excited to start working in their new teams. It is difficult to believe how quickly these new members of staff have become part of our team.”

This year on International Nurses Day NHS Lothian joined health organisations around the world to celebrate the exceptional work preformed every day by nurses and midwives.

Yesterday was the 200th birthday of Florence Nightingale, who is considered to be the pioneer of modern nursing. Whilst the profession had developed considerably since, it continues to evolve in scope and importance and in the range of roles open to the modern nurse.

Gillian McAuley, Nurse Director for Acute Services in NHS Lothian, said:  “One of the biggest challenges  for us right now is making sure we really connect with our patients and their families. It’s an important part of in making sure really outstanding ,compassionate care is  delivered.

“The use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can create barriers between us and our patients. A lot of nurses have said can be hard when patients can’t see our expressions, like  seeing us smile and of course it’s not possible for a nurse to  give a bereaved family member a simple hug.

“We’ve had to do a lot of work learning how to show our expressions and emotions through our eyes and using other forms of expression. We’ve done things like creating cards called ‘a hug in a card’ to try and keep that connection with our patients and their families.”

Alex McMahon, NHS Lothian Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals said: “We’ve had to cancel a lot of events we’d been planning to mark International Year of the Nurse but, despite that, we know there has never been a better time to celebrate nursing.

“We welcome our new recruits who know there  has never been a more exciting time to be a nurse. There are  a whole range of specialisms to choose from and nursing remains a profoundly rewarding and fulfilling  profession.”

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “The recruitment of 910 nurses and midwives is very welcome during these exceptionally difficult times.  

“NHS Lothian will face significant challenges after Covid-19 in improving waiting times and getting patients treated and these new recruits will go a long way to overcoming these challenges.”

Scottish Tories: Government must plan to clear backlog of operations

The Scottish Conservatives have called for the Scottish Government to publish a plan outlining how they will clear the backlog of operations created while the NHS concentrates on Covid-19.

The call comes as the latest figures show that the number of planned operations for March this year in Scotland has fallen over 30% compared to March last year.

In addition, the number of cancelled operations for the same month has almost doubled to 15% compared to March 2019.

The Scottish Conservatives have said that it is understandable that the NHS has been prioritising Covid patients but the Scottish Government must outline a plan to clear this backlog and ensure there isn’t any avoidable suffering beyond the pandemic.

3,429 operations were carried out in NHS Lothian during March 2020, a decrease of 1,875 from 5,304 in March 2019 – a decrease of 35%.

The percentage of cancelled operations has more than doubled compared to March 2019, with 21.3% of operations cancelled in March 2020, compared to 9.9%.

Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary said: “Our NHS has rightly diverted time and resources to tackling Covid-19 and we wouldn’t expect anything else.

“But the dramatic reduction in hospital operations is not without cost and must be reversed as soon as possible.

“The Scottish Government must put a plan in place to clear these operations or Covid could cause even greater suffering.

“Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak SNP Ministers were failing to meet their own waiting times targets.

“It is clear that for many patients the wait to get the treatments and operations they need is going to be significantly longer.

“I am enormously grateful to everyone working in our NHS right now – the Scottish Government must plan now so doctors and nurses can continue to save lives now and in the future.”