NHS Lothian – Page 68 – The NEN

NHS Lothian seeks your views on services for young people

NHS Lothian is looking for children, young people and parents to give their views on the services it will provide for children and young people from now until 2020.

A public consultation on the organisation’s draft strategy, ‘Improving the Health and Wellbeing of Lothian’s Children and Young People’, is now underway and will run until 17 January 2014.

The consultation documents and a short questionnaire are available on the NHS Lothian website and have also been sent to the four local authorities and to voluntary organisations that work with children and young people.

NHS Lothian’s vision is that every child should have the best start in life and grow up being healthy, confident and resilient.

The draft strategy and approach has considered the changes that may be made to services in anticipation of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill coming into effect and should allow the Board to respond to this while maintaining high quality healthcare services for children and young people.

The priorities identified in the strategy include a focus on prevention, more integrated working across services and the building of a high quality replacement for the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

Sally Egan, Associate Director and Child Health Commissioner, NHS Lothian said: “We provide a wide range of services for children and young people, from conception through the life stages, helping them grow up to become confident healthy people. For those young people that need ongoing specialist help we need to ensure a smooth transition to adult services.

“We want to make sure that our vision and outcomes for the next six years fit with those of the Scottish Government’s 20:20 Vision and are areas the people of Lothian want to see us focusing investment and resources on. I hope people take this opportunity to give us their views.”

The consultation documents can be accessed online at: http://www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk/OurOrganisation/Consultations/Current/Pages/default.aspx

By email: candypstrategy@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk, or alternatively by phoning, 0131 465 5549 to request a copy.

You can also complete the survey at the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NHSLothianCandYPStrategy

Who’s your health hero?

Celebrating Success Awards- Health Hero category open!

NHS Lothian’s Celebrating Success Awards mark the inspiring and truly amazing work that takes place across health services in Lothian each day.

The Health Hero category encourages the people of Lothian to get involved. This is an opportunity for you to nominate for a health care worker or team who has been exceptional in their line of work. It may be someone who has constantly provided help to others or it may be someone that has made a positive change to a patient’s life. This is your chance to say thank you.

All shortlisted entries will be invited to attend an evening award ceremony, where our winners will be presented with their award by our special guest.

This year’s ceremony will be held on 24th October.

We are looking for someone who:

Is constantly supportive and helpful to others
Goes the extra mile
Is outstanding in what they do
Is approachable to both patients, colleagues and others
Professional in their line of work
Focuses on patients’ needs
Shows genuine understanding and care for patients.

If you know someone who you think is your Health Hero then nominate them by completing the nomination form and submiting it by email to:

celebrating.success@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

or by post to:

Celebrating Success Team

NHS Lothian, 2nd Floor, Waverley Gate,

2-4 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh EH1 3EG.

Tips for writing your nomination:

If you are completing this form by hand, please use block capitals
You can submit as many nominations as you wish – please use a separate form for each entry
Please provide your contact details.

Deadline for all nominations must be received by 30th August 2013

For further information call 0141 578 1779.

Hospitals to become smoke-free

NHS grounds to be completely smoke-free by 2015 under new Scottish Government plans

In a move to promote smoke-free environments and healthier lifestyles, patients, visitors and staff will no longer be able to smoke on NHS sites. Under the plans, people who smoke will be offered advice and support to help them not to smoke during hospital visits as well as access to specialist smoking cessation services for those wanting to quit. NHS Boards will be required to implement and enforce smoke-free policies across their grounds by March 2015.

Health Secretary Mr Alex Neil (pictured below) said: “This Government has ambitious plans to reduce the number of people choosing to smoke. To this end, we want to build on the ban on smoking in public places, which was introduced seven years ago this week, by ensuring that our hospital grounds become smoke-free.

“We know that smoking is extremely harmful to health and causes in excess of 13,000 deaths per year in Scotland. The toll of smoking on our nation’s health cannot be underestimated. Creating smoke-free hospital grounds sends out a powerful message that every visit to our health service is an opportunity to promote and improve people’s health.

“We all know how unpleasant it can be to walk through a cloud of smoke in order to enter or leave a building. These measures will help to ensure that we create a healthier environment for people who use, visit and work in our health service. That is why we believe staff, patients and visitors will support and respect this decision and refrain from smoking until off-site.”

In 2005 the Scottish Government issued guidance on smoking policies for the NHS, local authorities and care providers which gave NHS boards the power to ban smoking on their premises. The new measures will not apply to mental health facilities, which have an exemption to allow the provision of designated smoking rooms under the original smoke-free legislation.

Spring into a healthy Easter!

People living across the Lothians are being encouraged to put a “spring” in their step this Easter by preparing ahead for the holiday period.

The NHS Scotland Be Ready for Easter campaign is advising people to take a few simple steps to look after their health. By making sure they have a supply of over the counter medicines , knowing when their GP surgery is open and checking their repeat prescriptions, they can ensure they make the most of the Easter holiday weekend.

This year many GP surgeries across Scotland will be closed for up to four days from Good Friday (March 29) to Easter Monday (April 1).

NHS 24 Medical Director Professor George Crooks said: “After winter, Easter is the busiest time of year for Scotland’s health services. The Be Ready for Easter campaign wants to remind people of the small steps they can take to ensure illness doesn’t ruin their Easter.

“Being prepared by having enough repeat medication to cover you and having some simple home remedies available can make all the difference if illness strikes. It is also important to plan ahead for any required repeat prescriptions over the Easter break, so please order and collect in good time. We would also remind people of the wide range of health information available at NHS inform.”

Dr Alison McCallum, Director of Public Health and Health Policy, NHS Lothian said: “Although many GP surgeries will be closed at Easter, hundreds of GPs will be working throughout this period supporting out of hours services. Taking a few simple steps to be ready for the break means illness need not spoil the Easter break.”

The four key steps that Be Ready for Easter recommends this Spring are:

Restock your medicine cabinet if needed
Common ailments such as colds can often be effectively treated at home with readily available medicine such as pain relief, cough mixture and cold remedies. Parents are reminded to restock their medicine cabinet with child-friendly remedies.

Use your local pharmacy
Your pharmacist can offer advice or help if you need over-the-counter remedies or have run out of any prescribed medication. You can also pick up plasters and antiseptic creams to prepare for any minor accidents.

Make sure you have enough repeat prescription.
If you or someone you care for requires medicines regularly, make sure you order and collect repeat prescriptions in good time to ensure you have enough medicine to last over the holiday period.

Know when your GP surgery will be open
Your local doctor’s surgery may be closed for up to four days during the Easter weekend from Good Friday to Easter Monday (March 29 – April 1).

General advice and information on how to stay healthy this Easter can be found at www.nhsinform.co.uk or contact NHS inform on 0800 22 44 88.

LEAPing on to pastures new

Stockbridge-based LEAP (Lothians and Edinburgh Abstinence Programme) is moving to a new home in Morningside next week.

NHS Lothian’s community based rehabilitation programme is vacating its current Malta House home as the building and land is being sold, and from 11 February LEAP will provide its addiction service in newly refurbished and newly-named Woodlands House, within the Astley Ainslie Hospital site. The building was formerly used by Napier University as a health studies college.

LEAP will occupy two floors of a wing in Woodlands House and staff from other services – including Spittal Street Centre, The Learning Disability Service and the Primary Care Facilitation Team – will also relocate to the three-storey building in the next few weeks.

Dr David McCartney, Clinical Lead at LEAP, said: “It’s a very exciting time for LEAP, having just celebrated our 300th graduate from the Programme and with the prospect of moving into a new and bigger facility. We obviously will be sad to leave Malta House as this is where LEAP first began but the move will allow us to continue to help and support our patients on the road to life changing recovery.”

LEAP is a demanding and intensive 12-week course for people dependent on substances who are motivated to achieve alcohol and drug free lives. It operates seven days per week and offers people structured activities including group work, workshops, presentations and education and training while recreation and relaxation classes also form part of the programme.

LEAP is funded by NHS Lothian and three local Alcohol Drug Partnerships and is operated in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council and Access to Industry (Transition).

Health Secretary opens Royal Victoria

Health Secretary Alex Neil officially opened the new Royal Victoria building within the Western General Hospital this morning. The £43.6 state of the art facility replaces the Royal Victoria Hospital on Craigleith Road which closed last year.

The new building is all single-bed rooms – the government set out an aim in 2008 that single rooms would become the norm for new and refurbished hospitals.

Health Secretary Alex Neil said there are substantial financial and health benefits to single rooms. He said: “You have to look over the life cycle of the hospital, the building, what is going to be the savings made for example by reducing the incidence of hospital acquired infection. It’s not just the financial cost of that, what’s most important is the benefit to the patient. I think most people would want to be in an environment where the risk of hospital acquired infection was kept to the absolute minimum.”

Council welcomes Victoria’s temporary re-opening

The city council has welcomed NHS Lothian’s decision to re-open the Royal Victoria Hospital to help meet increasing demand and emergency admissions over winter.

Wards in the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) will be re-opened to provide extra capacity for the expected increase in the number of patients over the next few months. The move comes as the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh is facing increasing pressure from emergency admissions, with the situation then being exacerbated by the numbers of delayed discharge patients and other issues including the winter vomiting virus norovirus.

The temporary solution has been welcomed by the city council’s Health and Wellbeing Convener Councillor Ricky Henderson (pictured above), who said: “There is a growing demand for care and support services, especially at this time of year, so the reopening of the Royal Victoria Hospital will help to meet demand. The Council has been working extremely hard with NHS Lothian to address identified shortages and since April we have increased the level of homecare service the Council provides by an extra 4,000 hours per week. We have also made additional investment in our homecare overnight teams, intermediate care service and telehealthcare service to help ensure the essential care required is available for older people in their own homes.”

Melanie Hornett, Nurse Director, NHS Lothian, said: “We have taken a long, hard look at the facilities and resources we have available as part of our winter planning exercises and we know we don’t have the abilities to meet demand. As a result, we have put this temporary solution in place to allow us to serve patients in a timely manner, while increasing our capacity from within.”

The contingency plan was drawn up as part of routine winter planning, which in previous years has seen bed numbers increased on other sites, including Astley Ainslie Hospital, Royal Victoria Hospital and Liberton Hospital among others.

Two extra wards will be re-opened over the next few weeks, with the potential to increase as the winter progresses and demand increases as a result of winter weather.

The Royal Victoria Hospital closed in August after the last ward moved on to different sites within NHS Lothian, including the new Royal Victoria Building at the Western General Hospital and the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

Looking for an NHS dentist in Edinburgh?

The following dental practices are currently accepting new NHS patients:

9 Dean Bank Street, Stockbridge EH3 5BS 0131 332 5510

4 Inverleith Gardens, Inverleith EH3 5PU 0131 552 4024

4 Howard Place, Canon Mills EH3 5JZ 0131 556 7232

4 Great Stuart Street, West End EH3 6AW 0131 225 3911

264 Morrison Street, Haymarket EH3 8DT 0131 229 6633

212 Morrison Street, Haymarket EH3 8EA 0131 229 7899

42 Earl Grey Street, Tollcross EH3 9BN 0131 221 9535

1D Pennywell Gardens, Muirhouse EH4 4UA 0131 315 2666

3 Quality St, Davidson’s Mains EH4 5BP 0131 336 1785

32 Duart Crescent, Clermiston EH4 7JP 0131 339 7446

65 Ferry Road, Leith EH6 4AQ 0131 554 1791

163 Great Junction Street, Leith EH6 5LG 0131 554 8589

116 Ocean Drive, Leith EH6 6JG 0131 208 2222

120 Ocean Drive, Leith EH6 6JG 0131 555 0376

80/1B Commercial Quay EH6 6LX 0131 553 5959

57 Constitution Street Leith EH6 7AF 0131 555 2020

6 East Hermitage Place, Leith EH6 8AA 0131 554 5028

1 Bellevue Place, Newtown EH7 4BS 0131 556 3240

15 Earlston Place, Meadowbank EH7 5SU 0131 659 5670

Boroughloch Med. Cent, 1 Meadow Place EH9 1JZ 0131 656 4525

59 Ratcliffe Terrace, Newington EH9 1ST 0131 667 4433

39 Mayfield Gardens, Newington EH9 2BX 0131 668 1521

125 Mayfield Road, Newington EH9 3AJ 0131 667 5656

147 Bruntsfield Place EH10 4EB 0131 229 7999

1 Millar Crescent, Morningside EH10 5HN 0131 447 0606

27 Comiston Road, Morningside EH10 6AA 0131 447 2722

3C Washington Lane, Dalry EH11 2HA 0131 337 8272

14 Ardmillan Terrace, Gorgie EH11 2JW 0131 337 2771

296 Gorgie Road, Gorgie EH11 2PP 0131 337 3936

176 St. John’s Road, Corstorphine EH12 8BE 0131 334 2704

9 Bughtlin market, East Craigs EH12 8XP 0131 339 2992

302 Oxgangs Road North EH13 9ND 0131 441 3231

132 Colinton Road, Colinton EH14 1BY 0131 443 4050

1 Hailsland Gardens, Wester Hailes EH14 2QN 0131 453 1151

Westside Plaza, Wester Hailes EH14 2SW 0131 442 4084

38 Balerno High Street EH14 7EH 0131 449 5545

274 Portobello High Street EH15 2AT 0131 669 1193

216 Portobello High Street EH15 2AU 0131 669 2995

310 Portobello High Street EH15 2DA 0131 669 3333

23 Duddingston Park South EH15 3NY 0131 669 9977

198 Peffermill Road, Craigmillar EH16 4DT 0131 661 3424

1 Parkside Terrace, Newington EH16 5BN 0131 667 0500

173 Dalkeith Road, Newington EH16 5BY 0844 387 8333

1 Bellstane, South Queensferry EH30 3PU 0131 319 1879

Information correct on 1 December 2012

Bump Start Annual Review

Bump Start is a support service for pregnant women, with two bases in North Edinburgh at Pennywell and Leith.

The project has two main ways of helping women and their families. A Bump Start worker can work with individual families and help with a whole range of topics, and there is also a weekly group for pregnant women and their partners, parents and supporters called ‘The Pregnancy Café’ where everyone can learn more about being pregnant and preparing to be a parent. Dads – to – be are particularly welcomed at the café.

The team has public health workers from NHS Lothian, the CLD Health Literacy team, and Stepping Stones all working together to deliver the service and the project works very closely with the local midwives. If you are pregnant and think this type of support would help you please contact your midwife and she will then put you in touch with the Bump Start team in your area.

The picture shows the Bump Start team at their annual stakeholders event in Spartans Football Club, where the team was presenting the project’s independent evaluation which was carried out by COMAS.

A number of organisations were represented at the event including Multi-Cultural Family Base, CEC Community Learning and Development, Public Health NHS, Stepping Stones; CEC Social Work, CEC Early Years, Community Midwifery and Mellow Parenting.

Cathy Wood, North West Local Health Partnership

Jewellery theft at Western General

Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for witnesses following the theft of two rings worth £10,000 at the Western General Hospital last week.

The incident happened around 3.15pm last Tuesday (23 October). A 33-year-old woman was in one of the bathrooms and took off her wedding ring and eternity ring off to wash her hands. After leaving the bathroom, she realised she’d left her rings inside and when she returned to retrieve them, she found they were gone. Neither item was handed in to security, so the woman has contacted police to report them stolen.

The wedding ring is a platinum band with a single one carat diamond while the eternity ring is platinum with around 24 diamonds around the circumference. The rings (pictured below) have a combined value of around£10,000.

A police spokesman said: “The woman has been left devastated at the loss of her rings and is desperate to have them returned to her as soon as possible. Anyone who comes into possession of the rings is asked to hand them in to their local police station. We would also ask that anyone who can assist with our enquiries into this theft contacts police immediately.”

Anyone with information can contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.