Tag: Royal Infirmary

Exhibition shines light on Scotland’s first Renal Young Adult Service

At the end of October the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh opened a moving and inspiring art exhibition created by young adults living with kidney conditions, marking a milestone moment for NHS Lothian’s pioneering Renal Young Adult Service.

The exhibition, held in OPD4, showcased a vibrant collection of artwork produced by patients aged 16–35 who are supported by the service.

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Euan Flannigan (above) is a patient of the service and has taken part in the exhibition by creating a piece of work that represents his personal healthcare journey. He explains: “I decided to take part in this art project because it was not only a cool idea, it was also a great way to show my experience as a transplant patient.

“Being a transplant patient is unpredictable – one day you’re fine, the next you’re not. It’s also surreal in other ways; you might be in a busy street and think, ‘I’m probably the only person here who’s had a transplant.’ That feeling can be strange, but also uplifting and motivational. You’ve survived something extraordinary, and that makes you strong.

“Embrace that feeling and keep living a great life. We’re all special, and ambassadors for transplantation – so share your story and keep moving forward like the wind.”

The exhibition gave participants a creative outlet to explore and express their emotions, experiences, and identities through various artistic mediums.

Sharlene Taylor, Renal Young Adult Support Worker and lead for the service (above), reflected on the exhibition’s impact: “The thought behind the exhibition was, when you make choices in art—such as picking a colour, the composition and layout, it empowers you to make decisions and create your vision.

“This gives individuals a sense of confidence in their ability to express and choose.

“This not only applies to their art but allows them to express in other areas of their lives, particularly around their healthcare. Bringing people together who can relate to each other’s journeys and hearing them chat and learn from one another has been the most powerful thing to watch and listen to.”

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The Renal Young Adult Service, launched in May 2023, is the first of its kind in Scotland. While other health boards are exploring similar models, NHS Lothian remains the only provider currently offering dedicated support for young adults with kidney conditions.

Thanks to the support of NHS Lothian Charity, the service was set up and designed to address the unique challenges faced by this age group, many of whom had never met peers with similar experiences prior to joining.

Monthly peer support groups at the Royal Infirmary have become a cornerstone of the service, offering a safe space for connection, discussion, and shared learning. The emergence of art as a common interest among participants led to the development of the exhibition project, which has proven to be both therapeutic and empowering.

“Art helps process emotions, reduces anxiety and stress, builds confidence and encourages mindfulness,” added Sharlene. “It’s been incredible to see how creativity has opened up new ways for these young adults to engage with their health and with each other.”

The exhibition not only celebrates the artistic achievements of the participants but also highlights the importance of holistic, person-centred care in long-term health management.

All the artwork was developed while attending a series of workshops led by a local artist at the Edinburgh Printmakers and curated by NHS Lothian Charity’s Tonic Arts for their exhibition space.

Len McCaffer, Tonic Arts Manager at NHS Lothian Charity: “The ‘My Journey’ exhibition showcases the strength, resilience and talent of these incredible young people.

“These artworks tell stories that go beyond treatment – they show the strength and creativity of these individuals who are navigating complex health journeys.

“We’re proud to support initiatives like these that not only enhance patient care but also give people a voice and a platform to share their experiences in a way that inspires others.”

NHS Lothian’s Renal Young Adult Service and exhibition has been funded by NHS Lothian Charity.

To read more about the charity go to: https://nhslothiancharity.org/

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.”

New research into Type 1 Diabetes

NHS Lothian’s diabetes research teams based at the Western General Hospital (WGH) and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) have launched a number of exciting new trials to help us understand what might cause type 1 diabetes and how to prevent it.

These new studies include INNODIA, a Europe wide study recruiting people with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes and unaffected family members. As diabetes affects 1 in 18 people in Scotland, with around 5,000 people with type 1 and 37,000 with type 2 diabetes in the NHS Lothian region, research to improve patient care and develop new treatments is vitally important.

Key to the success of the research are the volunteers who take part in studies. An easy way for people to participate is to join the NHS Research Scotland Diabetes research register.

Alison Sudworth, Diabetes Specialist Research Nurse in the RIE, said: “Getting more people involved in diabetes research will help make inroads into understanding the disease and create new treatments. For instance, one part of our GoDarts study is looking at genetics.”

Diabetes can damage the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys and the WGH team have two trials that aim to improve the health of patients with complications.

Lesley Steven, Specialist Research Nurse at WGH said: “Recruitment in clinical trials is often challenging, particularly in diabetes renal studies. Renal patients often have limited treatment options, so trials in this area are vital to allow access to new drugs that would otherwise not be available to them.”

For more information contact: WGH 0131 537 3327 or RIE 0131 242 1456. 

Any diabetes research project can make use of the NHS Research Scotland Diabetes research register, contact administrator-sdrn@dundee.ac.uk or phone 01382 383595 for more information.