THE NEWSPAPER FOR NHS LOTHIAN STAFF MAY/JUNE 2008 ISSUE 26 ConnectionsYOUR AWARD-WINNING NEWSPAPER PETER GOES BACK WIN A FABULOUS TO THE FLOOR PAMPER SESSION! PAGE 14 PAGE 15 £8M CASH BOOST FOR PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES Government cash will help board tackle alcohol and tobacco misuse NHS Lothian has been awarded dependent drinkers, more treatment £8 million to deal with specific and prevention/education services public health issues such as and appropriate recording systems. alcohol misuse, sexual health The second largest sum of THANK YOU: auxiliary nurse Fay Watt, left, has a very special reason for presenting and stopping smoking money has been awarded for flowers to her nursing colleagues – turn to page 3 to read their heart-warming tale… programmes. prevention of blood-borne viruses. Just over £3.4m has been A continuing £2.52m is to be used awarded for alcohol misuse. to reduce the spread of HIV and The Scottish Government has hepatitis. tobacco control efforts. The Scottish Government acknowledges increased alcohol misuse funding Revised performance This being the case, funding by almost 150 per cent compared management arrangements to of £911,000 is being continued for that very significant progress has to 2007/08. ensure NHS boards use the NHS Lothian to provide stop been made in reducing smoking through The additional money is to help money effectively will be provided smoking services that help NHS boards meet targets for by the end of May. people quit. comprehensive tobacco control reducing consumption and related The Scottish Government The money allocated is to go harm and the Government expects acknowledges that very towards reducing smoking in help improve the sexual programme, which tackles considerable work to be done in significant progress has been made the adult population to 22 per health of Lothian’s population, health inequalities that are this area. in reducing smoking in Scotland cent by 2010, reducing smoking identify and treat sexually evident between Scotland’s The money is expected to increase through comprehensive tobacco in young people, and reducing transmitted infections and most and least deprived the level of work regarding control – in 2006, 25 per cent the number of pregnant women reduce unplanned teenage communities, is to receive alcohol misuse in accident and of the adult population smoked who smoke, particularly in pregnancies in line with £500,000 to enable the initiative to emergency, antenatal care and compared to 35 per cent a decade deprived areas. the Scottish Government’s continue for an additional period primary care, ongoing treatment for before – but the Government The £606,067 allocated to national strategy beyond the original planned existing and newly identified wants there to be no let up in sexual health will continue to And finally, the Keep Well end date. THE RIGHT PRESCRIPTION – IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PHARMACY SERVICE P8 & 9 2 NEWS May/June 2008 Connections Comment Jenifer Stirton work of meeting the 18-week target isn’t just down to the managers involved in teams. Taking the first “It’s important for all staff to get engaged with the work and to suggest changes that will ‘Leaner’ service steps to meeting make the system more streamlined for patients so we can maintain the quality of care we give patients while meeting pays dividends 18-week target the target,” Tracey said. “There are lots of changes that we need to make and WORK has begun on the patient pathways through many will be relatively small, for our patients ambitious national improvement the plastic surgery service but will make a big difference programme to guarantee that in Lothian to identify and when put together. And the patients receive their first eliminate wasted time from elcome to Connections. decontamination unit. work to meet the target should treatment within 18 weeks of the system. be familiar to staff – it will use In this issue, we report on One of our main aims is to provide being referred by a GP. When appointed, local teams the same principles as the Lean the good news that the prompt, efficient healthcare for W The 18-week service redesign within each NHS board will in Lothian programme.” patients and on page 3, we reveal how decision on a contractor for the new and transformation programme, begin projects with similar As a first step towards the Midlothian Hospital is imminent. NHS Lothian is working towards which will support NHS boards to objectives in different areas, 2011 goal, NHS boards will The multi-million pound hospital achieving the 18-week target set by build capacity and capability to and the lessons from each of reduce the maximum wait for will provide a state-of the-art the Scottish Government. achieve the 18-week standard by these will be shared with support an outpatient consultation to 15 facility and a wide range of December 2011, kicked off on 1 from the regional teams. weeks, diagnostic tests to six services. READY FOR ANYTHING April. That was when the national The NHS boards will share weeks and inpatient and day case In healthcare, nothing ever Business continuity is vital for any team, which will oversee the in more than £270 million over treatment to 15 weeks by 31 stands still – in this fast-moving organisation, large or small, and on Scotland-wide efforts, took up the next three years to build March 2009. environment, innovation is at the page 10, Julie Drysdale talks post. capability and capacity in the Tracey said: “To deliver the heart of much that we do. about the contingency plans that NHS Lothian is working in health service to achieve this target, we need to consider the On the centre pages, our special NHS Lothian has in place in the partnership with the improvement patient-centred target. patient journey in a whole- feature focuses on how the new event of an unexpected event – and support team to host the Tracey Gillies, the national systems approach, rather than single system in pharmacy has whether it’s a power cut or national team, which also clinical lead for the service improving single stages of resulted in improvements in the terror attack. launched the first piece of redesign and transformation treatment in isolation, and this service that we offer patients. A caring nature is part and parcel work under the programme. programme and consultant in is where the improvement work Lean in Lothian is another of working in healthcare, but I’m This project will measure general surgery, said that the will be focused.” initiative that has resulted in a often pleasantly surprised at how number of significant improvements many of our staff go above and and on pages 10 and 11, we report beyond the call of duty. on some of the many elements of this For Peter Freeland, swapping his innovative programme and how duties as an A&E consultant to these have impacted on our services. spend the day as a porter was an Among the many departments eye-opening experience – but one LEAP team speaks at which have taken part in Lean in that, for very personal reasons, was Lothian are the Edinburgh a truly significant event. Read his breast cancer unit, the Royal story on page 14. Edinburgh psychiatric unit and the hospital sterilisation and TELL US YOUR NEWS international forum Connections is your newspaper and we’d like to hear about THE Lothian and Edinburgh your achievements, innovations Abstinence Programme (LEAP) and awards – or even about the project has been making news at everyday work that you do. Our home and abroad. contact details are below. Recently, real-life cases from the Finally, I’m delighted to report that Connections project were acted out to an has once again assembled audience at a conference been shortlisted in the best internal in Glasgow. Its clinical lead Dr David newspaper category for the McCartney was also invited to UK Communicators in Business speak at an international recovery awards, which will be announced conference. in Brighton on 23 May. Fingers The event – “Building Momentum crossed! Enjoy this issue. – A Recovery Movement for Jenifer Stirton, editor Addiction in Scotland” explored whether the concept of recovery, established in the mental health field, Connections can be applied with success in the field of addictions. SPREADING THE WORD: Mike Massaro-Mallinson, Dr David Editorial board: This is in the context of the McCartney, Tom Wood, chair of the action team, and Sharon Jenifer Stirton, Robert Aitken, Gillian Amos, Morag Barrow, publication of the Government’s Simpson, action team communications manager, at the conference Duncan Blyth, John Boyce, Alexis Burnett, Shona Cameron, forthcoming National Drugs Strategy, Stewart Cameron, Noreen Clancy, Grahame Cumming, Eddie where the promotion of recovery is Union-Latin American Caribbean approaches to drug treatment and Egan, Wendy Fenemore, Anne Gilchrist, Linda Haggarty, Shirley likely to be the principal theme. (EU-LAC) Drug Treatment Forum policy, but to offer up Edinburgh’s Johnston, Anne Laing, Karen Lee, Angela Lindsay, Gordon Lynch, The conference attracted about 170 in April in Santo Domingo. own experience as a model of good Aislinn McGrane, Dave Proudfoot, Lesley Reid, Jim Sherval, Kathryn delegates from across the field. As Together with members of the practice. part of the preparation for the Sinclair, Tom Waterson, Moira Wainwright, Sally Westwick, John White. Action Team on Alcohol and Drugs Dr McCartney said of the visit: conference, the Government invited Contact the editor: in Edinburgh, NHS Lothian’s Dr “The head of CICAD’s demand service users, including LEAP [email protected] David McCartney, clinical manager reduction services, Dr Anna Chisman, “graduates”, to help them by telling of LEAP, and Mike Massaro- 0131 536 9432/9355 visited Edinburgh last year.