Highland HealthVOICES April 2010 Issue 49

Highland HealthVOICES G U T H S l à i n t e n a G a i d h e a l t a c h d Network News

Inside this issue: 1. Forthcoming meetings...... 1 2. Clear Communications...... 2 3. Patients Rights Bill – announcement ...... 3 4. New “men only” helpline to offer confidential advice and support 3 5. “Consultation - Changing Community Care ...... 3 6. Call for Evidence on the End of Life Assistance () Bill..... 4 7. South Skye and Lochalsh Healthy Living Project ...... 5 8. Presentation to Lawson Memorial Hospital ...... 5 9. New Hepatitis C Campaign ...... 6 10. Making hospitals safer and cleaner...... 6 11. Public Partnership Forum Event - Member Report...... 7 12. Remote Service Futures: Healthcare Service Design with Communities...... 7 13. Newsletters ...... 7 14. Events...... 7

Produced by Public Engagement Team, Freepost RLUC-KBCH-KKHC, NHS Highland, Assynt House, Inverness IV2 3BW:

Gill Keel, Head of Public Engagement 01463 704775, Email: [email protected] Karen Burnett, HHVN Coordinator 01463 704702, Email: [email protected] Lynda Gilfillan, (mornings Mon-Thurs), Administration Assistant 01463 704903, Email [email protected] Fax: 01463 235189 General email: [email protected] Website: NHS Highland Get Involved

1. Forthcoming meetings The programme below gives the next dates for each committee or Board meeting. The NHS Highland Board, Community Health Partnership and Raigmore meetings are all held in public, so you are very welcome to attend (but the staff contact would appreciate a call in advance so they can prepare anything if required). The meetings are also attended by the local Public Partnership Forum members so feel free to contact them if you want an issue raised or need more information.

Please note the change to the Board Meeting date which will now take place on the 13th April. (This change was made because of the Easter weekend)

Date Committee or Venue/Time Contact for details HHVN member contact Group Tues 13th NHS Highland Board Room, Lorraine Power, Board (Not applicable) April Board Meeting Assynt Services Administrator, Agenda and papers House, Assynt House, available on NHS Highland Inverness Beechwood Park, website a week prior to Inverness meeting Thurs SE Highland 2.00pm Sue Blackhurst, Hamish Wood, Primary 15th April CHP Strathspey Committee Committee Member Committee Room, St Administrator, South Email: Vincent’s East Highland [email protected] Hospital, Community health Tel: 0845 0956158 Kingussie Partnership, Alder Dr Kate Adamson, Deputy House, Cradlehall Committee Member Business Park, Email: Inverness IV2 5GH [email protected] Tel: 01463 706984 Mon, 19th Raigmore 10.30 – Lynn Lawrence, Jim Fry, Committee Member April Hospital 1.00pm Business Support Tel: 01847 892045 Committee Venue TBA Manager, General A member of the Raigmore Manager’s Office, Patients’ Council is also on , Old this committee – contact Perth Road, Inverness, Lynda if you’d like to get in IV2 3UJ Tel: 01463 touch with them 705152 Tues, North Highland 2.00pm Kay Oswald, CHP Liz Smith, Primary 20th CHP Marine Hotel, Support Manager, North Committee Member April Committee Brora Highland Community Tel: 01847 893423 Health Partnership, Email: General [email protected] Hospital, Bankhead Road, Wick, KW1 5NS Allan Tubb, Deputy Tel: 01955 880246 Committee Member E mail: Tel: 0845 458 9261 [email protected] Fri 23rd Mid Highland 10.am – Jackie Jefferson, Mid April CHP 1.30pm CHP Committee Governance TBA Administrator, Larachan Committee House, 9 Docharty Road, Dingwall IV15 9UG Tel: 01349 869200

1 Date Committee or Venue/Time Contact for details HHVN member contact Group Wed 28th A&B CHP 1pm in the Margaret Johnston, Robin Creelman, Chair April Committee Argyllshire General Manager’s A&B PPF and CHP Gathering Office, Argyll & Bute Committee Member Halls, CHP, Aros, 01369 820222 Breadalbane Lochgilphead, Argyll [email protected] Street, Oban PA31 8LB Tel: 01546 605682 Evelyn Hide, Vice Chair Email: A&B PPF and CHP margaretjohnston@nhs. Committee Member net [email protected] Tues 18th Argyll & Bute 10 am Gail McGeachy Robin Creelman, Chair A&B May PPF Meeting Rooms J5/7 Secretary to Planning PPF and CHP Committee Mid Argyll Contracting & Member Community Performance, NHS 01369 820222 Hospital Highland, Aros, [email protected] Lochgilphead PA31 8LB Evelyn Hide, Vice Chair Tel: 01546 605681 A&B PPF and CHP Email: Committee Member [email protected] [email protected]

Tues HHVN 12 noon in Lynda Gilfillan, Admin To raise a point through 25th May Steering the Assistant, Assynt House, your local member please Group Anteroom, Beechwood Park, contact Lynda. Assynt Inverness IV2 3BW House Tel: 01463 704903

2. Clear Communications In our February issue of Network News we highlighted the communication project being carried out by Maimie Thomson, to make sure signs within Raigmore (in the first instance) are easily read. The project was also looking at clinic letters to ensure they give enough information, match the signs and make it easy for people to find their clinics. This resulted in a walkabout at Raigmore Hospital, carried out by a new member of staff unfamiliar with the hospital layout and a member of Raigmore Patient Council. These volunteers were provided with standard clinic letters and asked to see how easy it was for them to find their way to the right location. The short report on their findings is attached as Appendix 1 and you will note they uncovered some clear learning points.

Maimie is keen to have your feedback to allow her to come up with a set of recommendations and implement some improvements. If you would still like to be involved you are invited to share your own experiences and observations by contacting Maimie Thompson, 18 week Referral to Treatment Programme Manager by Email [email protected] or telephone Sue Blackhurst, Support for Maimie Thomson, RTT Programme Manager/ Committee Administrator, on 01463 706984 or by Email: [email protected]

2 3. Patients Rights Bill – announcement The Scottish Government has launched a call for written evidence on the general principles of the “Patient Rights (Scotland) Bill” which was introduced to Parliament on 17th March 2010. The Main purposes of the Bill are to set out the rights of patients receiving NHS healthcare and includes a guarantee that patients will start treatment within 12 weeks of the treatment being agreed. It also includes the right of patients to make a complaint and provide feedback on services, and introduces the new role of “Patient Rights Officers” in health boards across Scotland. For more information or to respond to the call for evidence go to www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/42- PatientRights/index.htm

4. New “men only” helpline to offer confidential advice and support A new service is being set up to support men who are being abused by their partners. The ‘Men’s Advice Line’ Helpline will go live in Scotland next month, with trained advisors offering confidential advice, practical advice and emotional support to Scottish Men.

People worried about friends or family and frontline workers can also call the helpline for advice. Over 7,000 men reported being abused by a partner last year. In 14 per cent of cases of domestic abuse reported to the police, a male victim reports suffering abuse from a female partner.

A separate arm of the helpline called “Respect” will offer anyone who is worried that their own behaviour towards a partner is abusive, a chance to get support to stop and change. The helplines will also act as a key source of information on the scope and severity of abuse experienced by men and what support men need. Both the Men’s Advice Line and Respect helplines will launch in Scotland later this month.

For more details, visit http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2010/03/17143431.

5. “Consultation - Changing Community Care The Highland Council and NHS Highland are putting together a new joint plan for community care services for the next three years. It is important that we hear from people who use our services in order to make sure that planning reflects what is important to people.

Community Care is the term used to describe how we support adults who need extra help to live their day-to-day lives. Adults may be in need of services for a variety of reasons, but most commonly it is because of some form of disability, frailty resulting from advancing age, a mental health difficulty or a problem with substance misuse (alcohol and drugs).

To enable people to live as independently as possible our main aim is to ensure we support people’s independence and that they:

3 • Live as long and healthy lives as possible • Feel safe • Stay in a home of their own wherever sensible • Are free from stigma and discrimination • Keep up their important relationships; and • Develop through having interesting things to do

For more information and to get the consultation documents, click on the following link www.fhcommunities.org or telephone 01463 702 807 to request paper versions of the consultation documents.

6. Call for Evidence on the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill On 10th February 2010, the Scottish Parliament established the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill Committee. The remit of the Committee is to consider the general principles of the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill and report on them to the Scottish Parliament.

On Wednesday, 3rd March 2010, the Committee launched its public call for evidence on this Bill and has invited views from individuals as well as from organisations and professional bodies. Some of the points being addressed are:

• Do you agree a person should be able to request end of life assistance from a registered practitioner? • Are you satisfied with the requirements for age and connection with Scotland as set out in the Bill? • Do you consider the level and nature of safeguards as set out in the Bill to be appropriate?

The main purposes of the Bill are to – • Permit assistance to be given by registered medical practitioners in Scotland to persons who wish to bring their own lives to an end (“an assisted death”) • Establish who is eligible to receive an assisted death from a registered medical practitioner • The process by which a person qualified to receive an assisted death, and • The responsibilities and duties of the registered medical practitioner and of a registered medical practitioner who is a psychiatrist in response to a request for an assisted death.

If you would like to make a submission to the Committee on your views on this Bill, please reply to [email protected] or you can send a hard copy submission to: End of Life Assistant (Scotland) Bill Committee T3.60, Scottish Parliament Edinburgh EH99 1SP

4 For further information on how to prepare your submission and full details of the bill you can view all the details on the website at : http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/endLifeAsstBill/index.htm

Please send your views on the Bill by no later than Wednesday, 12th May 2010.

7. South Skye and Lochalsh Healthy Living Project Keeping people fit and well is the aim of a two-year NHS Highland project that is taking place in South Skye and Lochalsh.

The Well North project is funded by The Scottish Government and is looking at the use of an anticipatory care approach to reduce health inequalities in remote and rural communities to promote healthier lifestyles and to help people reduce the risk of major health problems in the future.

The pilot project is being run in conjunction with the four medical practices at Broadford, Kyle, Sleat and Glenelg and a survey is currently being carried out in these areas to find out how local residents access and prepare their food and keep physically active. It is also looking at whether they are happy with the opportunities for exercise and other activities available to them or whether what is taking place can be strengthened and supported so it can be sustained by the community in the long term.

Feedback from this survey will help shape the Well North activities that will be planned and rolled out across South Skye and Lochalsh during the next 12 to 18 months.

Well North Project Leader, Sarah Bowyer, said: “Keeping well is not just about adding years to life, but adding life to years. We are already aware of some wonderful examples in South Skye and Lochalsh of groups and communities working in such a positive and supportive way. We would like to document these examples so that they can be suggested to other communities as possible ideas and options that may also work for them. ’’

Anyone wishing to become involved in the project or wanting further information should contact Sarah Bowyer at Kyle Health Centre 01599 530945.

8. Presentation to Lawson Memorial Hospital The Lawson Memorial Hospital League of Friends has presented a valuable piece of gynaecological equipment to the hospital at Golspie in East that may save patients having to travel to Wick or Inverness for treatment.

Brenda Macmillan, who is Chairwomen of the League of Friends, and other members of the committee presented the piece of equipment to Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician Dr Philip Boabang, Locality General Manager Georgia Haire and Deputy Charge Nurse Margaret Morrison.

5

This donation may mean that women seen at the Outpatients Department at the Lawson Memorial Hospital be able to complete their treatment at the unit, whereas they would previously have had to attend at Caithness General Hospital or Raigmore Hospital for the next step in their care. The League of Friends has also raised money for two reclining chairs and light furnishings for two single rooms at the hospital.

Dr Boabang thanked the League of Friends for their generous donation and stressed the improvement this will make for women attending the Outpatients Clinic.

9. New Hepatitis C Campaign People at risk of having the Hepatitis C virus are being encouraged to come forward for testing as part of a new Scottish Government campaign. The communications campaign is designed to tackle the current Hepatitis C epidemic by increasing awareness of the virus among at-risk groups, and encouraging them to come forward for testing. The campaign - part of the three-year Hepatitis C Action Plan which aims to improve testing, treatment, care and support services - will support the Scottish Government's target to get 2,000 new people into Hep C treatment each year.

The campaign will use strategically-placed posters to target groups such as former injecting drug users, people who had a blood transfusion in the UK before 1992, anyone who may have shared items, such as razors, with someone who has the virus. Information on testing, referral and treatment is available at www.hepcscotland.co.uk. Hepatitis C is a potentially fatal blood- borne virus. For more details, visit http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2010/03/08094128.

10. Making hospitals safer and cleaner The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI) which was set up in April 2009 to undertake announced and unannounced inspections in each acute NHS hospital in Scotland have issued a short information leaflet outlining ‘who they are’ and ‘what they do’.

The main purpose of HEI is to check that the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) standards for Healthcare Associated Infection are being met using their team of inspectors. The inspection team includes volunteer inspectors who work with them and take part in inspections. They talk to patients, relatives and visitors, and listen to what is important to them. If they find problems they make sure that NHS boards take the action that is needed to reduce the risks of Healthcare Acquired Infections for patients and staff. If you would like more information on HEI you can email them at: [email protected] or you can have a look at their website www.nhshealthquality.org. For a hard copy of the leaflet please contact Lynda on 01463 704903 or [email protected].

6 11. Public Partnership Forum Event - Member Report Elizabeth Smith, Primary Member for the North Highland CHP recently attended a Public Partnership Forum Event in Glasgow, which she found very interesting. This two day event was facilitated by the Scottish Health Council and started with a history of Community Health Partnerships (CHPs) and Public Partnership Forums (PPFs). The full report on the event is attached as Appendix 2.

12. Remote Service Futures: Healthcare Service Design with Communities The final report of the Remote Services Futures Project has now been issued. This is a summary of the two year project which aimed to identify ways that communities could get involved with planning their own future services in the spirit of mutuality and co-production that government policy suggests, and to recommend good practice for bringing together community members and the public services in an anticipatory process for designing suitable future services. Due to legislative and regulatory changes and aging population demographics the way that health and social care services are delivered to remote and rural areas is changing. The principle behind anticipatory service design is that service providers engage with communities to design future services in advance of any crisis or impending change, rather than waiting until a change is imminent to discuss future services with the community.

For more information about Remote Service Futures or for a copy of the report please visit the Centre for Rural Health website www.abdn.ac.uk/crh/

13. Newsletters The March issue of the NHS Highland Team Update is now available and can be accessed on the website here. Articles this month include:

• New Chairs for Mid and North Community Health Partnerships • Bowel Cancer Screening • New Health Centre in Easter Ross • Healthy Living Project • Baby friendly

Community Health Exchange – CheX-Point Snippets CHeX-Point Snippets Issue 159 is now available. Articles this month include:

• Funding for NHS Boards • De-stress in the workplace • Small grants for Summer Activities • New £50 million lottery fund for Scotland

14. Events Inverness Joint Patient Participation Group (JPPG) The next meeting of the JPPG will take place on Wednesday, 19th May at the Gun Lodge Hotel, High Street, Ardersier from 7pm to 9pm. The speaker will

7 be Kate Stevens, Older People for Older People (040) Project Manager, University of Highlands and Islands.

For more information on these meetings contact Diana Wortham, JPPG Facilitator on 01463 723568 or by e mail on [email protected].

Joint Patient Participation Group Training Event Wednesday 21st April, Centre for Health Science, Raigmore Hospital 10am-1pm. Do you want to know what all of us can do to prevent discrimination? If so, you are most welcome to attend a short workshop that NHS Highland is giving looking at ways to make health services more accessible for everyone. The event was arranged for the Inverness Joint Patient Participation Group but there are a number of spaces available for Highland HealthVOICES Network members. Some of you will already have received application forms for this event.

If you would like to come along and have not yet registered, please contact Lynda Gilfillan, Administration Assistant, by telephone at 01463 704903 or e- mail [email protected] by Monday 12th April.

The deadline for articles for the next issue is Wednesday, 5th May.

Back to Top

8