NHS Highland Review of the Year TJaHnuEar yY-MEaArchR IN QUOTES Highlights of 2012 January-March W e look back at some of the stories that made headlines last year —This is a fantastic new facility January for Skye and Lochalsh from which patients and staff alike • The new year saw will benefit.“ the launch of the Kate Earnshaw, Clinical centenary of the Services Developm ent Manger, on the new Portree Dewar Report. This Dental Clinic pioneering work in Highland was the —Being dialysed at home blueprint for the NHS. rather than having to come into hospital can be life • An outbreak of C changing for renal patients.“ difficile in Raigmore Chris Ridden, Hom e Hospital signalled a Haem odialysis Sister mixed year for infection prevention "The loss of NHS dental ser- and control. W e hit the vices in W est Caithness has been a long-running sore for headlines œ and some people in more ways than papers reminded us of one, so I'm sure everyone this almost every time 5The opening in March of the NHS Dental Clinic in Portree associated with the NHS will be delighted to see the resto- they printed a story. ration of this service.“ • It was great to came under the the 6,000th Scottish Colin Punler, a non-exec report that new dental umbrella of NHS patient volunteer was m em ber of NHS Highland‘s board and chair of the facilities in Dunbar Highland. recruited in a study North Highland Com m unity and Portree were up • Remote and rural looking to help arthritis Health Partnership Com m it- and running, support- sufferers. tee, on the new Dunbar issues were constantly Dental Clinic ing improved local in the news during the • A total of £3 million access. year, including was secured to invest —I am delighted that the Scot- Applecross, in health centres in tish Government has made February Ardnamurchan, Dingwall and Drumna- available the necessary fund- • W e announced a Caithness, Cowal, drochit. ing for these projects to pro- fresh approach to re- Glenelg and Islay. ceed.“ design of local ser- • Eight local organi- Gill McVicar, director of sations, including In- operations, North & W est, vices in Caithness. March on funding for Dingwall and verness Caledonian • School pupils took • A ground-breaking Drum nadrochit Health Thistle FC, signed up Centres partnership agreement part in an annual to the national —see was sealed with the event, —Exploring me“ campaign aimed —This is a very exciting time Highland Council to Careers in Health“. at tackling stigma as the new approach brings develop integrated enormous potential to • Hundreds of people against people with services. improve how we deliver some joined our con- mental ill health. A services.“ versation on planning • More than 300 staff new Mental W ellbeing Elaine Mead, NHS Highland chief executive, on the for integration, the were honoured as Strategy was integration of health process in which part of our Valuing launched in Argyll and and adult social care social care for adults Service Awards and Bute. services TO VIEW THE FULL STORIES, PLEASE VISIT THE NEW S SECTION OF THE NHS HIGHLAND W EBSITE NHS Highland Review of the Year THE YEAR April May June IN QUOTES • Some 1,700 staff • W e continued to • In what was a April-June moved from the High- grapple with roller-coaster of a land Council to NHS challenges around month, local people —To achieve re-accred- Highland to support recruitment and turned out in droves to itation is a fantastic ach- integration to reshape retention for some welcome the Olympic ievement and demonstrates older adult services. groups of staff. One torch to the Highlands. the ongoing commitment and hard work by all staff The model is the first area of focus was to Other high-profile involved with the care of of its kind in Scotland. promote a new role – events included Rock- antenatal and breastfeeding • W e were also in the Physicians Assistant. ness, Curtis Cup in women in Caithness.“ news when the Om- This two-year course Nairn and Mountain NHS Highland infant budsman upheld a is the first of its kind in Bike W orld Cup in Fort feeding advisor Scotland. W illiam. Karen Mackay complaint where we failed to diagnose can- • Anyone with re- • The Intensive Care —It is important to reflect on cer in one of our pa- sponsibility for raising Unit in Raigmore had what medical care was like tients. W e publicly a 0-16 year old in to be temporarily in the Highlands and apologised and have Highland was given closed when routine recognise and celebrate what was achieved in really responded to all the the opportunity to take testing found the bac- what is a relatively short recommendations. part in a survey to in- terium Pseudomonas. space of time.“ The impact on lives fluence support ser- • Excellent joint NHS Highland chairm an when we get things vices. Garry Coutts on the centen- working on Skye ary of the Dewar Report wrong can be devas- • In terms of infection made sure everyone tating but our ap- control, NHS Highland was looked after dur- proach to apologise —Getting an early diagnosis alerted members of ing a period of signifi- of dementia is very impor- and to share learning the public to an cant disruption to elec- tant as there are many more is the right one. increase in the tricity and tele-comms. things now that can be done number of cases of to help.“ • Caithness maternity • For the first time in Dr Ian Scott, clinical director unit received interna- Norovirus and we many years some for South and Mid tional recognition. introduced a more doctors took part in- sensitive test for the dustrial action. —There aren‘t many facial • It was announced expressions as powerful as detection of a smile and by looking after that people in Argyll Clostridium difficile • Items reported at our teeth by following a few and Bute lived longer with the aim of the board‘s public simple instructions you can than people elsewhere increasing detection meeting included up- ensure that your smile does in Scotland. rates. dates on a Significant indeed shine.“ Event Review carried Kirstin Edm iston, out in Raigmore fol- oral health im provem ent co-ordinator lowing a C diff out- break and progress to —Falls are a major cause of improve standards of avoidable injury, particularly care for people with among older people. They dementia. can also lead to loss of con- fidence and a person can • Belford and become less active, weaker MacKinnon Memorial and therefore more likely to got thumbs-up from have another fall. W e want to raise as much awareness HEI. And for a second as possible on how you can year running we prevent falls and also what picked up a national support is out there.“ 5It was reported in June that a group of 12 mothers from award at the leading NHS Highland‘s South and Mid areas would be on hand to Com m unity developm ent offer new mums help and support on breastfeeding after they health event in Scot- officer Kate MacLean completed a training programme run by NHS Highland land. NHS Highland Review of the Year July THE YEAR • The Olympic IN QUOTES Games got under way July-September with a spectacular opening which in- &It is fantastic to see the cluded a celebration of new Migdale Hospital open the role of the NHS in and treating patients in their British society. local community.“ Minister for Public Health • Health chief Derek Michael Matheson Feely visited Fort W il- liam and took to the world of social media —W e are the biggest em- ployer in Highland and with tweeting: —Great day in a budget of around £700 Fort W illiam seeing million it‘s very important fantastic work on ac- we take opportunities like this to share our thinking, cess, length of stay, 5Michael Matheson officially opens Migdale Hospital 5 review performance and virtual ward and get feedback.“ safety. Outstanding fully, it was an inspira- Sturgeon moved from Chief executive Elaine Mead people here.“ tion to us all to get Health Secretary to a more active. new role overseeing on NHS Highland‘s Annual • During National Review, which was held in • Results published the independence ref- Eden Court, Inverness, on Transplant W eek we erendum, we held our 5th Septem ber encouraged more showed a continued reduction in hospital Annual Event, at people in Highland to which we launched —Just a moderate 30-minute join the NHS Organ mortality rates for NHS Highland. the Highland Quality walk five times a week will Donor Register. Approach. make a tremendous differ- • Alzheimer Scotland ence to a person‘s physical • NHS Highland had • The first-ever Scot- wellbeing.“ to temporarily close opened a new Dem- entia Resource Hub in land‘s Dementia Dr Jonathan Hanson, the Harmsworth Unit Awards saw the Argyll of Skye, a qualified in W ick due to staffing Inverness. consultant in Sport and & Bute Dementia Exercise Medicine pressures and the • Michael Matheson, Team œ a partnership GPs in the Riverbank Minister for Public of Argyll and Bute —Remote and rural areas Medical Practice in Health, formally Council, Alzheimer such as the Highlands can Thurso announced opened Migdale Hos- Scotland and NHS find a problem attracting their intention to end pital in Bonar Bridge. Highland œ scoop an medical staff and so it their partnership. award for the most makes sense to encourage • NHS Highland was young people from the area • Belladrum Festival one of only three innovative partnership.