NHS Lanarkshire

A love story that has burned for over six decades continues to shine brightly – fanned by the compassion of dedicated home carers. Sparks began to fly when Norman and Christine Edge met at Lanark station in the late 1950s. Norman, a fireman who worked in the steam engine room, would even swap shifts to ensure he was on the 07:53 from Lanark to Glasgow so he could see Christine, a Kirkfieldbank girl and secretary, every day. As feelings gathered unstoppable momentum, the couple wed in the Royal Oak Hotel, Lanark, in 1962 and have enjoyed a long and happy marriage. Health challenges have taken their toll in recent years. Yet Christine, 84, explained how their close bond has endured like steel – galvanised by the support of the local South Lanarkshire Council Care at Home workforce. Read the full, amazing, story: https://lnkd.in/eWNbQfic

A great example of the clinical innovation that is central to NHS Lanarkshire’s ongoing programme of Transformation and Reform... A mum who couldn’t button her clothes, open a jar or even squeeze her toothpaste tube has told how she grasped the chance of a life-changing operation to cure agonising hand pain. Helen Young has a new lease of life after becoming the first person in Lanarkshire to have an implant in her arthritic thumb – described by her surgeons as “like a mini hip replacement.” “I struggled to put my clothes on and button them, I couldn’t squeeze the toothpaste onto my toothbrush and I wasn’t able to wash the dishes or use a hairdryer while brushing my hair,” recalled Helen, 50, from Airdrie in North Lanarkshire. Helen, one of only a few Scots who’ve had the op, said: “The problem started four years ago and there were many tears of frustration. I once found myself weeping because I simply could not manage to hang up a wet towel. “The pain in my thumb and the lack of movement in my hand meant I could drive but I couldn’t pull on the handbrake – I had to get colleagues to do that when I parked at work.” Helen found it particularly upsetting that her beloved dog, Rafa, was impacted by her condition, which afflicts more women than men. She explained: “When I took Rafa for a walk I could put on his harness but I couldn’t unclip it when we got back. It was uncomfortable for him to stay in it until someone came to take it off.” She’s managed to redecorate four rooms in her house since NHS Lanarkshire surgeons at University Hospital Wishaw did the operation on her left thumb three months ago. She said: “I was in a big bandage for three weeks after the surgery so it was a nervous moment when it was removed and I found out if it had worked. “I’d previously been unable to touch my thumb to the tips of my fingers but I can now fully flex my hand. I used to have pain at an eight out of 10 level but now I rarely get any discomfort in my thumb. Helen also has the same condition in her right thumb, which made two-handed tasks even tougher before her left one was fixed. She’s aiming to have the same operation on her right hand and has given a big thumbs-up to the work of NHS Lanarkshire’s orthopaedic surgeons and their wider team. The op, a day surgery, was carried out by Miss Sally-Anne Phillips (pictured top right), Consultant Hand and Wrist Surgeon, and her fellow Orthopaedic Surgeon Mr Nick Miller. Sally-Anne said: “It’s wonderful to see how well Helen is doing after the surgery, which is called a carpometacarpal joint replacement." Full story https://lnkd.in/e6yUCAdN

The exciting plans to create the New University Hospital Monklands are moving forward through preparatory works on the site of the trailblazing development. The Monklands Replacement Project (MRP) is carrying out “settlement trials” on the land at Wester Moffat in Airdrie that will be home to the new University Hospital Monklands. MRP Director Graeme Reid said: “We’re delighted to see this initial work underway on the site, illustrating that the momentum continues on our journey towards Lanarkshire’s new hospital, which will be the first in Scotland to be fully digital and net zero carbon. “Settlement trials involve earth from the site being formed into three large mounds to test how quickly the ground settles. The results will allow the MRP team to verify their design assumptions about the land and confirm construction plans and methodology for the hospital. “The public may notice some construction traffic accessing the area and surveyors will be on site regularly over coming months to take readings and assess the settlement of the earth mounds. “We’ll keep the community informed about future site works.” Colin Lauder, NHS Lanarkshire Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Planning, Property and Performance, said he recently visited Wester Moffat to observe the work and was highly impressed by what he saw. Colin said: “I was pleased to have the opportunity to tour the site along with Donald Reid, who has a background in construction, and is a non-executive director on NHS Lanarkshire’s Board and Chair of the Board sub-committee that provides governance on the MRP. “We were shown round by Dean Molloy, from contractor I & H Brown Ltd, and saw the great work being carried out to undertake the settlement trials. “It’s inspirational to walk the site and see all the activity, and to envision the magnificent, state-of-the-art hospital building that will stand there in the future. “This phase of work underlines the fact that NHS Lanarkshire remains fully committed to the construction of the new University Hospital Monklands. “We’re currently developing the MRP’s Full Business Case (FBC) and the project timeline is unchanged as we work towards completing the FBC in 2025 and opening our new hospital around 2031.”

An innovative service changing how people in North Lanarkshire recover in their own homes rather than staying in hospital today welcomed a visit from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.   Neil Gray MSP joined Professor Ross McGuffie, chief officer, University Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire, NHS Lanarkshire's Chair Martin Hill and Deputy Chief Executive & Finance Director Michael Breen along with University Health and Social Care North Lanarkshire staff at Wishaw’s Houldsworth Centre to meet members of the Home Assessment Team which supports people discharged from hospital to lead independent lives at home.   The team carries out an ongoing assessment of each person’s specific needs in their home with wrap-around support for up to two weeks and often sees them within hours of their discharge from hospital.   Made up of a range of health and social care staff, the team will agree with each patient what their goals are and what their assessment should focus on. Some people won’t need support when returning home, but may benefit from some equipment or technology to help with daily living tasks. Professor Ross McGuffie, chief officer, University Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire, said: “Our highly skilled staff are committed to cutting delayed discharges and are making great progress in making sure people don’t have to stay in hospital any longer than strictly necessary. Today was an important opportunity to showcase their great work to the Cabinet Secretary and show him the positive impact their dedication is having on people who can now recover in their own homes.” #TeamLanarkshire #Leadership #Innovation #Networking

🌎 A world leading health and care facility in Lanarkshire is at the forefront in the early development of the next generation of robotics. Blantyre LIFE, a ground-breaking care development which opened last year, has already forged an international reputation for pioneering increasingly sophisticated care and expertise in the heart of a community. 📑 Several fact-finding missions have visited from overseas to see how technology is being used to make day-to-day living easier and safer, including service-users having the opportunity to learn how to live independently as possible in a tech-enabled homes. 🤖 Now, in a taste of things that could come, South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership have welcomed the arrival of ARI, a ‘social robot’, with human-like characteristics. 💡 Two weeks of research, supported by the National Robotarium, a world-leading centre for robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus, have been undertaken to gather feedback from health and social care staff on an early robot prototype that aims to assist people recovering after injury. 💬 Professor Soumen Sengupta, Chief Officer of South Lanarkshire University HSCP said “The foundation of our partnership is made up of the human compassion of the expertise of our staff. “The presence of ARI represents our commitment to both amplifying – not replacing – that expertise with latest technology and working with academic partners in a highly innovative space. “It also characterises our dedication to helping shape emerging and existing opportunities that rapidly evolving technology could have for the future of health and care delivery.” 🖥 The research team is led by the Head of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) at The National Robotarium Professor Lynne Baillie. You can read the full story - and Professor Baillie's thoughts - at this link: https://lnkd.in/ewTuTKPt 📽 You can see a full clip of ARI at Blantyre LIFE here: https://lnkd.in/ek8VaQh6

The NextGen Careers Information Event will take place at the Medical Education & Training Centre, Kirklands Hospital, Bothwell on 5th September 2024, 4pm-7pm (drop in). If you are a young person/parent/teacher and want to know more about the many and varied careers NHS Lanarkshire have to offer, come along!

NHS Lanarkshire’s strong strategic commitment as an active anchor organisation helps mitigate against some of the drivers of socioeconomic inequalities within Lanarkshire. NHS Lanarkshire is committed to further enhancing its role as an anchor, focusing on wider determinants of health including action on poverty, employability, green health, and staff health and wellbeing. Anchor organisations can have a strong and positive influence on the health and well-being of their local communities, helping to reduce poverty and inequalities. These decisions can increase access to fair work opportunities for local people, ensure local goods and services are purchased, make better use of buildings and assets, improve local partnership working and reduce environmental impact. Watch Public Health Scotland's animation on anchor organisations. #TeamLanarkshire

NHS Lanarkshire welcomes record number of junior doctors NHS Lanarkshire is pleased to announce the arrival of over eighty new junior doctors to its health board. A total of 81 first-year doctors participated in a comprehensive, week-long induction programme, with the number of inductees rising from 77 last year and 66 in 2020, highlighting our ongoing commitment to developing the next generation of healthcare professionals. The induction includes valuable shadowing opportunities with current trainees, allowing new doctors to gain first-hand experience before beginning their rotations across various hospital departments. This year’s cohort will contribute to a wide array of specialties, including emergency medicine, intensive care medicine, care of the elderly and, new for 2024, frailty. #TeamLanarkshire https://lnkd.in/eDuHNEyS

The University of Strathclyde, NHS Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire Council and North Lanarkshire Council have set out their commitment and ambitions to work together to tackle key health and care challenges, for the benefit of local communities and Scotland as a whole. The University of Strathclyde and NHS Lanarkshire first formalised their long-standing collaboration through a strategic partnership agreement, and the award of ‘University Status’ to NHS Lanarkshire, in 2020. They have now extended that partnership for a further five years. Alongside renewing its strategic partnership with NHS Lanarkshire, the University has also signed Memorandums of Understanding with both Lanarkshire councils – consolidating the formal, multi-agency collaboration. A key and common element of these arrangements is the recognition of Lanarkshire’s two University Health and Social Care Partnerships as University-designated operating divisions of NHS Lanarkshire. https://lnkd.in/exnNGsTz Jim McDonald Professor Jann Gardner Des Murray Roma Maguire MBE Professor Soumen Sengupta Morag Dendy

Eager pupils went “back to school” before the end of the holidays to find out about NHS Lanarkshire’s exciting project to create the New University Hospital Monklands. Eight school students from North and South Lanarkshire attended the second Summer School run by the Monklands Replacement Project (MRP) last week. Interested to learn about future job roles at the new hospital at Wester Moffat in Airdrie, the group of Fourth and Fifth Years came from St Aidan’s High in Wishaw, St Ambrose High in Coatbridge and Trinity High in Rutherglen. The event was spearheaded by the team behind the project’s Community Benefits programme, which includes skills training, apprenticeships and job opportunities. See a video of some of the young people talking about their experience here https://lnkd.in/gB7K58TU Lesley Aitken, MRP Community Benefits Engagement Lead, said: “The commitment of the young people to attending Summer School on five mornings of their holiday was inspiring, and they approached their challenges with enthusiasm and real fervour to do a good job. “Summer School 2024 was focused on facilities management, which includes various NHS Lanarkshire jobs such as building maintenance, domestic services and estates management. “We gave the students a tour around University Hospital Monklands and showed them how important facilities management is in the safe delivery of patient care. “Then they were given a task – to come up with a response to a flood in the hospital. They had to use the information from the tour and speak to our staff before designing a storyboard with their solution that was presented to an audience of our colleagues. “The young people also took part in a session to hone their employability skills. They were a real credit to themselves, their families and their schools. “We also had fantastic support from our site colleagues in facilities management, who gave up their time and expertise to help. Thanks must also go to the councils’ education departments and to Developing the Young Workforce in Lanarkshire.” The MRP Community Benefits programme forms part of NHS Lanarkshire’s work as an Anchor Organisation – a large, local employer that can have a strong and positive influence on the health and wellbeing of its communities. #NewMonklands #TeamLanarkshire #FacilitiesManagement