www.nhsggc.org.uk

Issue 21 September-October 2006

Financial close has nowbeen reached onNHSGGC’s £200million

investment into two newhospitals at Stobhill and theVictoria.

The contracts were signed lastmonth by all the major companiesinvolved.

This investment - £180million todesign and build plus a further£20million on new equipment -represents the biggest singleinvestment in new NHS facilities inScotland and is amongst the largestinvestment of its kind in the UK.

NHSGGC Chief Executive TomDivers said: “This is atremendously exciting time as itrepresents the beginning of anambitious hospital modernisationprogramme, which also will see thecompletion of a new West ofScotland Cancer Centre on theGartnavel Hospitals site and thesubmission of a business case for anew £100million children’s hospitaland a £400million new adulthospital on the Southern GeneralCampus in Govan at the end of thisyear.”

In addition to the investment inhealthcare, the creation of hundredsof construction jobs during the buildof the new Stobhill and VictoriaHospitals will also provide a majorboost to the local economy.

The two new state-of-the-arthospitals expect to treat some400,000 patients each year,providing the people of the north andsouth-east of Glasgow with locally

accessible healthcare by 2009. Both hospitals will provide a wide

range of specialties including generalday surgery, ENT surgery,gynaecology, urology, renal dialysis,plastic surgery and 12 overnight

beds as well as outpatient clinics,diagnostic services and therapy care.

Construction of the newhospitals will begin later this yearby Balfour Beattie.

Continued on page 3.

Inside this issue

page 3

Far Flung Staff

page 7

Keeping Fit Stobhill Style

page 16

Plus… Progress on hospitals • Car leasing • Courses

New Vicky Police room

Reducing waiting times andincreasing local access topatient care were among

the milestones flagged up toHealth and Community CareMinister Andy Kerr at NHSGreater Glasgow and Clyde’sAnnual Review held in DalianHouse on August 22.

This reduction means that thenumber of patients waiting for morethan 18 weeks for in-patient or daycase treatment and for out-patientconsultation has fallen by 87% and83% respectively since last year.

During a busy year the Boardtook on its new responsibilities for

Landmark contract signedfor new Stobhill and Vicky

(left to right)NHS GreaterGlasgow andClyde ChiefExecutive TomDivers, Currie &Brown DivisionalDirector AlastairStewart, Directorof Facilities AlexMcIntyre,Shepherd andWedderburn legaladvisor JuliaKennedy, Ernstand Youngfinancial advisorMichael McVeigh,and ChiefOperating Officerfor the AcuteDivision RobertCalderwoodholding the modelof the newStobhill hospitalbuilding.

First annual review as GreaterGlasgow and Clyde

Continued on page 2.

STAFF NEWS | 3

Staff at the Vicky’s A&Enow have the addedsecurity of knowing they’ve

got their own Bobby on thebeat.

A new police office has openedin the hospital to help deal with thenumber of verbal and physicalattacks on staff and patients byother users of the hospital.

Between 2005 and 2006, therewere 53 incidents alone rangingfrom verbal abuse to physicalassault.

Karen Donnachie, a Violence andAggression Co-ordinator forNHSGGC, said: “With crime levels atthe Vicky reaching an all time high,the introduction of the Police Officein A&E comes as a great comfort toboth staff and patients.

“Staff have a right to workwithout fear of assault or abuse andthis room will give reassurance toboth staff and patients that policeare on hand if needed.”

The room will mainly be used byCommunity Police Officers, however,officers dealing with major incidentsor situations within close proximityto the hospital will also use theroom.

It is hoped the office will raisethe profile of the Police within thehospital and reduce fear of crimeand deter potential criminals.

Chief Inspector Michelle Martinfrom Strathclyde Police said: “We atStrathclyde Police are delighted tobe involved in this pilot and hope tosee the room used to its fullpotential.

“Our aim is to encourage thereporting of crime and make iteasier for people to address issueswhether they are minor incidents orof a more serious nature in an areathat ensures both their safety and

confidentiality.”Michelle Boyd, Clinical Service

Manager for Accident & Emergencyat the Victoria Infirmary andSouthern General, added: “This willmake a big difference to staff andpatients who can otherwisesometimes feel vulnerable.

“This room will reassure patientsand staff that the Police are on handif needed. It is also a goodopportunity to build up the linksbetween the NHS and StrathclydePolice.”

Police Office Inside TheVicky

General NewsGeneral News

2 | STAFF NEWS

NHSGGC is holding a specialevent on September 27 tocelebrate the work of the

unsung heroes of the NHS...ourarmy of volunteers.

As unpaid, unofficial members of‘staff’, they provide a range of vitalservices to our patients and toNHSGGC itself including providingtearooms and trolleys, befriending,driving patients, fundraising, hospitalradio and lots more.

In recognition of all this hardwork, NHSGGC is putting on aspecial afternoon event for around400 specially invited volunteers tosay a big ‘thank you’.

And amongst those invitees willbe some of our hardworking staffwho either provide support to ourvolunteers or volunteer themselves.

As well as the event, a specialvolunteers’ tabloid newspaper isbeing created in partnership withthe Evening Times to mark the eventand to highlight some of ourvolunteers and the work they carryout. This newspaper will also

feature staff who volunteer andgive a history of volunteeringin NHSGGC’s hospitals.

NHS Greater Glasgow andClyde has around 2000volunteers of all ages andbackgrounds who regularlyhelp out in our hospitals andother healthcare settings.

All types of peoplevolunteer and provide a widerange of vital services. Thisincludes:* Befriending patients on

wards and clinics* WRVS who provide tea and

refreshments in our hospitals* Volunteer tea trolley workers* A Disc Jockey* Volunteer drivers who take our

patients to clinic appointmentsor to social events

* Therapets - animals who visitpatients on wards

* Hospital radio * Fundraising, including all the

sterling work carried out onbehalf of the Royal Hospital forSick Children/Queen Mother’sand the BeatsonProfessor Sir John Arbuthnott

said: “The majority of the 400guests will be volunteers, but someof our staff will also be invited inrespect of the voluntary work whichthey undertake and the realdifference they make to peopleslives, not just in this country butacross the world.”

General NewsGeneral News

diarydates

>>>>>

°NEXT BOARD MEETING

Next date for the NHS Greater Glasgowand Clyde Board meeting at DalianHouse, 350 St Vincent Street, Glasgow isTuesday, October 24, 2006 at 9.30am.

°NURSES WORKING WITHCHILDREN CONFERENCE

NHSGGC’s 13th Annual Conference forNurses Working with Children takesplace on Friday, September 29, 2006 atKelvin Conference Centre, Science Park,Maryhill Road, Glasgow. Topics include:managing minor injuries; KSF forchildren’s nurses; transporting criticallyill children; resucitation; and advancenurse practice. Cost £45 (includescoffee, lunch and exhibition).Applications must be in by September 3,2006. Information: Carole Anne Murphy,tel: 0141 201 9356 or email:cmurphy1@yorkhill.scot.nhs.uk

°YUMMY MUMMY WEEK –September 16-24, 2006

TV personality Carol Smillie invites youto take part in Yummy Mummy Week andraise money for children with cancer.The event is on behalf of CLICSargent,the national charity for children withcancer and there’s lots you can do toraise funds. Information and to register:www.clicsargent.org.uk/yummymummy

HAVE YOU GOT A DATE FOR THE DIARY?

Contact us:staffnews@ggc.org.uk or

tel: 0141 201 4912

CelebratingourVolunteers

Volunteers have a major part to play in the care ofour patients, including befriending.

New Stobhill& Vicky

Continued from page 1.

Ian Tyler, Chief Executive ofBalfour Beatty, said: “We aredelighted to have reached thislandmark stage in partnership withboth Canmore and NHS GreaterGlasgow and Clyde and now lookforward to delivering two brand newhospitals that will significantlyenhance acute hospital carethroughout Glasgow.”

Andrew Gordon, Chief Executiveof Canmore Partnership Ltd, who lednegotiations for the successful bid,

echoed this.He said: “We are delighted our

partnership with NHS GreaterGlasgow and Clyde will be providingthe excellent hospitals whichpatients and staff deserve.”

Alastair Stewart, DivisionalDirector at Currie & Brown, leadtechnical advisors on the project:

“This is one of the largest and mostcomplex healthcare projects inScotland, involving the design andcost management for not one, buttwo hospitals at the same time.

“When complete, it will providestate-of-the-art health facilities forthe people of Glasgow in a moderncare system.”

Clyde in April following thedissolution of the former NHS Argylland Clyde, and is now deliveringservices to more than a quarter ofScotland’s population.

The Board has also taken on anew role to work with partner localauthorities in the development ofCommunity Health (and Care)Partnerships.

Next year sees landmarks in theimprovement of mental healthservices with the new GartnavelRoyal Hospital and the RowanbankClinic due to come on stream.

Meanwhile work continuesthrough smoking cessation groupsand the pharmacy-led Starting Freshscheme to reduce the number ofsmokers in the Glasgow area. Workin oral health has seen the extensionof toothbrushing schemes to themajority of nurseries in the city,

together with programmes forprimary one and two pupils.

The Board has achieved its 2005delayed discharge targets thanks tothe hard work of staff and asuccessful winter planningprogramme.

The Minister urged the Board towork hard to improve itsperformance in meeting the waitingtimes standards for patients withcancer.

A copy of the Minister’s responseto the Annual Review will be placedon the Staff Intranet later this year.

Annual reviewContinued from page 1.

(left to right) Supt. Hugh McMillan; Susan Daisley, Locum Consultant; Sister Julie Walker;Consultant Jonny Gordon; Chief Inspector Michelle Martin; Police Constable Stephen Connor

How new Victoria willlook when complete

Radiography at the RoyalHospital for Sick Childrenhas said goodbye to

popular member of staff ElspethMacLean who is retiring after anincredible 50 years with theNHS.

At the age of 70, Elspeth hasdecided it’s time to give up workand enjoy a bit more free time asthis is one lady who knows exactlyhow to get the most out of life.

From travelling (including goinground Melbourne on the back of aHarley Davidson) to sailing lessonsand playing tennis as part of theBritish Vets at Wimbledon,retirement will only be the start ofwhat Elspeth does next.

Since starting work at theGlasgow Royal in 1956, Elspeth hasworked in nearly every hospital inthe recently formed NHS GreaterGlasgow and Clyde.

“I’ve worked in what used to bethe RAI in Paisley, then Greenock. Iwas a locum in the Western,Gartnavel and even worked in theislands, then back to Paisley whichwas by then the RAH. I used to

send X-rays over from the islandsand if they’d been particularlyawkward to take or the patient hadbeen difficult, I used to write onthem PDP – Pure Dead Brilliant sothey’d know they were done by me!”

“The Sick Kids’ Hospital hasbeen different to other work inbecause it’s children and you get toknow them and their parents whichdoesn’t happen as much in a generalhospital.”

Over her 50 years involvement inthe NHS, Elspeth has seen manychanges take place.

“There have been lots ofchanges over 50 years, but most ofthem have taken place in recentyears when things have just movedso much faster. In radiography,we’ve moved into a digitalised ageso it’s all different, the equipment’sdifferent so there’s alwayssomething new to learn.

“It’s never the same thing twice,there’s always a challenge which isgood because you can’t doeverything the same way all thetime.”

Now she’s retired, Elspeth iskeen to do voluntary work but notsure exactly what yet.

“When I thought I might retire at60, I thought about doing a courseto help older people stay mobile, butI’m not sure if they’ll have me nowI’m 70!”

With three grandchildren agedseven, five and two-and-a-half, she’ssure to be busy, but at the momentshe admits to being a bitoverwhelmed at the thought ofretiring.

“I’ll miss the buzz of the hospitaland I’ll miss my colleagues. I’m notsure what I’ll do next, but somethingwill come up.”

STAFF NEWS | 5

Good Progress on new HospitalsNew HospitalsNew Hospitals

4 | STAFF NEWS

Game, set and match…General NewsGeneral News

Meetings have been held withstaff at the IRH and RAH todiscuss the changes tochildren’s services in Inverclyde.At the Board meeting in August,Board members agreed to goahead with proposals to changehow these services aredelivered, including a proposal torelocate the children’s acuteassessment unit from InverclydeRoyal to the Royal AlexandraHospital in Paisley. As well as the staff meetings, itis proposed that an HR sub-group will be set up. The groupwill be an integral part of theprocess and will be responsiblefor working through the changeswith staff on an individual basis.

NHSGGC’s specialist stopsmoking project, SmokingConcerns, has won an

award at a national conference.

Smoking Concerns picked up theprize for Best Poster Presentation at theDelivering for Health conference heldrecently at the Lighthouse in Glasgow.

Staff from the initiative werepresented with their award certificateby Health and Community Care MinisterAndy Kerr.

The winning poster design outlinesthe co-ordinated team approach totobacco work by the project, integratingacute and community smoking

cessation services throughout theGlasgow area.

Shirley Hamilton, Senior HealthPromotion Officer (Tobacco) Acute andMaternity Services, said: “ We weredelighted to accept this award on behalfof the team in recognition of the hardwork and dedication required to providestop smoking services acrossGlasgow.”

Organised by NHS Health Scotlandand supported by the ScottishExecutive, the conference was attendedby senior managers from health boardsand community health partnerships,hospital managers, medical directors,nursing directors, GPs, hospital medicalstaff and health promotion managers.

InverclydeChildren’sServices

Winning ProjectShowcased AtConference

A youthful Elspeth islooking forward toretirement.

Collecting their award from Health and Community Care Minister Andy Kerr are, (left to right) KirstyScott , Senior Health Promotion Officer, Glasgow West CHCP, Agnes McGowan, Principal HealthPromotion Officer Tobacco; and Shirley Hamilton, Senior Health Promotion Officer (Tobacco) Acuteand Maternity Services.

Here’s a quick update onwhat’s happening with ourmodernisation programme.

As most of you will be aware,hospitals in Glasgow are undergoingan unprecedented level ofmodernisation at the moment, withfour brand new hospitals and a newcancer centre being built.

So what’s happening with thenew buildings?

STOBHILL siteThe new Stobhill Hospital - work

has begun on the new StobhillHospital; three ward blocks havebeen demolished and work hasstarted on groundworks anddrainage. Work will continue overthe coming two years, with the steelframe going up next year. Thecommissioning stage (when thehospital will get ready to acceptpatients) will take place in spring2009 with the hospital opening laterthat year.

Rowanbank Clinic – work isprogressing well on this clinic,which is home to the Local ForensicPsychiatry Unit. It is due forcompletion next summer.

Skye House, the Adolescentpsychiatry mental health facility, isdue for completion by the end ofnext year.

Marie Curie Centre – work isexpected to begin on this newhospice next year.

VICTORIA siteThe new Victoria Hospital –

construction will begin on this site atthe end of this year/beginning ofnext, with the construction/fitting outstage expected to be complete byearly 2009. The commissioning stagetakes place in summer 2009 with thehospital opening later that year.

SOUTHERN GENERALsite

The new South Glasgow Hospital– construction will begin on the newadult hospital in late 2008/early2009 and the hospital is expectedto open in 2012.

The new children’s hospital –construction starts late 2008/early2009 and the hospital is expectedto open in 2011.

The newly refurbished maternity– work is continuing on theupgrading of the existing maternityhospital over the coming monthsand is expected to be complete bySeptember 2008.

BEATSONThe new Beatson

West of Scotland CancerCentre – construction isdue to be complete thismonth (September) withthe commissioning stagestarting in October. Staffand patients are due tomove into this impressivenew building in Januarynext year.

For more detailedinformation on thesenew developments,have a look at thelatest edition of HealthNews (Sept/Oct 2006edition) which isavailable in ourhospitals and otherhealthcare settings.Alternatively, go to theHealth News button onStaffNet orwww.nhsggc.org.ukand click onpublications.

Another achievement for the new NHSGGC’s CDU

NHSGGC’s CentralDecontamination Unit(CDU) has successfully

achieved a quality accreditation.

The unit has achievedaccreditation to ISO 13485:2003

Medical Devices QualityManagement System, which ensuresthe correct procedures and workinstructions are all in place.

The quality audit, which led tothe accreditation, was carried outby Lloyds Quality Assurance andmarks another major step in the

development of the CDU (which sawSterile Services in Glasgow beingcentralised).

The award-winning, state-of-the-art unit at Cowlairs in Springburn isone of the most advanced centresfor the sterilisation of surgical andmedical instruments in Europe.

Work in progress – thenew Beatson is really

taking shape.

The new Beatson is modern and spaciousas this shot of the new outpatientsdepartment shows.

STAFF NEWS | 7

Far Flung Staff!Special FeatureSpecial Feature

6 | STAFF NEWS

Calculate costs of yourleased car online

Car LeasingCar Leasing

Staff eligible for the leased car scheme cannow find out how much it costs online at:

http://staffnetcomms/staffbenefits/leasedcarinfo/leasedcarinfo.htm

All the information you need about leased cars,including a ‘DIY’ Leased Car Estimate Price Guide tolet you work out the approximate costs for any car youhave currently and how it would compare with a leasedcar, is there.

Not all staff are eligible for the leased car scheme,all the information on eligibility and necessary criteriato apply for a leased car is available at the weblink.

Employees of NHSGGC can apply for a leased caras long as they are considered a ‘Regular User’. Thisis defined as:• Someone who travels an average of more than

3500 business miles a year, or• Someone who travels an average of at least 1250

business miles a year and a) uses their can onaverage three days a week, b) spends an averageof at least 50% of their time on visits, c) travels anaverage of at least 1000 business miles a year andspends an average of at least four days a week onbusiness including visits.NHSGGC will then consider whether it is more

financially viable to offer you a leased car as long asthe cost of doing so is not greater than the cost to

reimburse you as a ‘Regular User’. You can also checkout the travel expenses reimbursement rates forregular and standard users at the web link.

For more information, or an application form,contact: Car Leasing Section, The PayrollCentre, Stobhill Hospital, 133 Balornock Road,Glasgow G21 3UW.

Alternatively contact manager Elaine McLaughlantel: 0141 201 4112 or assistant manager JimBrooksbank tel: 0141 201 4175.

It’s Scottish HealthAwards time andthe organisers

are looking forhealthcare staffwho’ve gone outof their way tocare for a patientor worked toimprove services.

The awards recognise andreward Scotland’s most

caring and committed NHSworkers who dedicate theirtime and care above andbeyond what is expected.

It’s our chance to berecognised for all the

sterling work we do on adaily basis, so get your

nominations in.

Nominees must work for NHSScotland, with the exception of theHealthy Lifestyle, Volunteers,Community and Unsung HeroAwards.

For more information on theevent and to nominate, go to:www.scottishhealthawards.com Nominations are being acceptedup until September 11, 2006.

Nominate your caring hero

Two NHSGGCspeech andlanguage

therapists made around trip of more than8000 miles to find outmore about the benefitsof Telehealth.

Carolyn Allen, based atGartnavel General, and LizO’Connell fromPollokshaws Clinic wereable to travel to Canadathanks to a £5000scholarship from theScottish Executive.

The scheme – whichwas promoted in theJan/Feb edition of StaffNews – is part of a widerstrategy set up specificallyto tackle recruitment andretention issues in theAHP workforce. Thisincludes offering a grant toallow AHPs to exploredevelopment in otherhealthcare environments.

But back to Carolynand Liz. They recentlyspent two weeks learninghow Canadian health staffuse Telehealth to improveservices for patients. Theyattended the 2ndInternational Conferenceon Telehealth in Banff,spent valuable timevisiting a specialiststammering centre inEdmonton that usesTelehealth systems toprovide therapy and spenttime with other Speechand Language Therapistswho use Telehealth withchildren with speech orlanguage disorders andstroke patients.

Carolyn explained:“Because of the vastnessof the country, Telehealthis really well developed inCanada, and theGovernment of the Albertaprovince has investedsignificant resources in itscontinued development.

“Our trip to Canadawent extremely well and it

was nice to have theluxury of focusing onTelehealth without theusual distractions of otherparts of our jobs.

“The conference inBanff and meeting othertherapists in Edmontonwere the highlights of ourtrip. It was great to meetpeople who were welladvanced in using

Telehealth and wereenthusiastic about it; wewere able to learn a lotfrom them. Similarly, wealso met people who knewas little as we did and thatwas reassuring!”

“Meeting othertherapists in Edmontonwas the most useful partof our trip as we had a

chance to see Speech &Language Therapy andTelehealth in action andwe learned a lot from howthey set up their serviceand from their mistakes,”said Liz. “Telehealth clinicsrequire strong leadershipand organisation andexcellent equipment.However, the benefits ofensuring equitable access

to all and providing achoice in how services areaccessed far outweigh thechallenges in a modernNHS.”

It wasn’t all work forthe girls; they managed tosee a bit of the country aswell and the trip alsobrought unexpected offersfrom a native Canadian

chieftain.Liz laughed: “Both of

us were proposed to by anIndian Chief at the CalgaryStampede and he alsoasked us to live with himin his tee pee - wedeclined!”

Now they’ve returnedto Scotland, Carolyn andLiz are busy puttingtogether a report on theirfindings from the trip forthe Scottish Executive.

So what isTelehealth?

Essentially, it’s health-care provided at adistance. It can involvevideophones or emailsystems, but usually videoconferencing facilities areused to connect two ormore hospitals or clinics.

For example, a patientis receiving therapy forstammering from a speechand language therapistbased in Glasgow. Thepatient lives in a rural areaand has difficulty travellingto appointments with thetherapist, so often missesthem. With Telehealth, thepatient would be able totravel to their nearesthealthcare setting andhave their speech andlanguage therapy sessionvia video conferencing.

Telehealth(telemedicine) is alreadybeing used in Glasgow’schildren’s hospital. It linksthe Sick Kids’ with otherchildren’s hospitals acrossScotland. The network ismade up of hi-tech mobilecameras and monitors thatcan transmit heartultrasounds from newbornbabies, allows doctors toshare X-rays and givesconcerned parents theopportunity to talk ‘face toface’ with a specialistabout their child’s healthwhilst being miles apart.

Carolyn Allen and Liz O’Connell

Anew smoking cessation service for mentalhealth service-users in South Glasgow isnow available.

Patients who want to stop smoking can be

referred to Denise Meldrum, tel: 0141 2116564 for assessment and support.

This service will be launched on Thursday,October 12, at the RECREATIONAL THERAPYdepartment at Leverndale.

Launch of new stop smoking service

Alastair Irwin

Head of Department. Been atthe Sick Kids’ for 21 years.He’s the longest servingmember of the team with 37years service in the NHS.

Cathie Clark

Senior Medical Photographer.Been a Medical Photographerin Glasgow for 30 yearsspending the last 18 years inthe Sick Kids’ specialising inPaediatric ClinicalPhotography. Responsible forClinical Photography servicewith special interest in ChildProtection.

Laura Agnew

Known as ‘The Organiser’ dueto her incredible filing abilities!Been there for eight years andhas managed, in between herclinical photography duties, togain the BSc in MedicalIllustration and get married allat the same time!

STAFF NEWS | 9

The glamorous life of a photographer is something we’ve allimagined from time to time, but it’s not something we oftenimagine within the glamorous setting of the NHS!

Covered by the collective term Medical Illustration, there are teams ofMedical Illustration staff based across NHSGGC’s hospitals who are on siteto take photos as and when required…often at a moment’s notice.

At the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, the Medical Illustration teamoften faces a few more difficulties than colleagues in other MedicalIllustration teams due to the nature of their small and often stubbornsubjects.

Senior Medical Photographer Cathie Clark explained: “We spend a lot oftime on our knees and on the floor. When you’re photographing children,standardising of images can be difficult due to the variations in patient agesand sizes. Co-operation is also difficult with very young children, but it canbe fun sometimes when you have to chase them around the studio tocapture the right shot! Patience is a must!”

There are other aspects of photographing children that Cathie and herteam must continually keep in mind. Cathie said: “The legal aspects ofchild protection are also very important and we liaise closely with thePolice and Social Work departments on these issues.”

Of course like all jobs, there are downsides to some of the work theMedical Illustration team perform.

“Of course it’s not all fun and games and at times it can be quiteupsetting to see very small children suffer with their illness. It is importantto have an understanding of their situation and to be sympathetic in ourapproach to them.

“The rewards doing this type of clinical photography are enormous andjob satisfaction is high when you see the results of some of the surgicalprocedures that we have photographed pre and post-operatively.”

While a lot of the work done by the team is with children, they do get tocommunicate with the adult population too, such as when they are asked bythe obstetric team to photograph their patients.

“It enables us to have grown-up conversations from time to time!” Cathysaid.

“Another bonus doing this job is that we get to know just abouteveryone who works in the hospital as most of them have requested ourservices at some time or another. It’s good to be able to assist withresearch projects and matters for publication and teaching. We also get towork with colleagues off-site too such as the Communications Team basedat Dalian House. We provide photographs of events and other interestinghappenings in and around the hospital for them to use in the various articlesproduced for Staff News and Health News.”

Irene Ryden

Irene is the departmentadministrator and keeps everyonein line! Been there for eight years.Known around the organisation as‘The ID Lady’, she is responsiblefor taking the photos and issuingID security badges to all new staffin the Women & Children’sDirectorate.

David Bardell

Old faithful! Been at Yorkhill for 21years and is a fully qualifiedMedical Photographer with aDiploma in Medical illustration andspecial interest in videophotography.

Andy McAllister

Male model –come– video starwho seems to appear in justabout any NHS advert around!Only here four years, but it seemslike forever to the rest of theteam! Andy came to the teamfrom Great Ormond Street. BScqualified Medical Photographer,but also very competent ingraphic design whose ideas neverseem to run out!

Rob Woodhall

The newest member of the teamand the audio visual expert. If youneed lap-tops, data projectors orany sound equipment set up –he’s your man.

Lights, camera, action…Spotlight on Medical IllustrationSpotlight on Medical Illustration Spotlight on Medical IllustrationSpotlight on Medical Illustration

8 | STAFF NEWS

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Big-hearted supporters of the YorkhillChildren’s Foundation are putting their bestfeet forward to trek along the Great Wall of

China for their next fundraiser.

The marathon walk follows on from the success ofFebruary’s event when 29 people climbed MountKilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, raising £82,000for the Foundation.

Joan MacLeod from the charity, said: “Although thetrip doesn’t take place until May next year, people needto sign up now to give themselves time to raise the£3000 sponsorship, and also to get fit!

“But no-one should be put off by this, once youregister we will provide you with a training programmespecially designed to take you to the level of fitness youneed.”

A fundraising pack full of ideas and suggestions isalso available.

Half of the cash covers the cost of the trip, includingflights, accommodation, camping equipment and guides,with the rest going to the Foundation as a donation.

Volunteers will also need a visa, travel insurance,ten-year passport and a tetanus injection. It is alsohighly recommended that walkers have vaccinationsagainst polio, hepatitis A and typhoid.

For more information contact Joan or Evonne tel:0141 201 6917, email:joan.macleod@yorkhill.scot.nhs.uk or call into theYorkhill Children’s Foundation Office at the OutpatientDepartment at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

Two ladies who will know what it’s like to walk theGreat Wall are Valerie Millar and Ruth Geddes whotaking part in a nine-day trip at the end of this month(September).

Valerie, who is the Communications Manager for theCentre for Population Health, and Ruth (a

psychotherapist with NHS Ayrshire and Arran) bothpreviously worked at NHSGGC’s HQ Dalian House. Theywill be part of a 40-strong party of walkers who aretaking part in the event to raise money for the Maggie’sCancer Centres (one of which is based at the Western).

Valerie said: “We’re really looking forward to going.It’s a nine-day trip in total, and we’ll be walking along ornear the Wall for five of those days, reaching the highestpoint of the Wall near the end of the trip. We’ll bewalking for eight to ten hours per day and campingbeside the wall at night.

“There are 40 people taking part in this trip and weaim to raise £100,000 for Maggie’s.

“Ruth and I are taking part in this challenge for tworeasons. Firstly, it’s a personal challenge for us both.We’ve never done anything like it and it will be a test ofour mental and physical fitness. More importantly, we’redoing this to raise money for a very worthwhile cause.The Maggie’s Centres provide invaluable support topeople with cancer and their families.”

She added: “We’d like to thank everyone who hassupported us in all our fundraising events or those whohave made a donation.”

Valerie revealed that, in order to raise money, sheand Ruth had packed bags in a supermarket, organised aceilidh and two car boot sales and have a few moreevents taking place before the trip.

The girls are always on the look out for moresponsorship. If you’d like to sponsor them, you can makea donation online at: www.justgiving.com/valandruth

Maggie’s have just confirmed that their 2007fundraising trip will be the Ladakh HimalayanChallenge, June 22-July 2 next year. Forinformation contact Dehra, tel: 0141 341 5669or email: dehra@maggiescentres.org.

STAFF NEWS | 11

AAnnyyoonneeFFaannccyyGGooiinnggffoorr aaWWaallkk??

China boundChina bound

10 | STAFF NEWS

Christmas Is JustAround The Corner

General NewsGeneral News

It’s almost that time of yearagain! Yes Christmas really isjust around the corner!

Does the very thought of howyour budget is going to stretch tobuying all those pressies and littleextras bring you out in a coldsweat? Then the Credit Union mayjust be the answer you’re lookingfor.

If you become a member of theCredit Union by the end ofSeptember and make three monthlyor 12 weekly payroll deductionsbetween September and November,the Credit Union will lend you up todouble your savings to help with thecost of Christmas. Furthermore, loan

repayments won’t start untilJanuary!

Loan interest is set at 1% permonth on the reducing balance ofyour loan. In real terms this meansthat a £500 loan repaid over sixmonths will cost only £17.64 ininterest.

West of Scotland NHSEmployees Credit Union is afinancial co-operative that is ownedand controlled by its members.

For more information contactthe Credit Union office tel:0141 886 7246, alternativelyyou can visit the Credit Unionwebsite atwww.nhscreditunion.com

Applications are invited fora new NHSScotlandeducational bursary

scheme in InformationGovernance.

The bursaries, aimed at NHSstaff with responsibilities forhandling patient information or othersensitive data, are designed tosupport participation in a new,unique postgraduate programme in

Healthcare Information Governance. This programme is expected to

be of particular interest to thosewith specialist roles in informationhandling including GP PracticeManagers, IT Security Officers,Caldicott Guardians, Data ProtectionOfficers, Records Managers andothers.

The programme in HealthcareInformation Governance starts inOctober 2006 and bursary

applications will be considered up toSeptember 29, 2006.

For further information aboutthe Information Governancebursary scheme and theHealthcare InformationGovernance programme, contactRob Coward at NHS Educationfor Scotland, tel: 0131 2208068 or email:rob.coward@nes.scot.nhs.uk

The Scottish Executiverecently launched a newframework for education in

health protection.

The framework was createdfollowing a one-year consultationprocess and was developed andproduced jointly by HealthProtection Scotland and NHS

Education for Scotland.It offers health protection staff –

public health consultants, infectioncontrol nurses and others - thebasis from which they can buildaction plans for delivering educationto their staff. The documentaddresses eight key areas forworkforce education:1) The policy context

2) Education and training needs3) Generic topics4) Health protection topics5) The change process and service

modernisation6) Supporting and developing staff

and services7) Monitoring quality and outcomes8) Developing partnerships.

New Framework for Education inPublic Health

Educational bursary opportunities inInformation Governance

Amongst the hardy volunteers whoconquered Kilimanjaro are, Dr LenaMacara (front row, left) and Dr Alan

Cameron (back row, left), both from theQueen Mother’s Hospital.

Valerie and Ruth are gearingup for their trip this month.

Some facts about theGreat Wall:• It’s approximately

6,700 kilometres(4,163miles) long

• It was made a WorldHeritage Site byUNESCO in 1987

• The Great Wall wasbuilt by the threestates: Yan, Zhaoand Qin and is some2,000 years old

• The wall began lifeas independent wallsuntil they were alljoined to create theGreat Wall byEmperor QinShihuang to fend offattack by the Hunsin the north

• Only around 30% ofthe wall remains ingood condition due tothe forces of natureand destruction at thehands of man

STAFF NEWS | 13

Admin and ClericalAdmin and Clerical

12 | STAFF NEWS

Admin’s a Piece of Cake..

…isn’t it?

Admin and ClericalAdmin and Clerical

In the way that nurses andAHPs (Allied HealthProfessionals) consist of a

number of groups, so does theterm Administration and Clericalor A&C for short.

A&C grades provide support in anumber of ways which keep thewheels of the great machine that isNHSGGC turning. Under this headingyou’ll find medical secretaries,training officers, ward clerks,administrators in HR and finance,records clerks, project managers,communications staff and a host ofothers.

Several of these are the firstcontact that patients will have,perhaps through dealing with asecretary on the phone, receiving aletter with instructions to attend anappointment or arriving at a ward tobe met by the clerk. If there wereno A&C staff, there would be no-oneto manage the waiting lists, typeoperation notes, file and retrievepatient records or make sure we getpaid every month.

In this article we speak to ourA&C colleagues and find out a littleabout what they bring to theservice.

Neil Russell has worked for fiveyears in Finance and as a SeniorPayroll Officer is based, like mostfinance staff, at Stobhill.

“At the moment I’m working onAgenda for Change. Once jobdescriptions are agreed andmatched, we’re notified of thebanding for their particular jobfamily. We have to assimilate stafffrom Whitley Council grades ontoAgenda for Change and calculatetheir pay from October 1, 2004. Weneed to inform them by letter of thechanges in their salary and termsand conditions. As you can imaginethis is a lot of work, work that isincreasing all the time as Agendafor Change gathers pace. So far,we’ve assimilated Hotel Servicesstaff, Midwives and Dietitians.

“All payroll staff work to very

tight deadlines – payday is paydayand you can’t be late, despite thefact that a lot of information mightonly come in at the last second.And pay is such an emotive issue.No matter how many times you getit right over the years, the one timeyou make a mistake or have aproblem, you’re going to get it inthe neck. Payroll staff are resilientthough, we’re always busy, but goodat adapting to whatever comesalong.”

Gillian Duncan is PersonalAssistant to NHSGGC’s Director ofCorporate Planning and Policy and isbased at Dalian House, NHSGGC’sHQ. With a total of 16 years in theHealth Service, she knows how thesystem works.

“This is the most pressured jobI’ve had. Administration alwaysseems easy if you don’t do it, butyou have to have good problem-solving abilities to deal with thevariety of things that can come upeach day.

“In the Health Service, all sortsof unexpected things arise and it’sthe Directors’ job to deal with that,which has a knock-on effect forthose of us who work directly forthem. You need to be adaptable andkeep a cool head.

“I think, though, most of the PAswould say that the biggest problemis managing the diaries. Again, itdoesn’t sound like much, but if theperson you work for has absolutelyno time unaccounted for and thepeople they need to deal with arethe same, not to mention a wholequeue of others clamouring formeetings, it can seem an impossibletask.

“I actually enjoy the pressureand pace of my job, though. Youneed to be able to multi-task anddeal with people at all levels.”

Liz Stewart has been a ClericalOfficer at the Sick Kids’ Hospital for13 years. She currently works inthe Medical Records Department.

“We have three sections toMedical Records – the filing room,maintaining records and my own

area, the referrals partial bookingsystem. Patients are referred bytheir GPs and we liaise with theparents to arrange appointments.That’s more challenging than itsounds as you’re dealing withwaiting times and other practicalissues. It’s been a real success,though: we’re the first hospital toget this system up-and-running andothers have been looking atinitiating it. It gives the parentsmore choice about when to bringtheir child for treatment, so thatthey can arrange other areas of their

lives accordingly. “The things we do may not be

obvious - we’re working awayquietly in the background, but we’rethe ones who ensure that patients’records are available and up-to-date.Doctors need clinic and operationnotes before seeing a patient. Itcan be dangerous if they have thewrong or insufficient information, soyou need always to be organisedand accurate. We also pull recordsfor inpatients and emergencyadmissions as well as covering thereception for out-patient clinics.

“One of our other areas ofresponsibility here is arrangingpatient transport. That’s usuallydone in tandem with our StoresDepartment, but they’re movingsoon due to the reorganisation, so Iexpect we’ll experience changes inour own process.

“Whatever happens, the MedicalRecords teams have to keepworking consistently. The volume ofpatient information is immense andwe have to handle it quickly andefficiently so that the medical staffcan do their jobs.”

Liz Stewart– ensurespatients’

records areavailable and

up-to-date.

Gillian Duncan – enjoysthe high pressure andpace of her job.

Neil Russell – workinghard on Agenda forChange.

Anew competencyprogramme for nursingauxiliaries aims to recognise

the contribution this essentialband of healthcare workersmakes to the NHS.

Now known as Health CareSupport Workers (HCSW), the newNational Incremental Competencies inHealthcare Education (NiCHE)programme will ensure that allHCSWs are competent in all areas ofwork and patient care.

Practice Education Facilitator,Kathy Mulloy, based at the SouthernGeneral, said: “This dynamic newversion of NiCHE was piloted in SouthGlasgow last year and it is now usedthroughout acute services in Glasgow.It is tailored to meet individual needsand everyone has six to nine monthsto complete the course.”

The NiCHE programme is alsorecognised in ten NHS Boardsthroughout Scotland, so if an HCSWmoves from one area to another shecan take her Certificate ofCompetency with her and won’t haveto redo the programme elsewhere.

It is equivalent to an SVQ Level 2.If you have this qualification, you maybe exempt from the competencyprogramme, which also forms part ofindividual Personal DevelopmentPlans.

Kathy explained: “The educationof all NHS staff is important. Whenwe have new nursing auxiliaries comein, I always say to them if your lovedone was in hospital you’d expect yourconsultant to be competent, well it isthe same for nursing auxiliaries. Wewant patients and their families toknow they are being cared for by

trained and competent staff in allareas.”

The NiCHE profile consists of corethemes, which include, personal andpeople development; communication;equality and diversity; health safetyand security; service improvementand quality; and health and well-being.The final theme is specific to thearea/department in which the HCSWworks, such as wards, theatres, outpatient departments.

The competency programme alsoallows HCSWs to complete furtherelements in IT skills and researchusing real-life scenarios.

Kathy added: “The programme isabout making sure you have coveredeverything you need to know to doyour job well and seeing that everyHCSW has a record of their level ofcompetency. It’s also aboutprotecting the public and being anessential part of the care we givepatients.”

For more information, visit:www.nicheprogramme.com

14 | STAFF NEWS

SBTProgramme

Caring and competent HCSWs

Nursing Courses

CoursesCourses

Glasgow University’sDivision of Nursing andHealth Care has a range of

courses of interest to NHSGGCstaff.

Over the coming year, thosecourses include:• An MSc (Med Sci) in Health

CarePostgraduate researchdegrees

• Graduate diploma in ChronicOedema Management

• A three-day course on DiabetesManagement

• Study days on Public HealthNursing and Lymphoedema

• Individual courses from MSc andabove

Information and applicationforms:www.gla.ac.uk/schools/nursingor CPD Secretary, Division ofNursing and Health Care,University of Glasgow, 59Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow G128LW or tel: 0141 330 2072.You can also email:K.Hegyi@Clinmed.gla.ac.uk

The South of Scotland CognitiveBehavioural Therapy Programmeoffers staff the opportunity toundertake training atPostgraduate Certificate,Postgraduate Diploma andMasters levels.

Aimed at healthcare workersfrom a variety of backgrounds,the course is part-time, day-release and is held partly inEdinburgh and partly in Glasgow.

Closing date for applications isOctober 13, 2006 for information:www.soscog.com orsarah.winkler@lpct.scot.nhs.uk

New programme aimsto recognise the workof nursing auxiliariessuch as ClinicAssistant, CarolSteven.

STAFF NEWS | 15

Healthy LivingHealthy Living

STAFF NEWS | 15

NHSGGC in the HeadlinesNHSGGC in the Headlines

HOW WE’RE MAKING THE NEWS!

New MediCinema

One of our young patients madethe headlines in the Paisley Daily Express when heofficially launched the start of construction of ourMediCinema up at the Sick Kids' hospital.

The youngster was specially chosen to call"action" to start work on the new cinema which willhave specialist cinema equipment and fittings. Theroom will be fitted out to enable all children -including those in beds and wheelchairs - to visit thecinema and see their favourite films.

E-coli OutbreakThe press office was inundated with press and

media calls following the disclosure that two childrenwere being treated for E-Coli at the Sick Kids' Hospitalin Glasgow.

There was a lot of interest in these cases as theycame just days after a two-year-olddied from complications caused bythe bug.

Due to patient confidentiality, thepress office was only able to providecondition updates on the twochildren, who've since recovered andare now back home.

Police roomStill with the Vicky and the recently opened

police room received press attention.The new room -

which has opened atthe hospital's A&Edepartment - waslaunched following aspate of verbal andphysical attacks onstaff.

For more on thisstory, see page 3.

NewSouthern

The new South GlasgowHospital has attracted a lot ofpositive press interest lately.

The most recent reportappeared in the Evening Times which looked in-depthat what the new hospital and the work being carriedout on the rest of the campus will bring.

This included a look at the new adult hospital,the new children's hospital and the refurbishment ofthe maternity unit.

For a brief look at the timelines for the newbuilds, turn to page 5.

Permissiongranted forVicky

The good news that the newVictoria Hospital had beengiven planning permission byGlasgow City Council was marred by a report in theEvening Times that campaigners were "angry" withthe news.

According to the newspaper, they were concernedthat the new hospital will not have an A&E or "properin-patient beds".

Dr Brian Cowan, NHSGGC's Medical Director saidthat the decision was "wonderful" and the newhospital would provide a wide range of services forthe people of the southside.

The new hospital will offer a range of servicesincluding dialysis and diabetes clinics as well astests and minor surgery. It will also have a MinorInjuries Unit and 12 overnight recovery beds forpatients not well enough to return home straightaway. It will be one of the largest hospitals and isexpected to treat 400,000 patients a year.

Visitor from Down UnderGlasgow GP surgeries hit the headlines

recently when three of themwelcomed a special visitor fromDown Under in the shape ofStephen Robertson, HealthMinister for the state ofQueensland, Australia.

He visited surgeries inMaryhill, Possil and Springburn tosee how health staff there aretackling Glasgow's poor healthrecord. Health problems inQueensland are similar to thosefaced in Greater Glasgowincluding heart disease anddiabetes.

Mr Roberston learned how thesurgeries were tackling a range of issuesincluding cholestrerol, making it easier to bookappointments and the CHI numbers, theCommunity Health Index which gives each patientan unique identifying number.

Kathy Mulloy.

STAFF NEWS Written by staff for staff with the full support of the Area Partnership Forum

address: NHSGGC Communications, Staff News, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Dalian House, 350 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G3 8YZ

Published by: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Communications

Send your articles, letters and photographs to:

email: staffnews@nhsggc.scot.nhs.uk

tel: 0141 201 4912

Staff on the Stobhill sitehave no excuse when itcomes to keeping fit

thanks to their on-site gym.

Based within the hospital’sEdward Unit (Cardiac Rehab), thegym is open to staff Monday toThursday between 4.30 and 9pmand Friday between 4.30 and 7pm.

It has a range of equipment andgym supervisors are always on handto give help and advice to users.

That includes physiotherapist,Martin Yortson. As one of the gymsupervisors, he’d advise all staff togive the gym a try.

He said: “It makes sense to havea facility that staff can use to stayhealthy. If you sit at a desk formost of the day you can reallyappreciate the chance to movearound and be more active for awhile. Even if you’re working in thewards and fairly active, you’re notnecessarily getting the right kind ofexercise.

“For anyone who hasn’t used agym before, it can seem a bitdaunting, but when you come in forthe first time the gym supervisor willtake you through the inductionprocess, show you how to use theequipment and answer any questionsyou might have. There’s always asupervisor on hand if you need somehelp.”

Technical Clerk, Brian Droy hasbeen using the gym for more thanthree years. He started goingbecause he wanted to lose weight

and get a bit fitter. He said: “I had no idea what I

was doing at first, but once I gotused to it and gained someconfidence I really started to enjoyworking out. I still tend not to stickto a set programme, but I do ageneral workout and change it a lotso I don’t get bored.

“It’s already excellent value –we only pay £10 a month – but itwould be good if we could expandthe service in future to includehealth checks. I know I’ve improvedmy fitness level over the time I’vebeen doing this, but a system formonitoring from the start would behelpful.”

Another keen gym user isBelinda Porteous, a Payroll Officerin Ward 22 at the hospital. She’sbeen using the gym for years and,although she’s a working mum, shestill finds time to fit her sessions in.

She said: “It’s even moreimportant for me to have myexercise session now that I havechildren. It’s that time betweenwork and home which is just for me.I do a lot of running on the treadmill,but I also work out with weights. Ifind exercise helps not just keep me

fit physically, but makes mementally more alert and focused.

“Stobhill staff gym is a reallycomfortable environment. I thinkit’s a good place for anyone whomight be nervous about trying thiskind of exercise.”

Gym stalwart, Marion Steen isthe Domestic for CardiacRehabilitation and as theReceptionist, she’s the first faceyou’ll see when you use the gym.

She said: “I love my job. It’sreally sociable with the regular gymusers to talk to and new membersto meet. We have staff from alldepartments of the hospital andfrom the different disciplines.

“Everyone has their own way ofworking out. Some people come inand do a bit of light exercise, maybestop for a chat, while others take itquite seriously. There are some whohave changed considerably sincethey started here, losing weight andgetting fitter. It encouraged me todo some exercise of my own.”

If you’d like to find out moreabout using Stobhill gym, thencontact 0141 201 4156 after4.30pm.

Keeping Fitat Stobhill

Gym

Brian Droy enjoys working out in the gym.

Gym receptionist MarionSteen has been a familiar

face at the gym for anumber of years.