NHS Borders

Citizen’s Panel
Jennifer Freedman, Chair, Galashiels & Selkirk LCP
“I have been going to the Citizen’s Panel since it started.  At the moment I am the Chair, which I really enjoy.  I am responsible for ensuring the meeting runs to plan. Through attending the Citizen’s Panel I have made new friends and gained more confidence.  I feel more able to speak up and give my opinion on things that are important to me.  I have found that the Citizen’s Panel has given me more opportunities to attend events and meetings.  I feel like I am always kept up to date with what’s going on in my local community, and this makes me feel connected to others.  One of the most important things to me is that I feel I can help others through being a member of the Citizen’s Panel.  I can be a voice for others who need it.  Equally I feel that I am always listened to and my views and options matter.”

 

Queens Nursing Awards
Fiona Mason, NHS Borders
I have now completed the Queen’s Nurse 2019 Leadership and Development programme and was delighted to attend the award ceremony on 28.11.19 to receive my title.

The programme has been invaluable to me both personally and professionally, reinvigorating my passion for Learning Disability nursing and raising the profile of our profession.

I feel extremely proud of myself and the other 19 community nurses who were also in my cohort.  This was the first year LD nurses have taken part but hopefully not the last!

I was delighted to hear that the Queen’s Nurse Institute Scotland (QNIS) have been successful in their bid to the Burdette Trust for funding to run a programme next year which will be specific to LD nurses and will have a criminal justice slant.  The programme will being in June and there is funding for 8 places.  A very exciting opportunity!

The QNIS programme I have just undertaken will also be running again next year.  Nominations for both programmes are being sought now, details on the QNIS website.

 

Bridging The Gap In Scottish National Screening Programmes (SNSP) In Adults Diagnosed With Learning Disabilities (LD)  
Update prepared for LDS Nurses meeting by Wendy Kirkpatrick 5 December 2019
The purpose of this project is to provide support and opportunity for engagement and participation in SNSP for those individuals who have a diagnosis of learning disability and are registered with the Scottish Borders Learning Disability Service.  The project is supported by a range of strategies and national documents such as Keys To Life, Health Promoting Health Service Framework and the Health Needs Assessment Update Report (2017).

 The primary outcome of this project is to support PWLD to make informed choices and to develop a greater understanding regarding accessing the SNSP.  The following objectives will support achievement of the outcome:

  • Setting up of screening registers – The register would be continually updated and responsibility for this will be agreed through collaborative working. To date, interest has been expressed by the LD providers that they maintain their own registers and that this is shared with the LD Service to ensure the register is up to date and accurate at all times.
  • Collaborative steering group – will be set up to manage the necessary actions, responsibilities and provide support to colleagues for their input needed for the register, training, resources and any other necessary actions. This will support the already established Healthier Me Pathway, which supports health and wellbeing for learning disabilities and already has sign-up from learning disability key lead representation from provider services across the Scottish Borders.
  • PWLD rights – are aware of their rights to be invited to take part in SNCSP or to not take part. PWLD make informed choices and this will be recorded as a multi-disciplinary discussion, including who was involved in this in terms of health professional staff, carers and other service providers.
  • Screening information tool– to be developed and piloted with LD Providers; this records the multi-disciplinary discussion to ensure a person centred and human rights approach is integral to the process. PWLD will be directly involved in discussions to look at their participation, and this will be recorded accurately. The register for PWLD and screening in Scottish Borders will accurately reflect the screening status and barriers identified as well as support required; this will be for each screening programme and invitation offer. The opting out process will be followed so GP’s accurately record individual screening status relating to each period of invitation.
  • Annual review – the register will be updated a year in advance to identify people who are or become eligible for the cancer screening programmes; to ensure time is available to raise awareness and plan how screening will be approached for the individual. This will help increase attendance at screening as well as successful completion of screening. The screening information tool will be reviewed as part of the individual’s annual review.
  • Broader knowledge – of the SNCSP across the Scottish Borders carers services, NHS, SBC and voluntary sector services.
  • All aspects of interventions developed and implemented will be evaluated and recommendations/lessons learnt highlighted as well as sharing of best practice or success, whether intended or unintended.

The above objectives will be deliverable and attained by:

  • Database of screening histories completed, identifying those who are overdue for breast, bowel or cervical screening and who are priority for contact by Project Lead; this includes initial discussion with health and social care staff prior to any contact with the client. There will also be new ‘cases’ to be added to this database as it is using data received over 18 months ago.
  • Steering group initial meeting with LDS Senior Staff Manager & Service Lead, Board Screening Coordinator & Project Lead taking place 10 December; full Governance Group due to meet end of January and then every quarter for the duration of the project. Includes Terms of Reference and Group Membership agreement, action log to progress work, risk register for identification and any immediate or remedial actions required.
  • PWLD rights – People who have been excluded from screening programmes will also be investigated to identify reason and process for the exclusion and to update register and other records as required. This will also include screening assessments, conversations and support to make decisions around engagement, participation and completion of appropriate screening programmes.
  • Screening assessment tool developed and is ready for use in pilot phase of carrying out assessments with LDS clients. Copy will be kept on shared drive for information; at this stage WK will pilot and use throughout duration of project.
  • Annual review will be in place and systems/process to support this developed and implemented during the project so this can be maintained as part of the exit strategy and within current capacity.
  • Broader knowledge – in terms of 3 training programmes 1)What is screening and the SNSP, 2) Having Confident Conversations About Screening and MAP approach,  3) Signs & Symptoms – these are aimed at health and social care staff to help develop their skills, knowledge & confidence around screening programmes and to aid meaningful and successful conversations with PWLD, guardians and informal carers.

Work to date:

  • Register of service users and who their primary care service provider is
  • Register of screening histories, identifying eligibility and those who are overdue
  • Data definition document to support understanding and recording of accurate data
  • Development of 3 training sessions, each lasting 30 minutes and covering – What is screening & the SNSPs?; Confident Conversations About Screening; Signs & Symptoms. These sessions can be delivered in any order
  • Development of a ‘manual’ of supporting leaflets for services to use as a guide to what is available and how to source this for service users
  • Development of a Screening Assessment Tool – for Adults with Learning Disabilities
  • Development of an ‘all inclusive’ screening leaflet using ‘easy read’ as the foundation for pictures and text
  • Development of a range of protocols (referral forms, feedback letters, and final assessment) to be uploaded on to EMIS for use for referral to project lead and feedback from project lead to referrers. Includes letters to patients and GP’s.
  • EMIS SOP will be drafted to ensure no new processes are set up and to make use of existing approaches and processes keeping any ‘change’ to a minimum and to work within current LDS systems
  • Flash cards developed to aid screening conversations with clients; these will be developed into 4 Talking Mats packs for longer term use. LDS SALT supporting this work.
  • Initial referrals received from LDS Nurses requesting support with a small number of patients, one for breast screening, one for bowel screening and one for cervical screening – this has been booked for December 2019 to pilot all resources prior to further rollout in January 2020.
  • Identify 2-4 GP Practices to pilot work with
  • LD Provider Forum – provide Project update and identify one service to progress work with, this will include – staff training, use of screening assessment form, joint working with Project Lead, development of processes and systems for gathering screening information and feedback to Project Lead for update of patient records; all patient screening histories to be kept on one database – needs further consideration and discussion within LDS and then to Gov Group for sign off.
  • All resources to be kept on shared drive in Community Nurses Folder under Screening Project folder
  • EMIS protocols set up and ready for use for referral by LDS Nursing staff to Project Lead requesting support. This may be working together and/or Project Lead can see patients independently where appropriate.
  • First Project Governance Group meeting at end of Januar

Work January-March 2020:

  • GP Letter to be sent to all Practices in New Year informing about Project and asking for initial conversation with PM followed up by meeting(s) as per each Practice need.

 

Scottish Borders LD Service

NHS Borders Website