More than £300,000 of funding has been awarded to Lanarkshire Health Board Endowment Fund to help support five projects across Lanarkshire.
This welcome funding from NHS Charities Together will allow both North and South health and social care partnerships and third sector partners to support the long-term health and recovery of NHS staff, patients, community and volunteers impacted by Covid-19.
From support for the wellbeing of NHS Lanarkshire staff to growing sustainable food, the five project will benefit people across Lanarkshire and beyond.
The five projects are:
Project 1
Staff Long Covid Support
The project will support the recovery of those NHS Lanarkshire staff who report symptoms of long Covid, aiming to restore capacity for work and minimise any impairment caused by the symptoms of the condition.
Project 2
University Hospital Hairmyres Staff Courtyard Outside Rest Area
Construction of an outside staff rest area. University Hospital Hairmyres has a number of internal courtyards and, following risk, health and safety and fire safety assessments, one particular courtyard has been identified as being suitable for development as a staff only space.
Project 3
Blantyre Specialist Care Hub
As part of an investment in a specialist care hub by NHS Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire Council, we identified a need and demand from the local community for a complementary investment in provision of community supports to facilitate the wider population’s recovery from Covid-19. Specifically, we have identified a need for new services and activities to be delivered in Blantyre which will empower local people to take control of their health and wellbeing.
Project 4
Green Health: Provision of Hospital Gardening
The aim of the ‘green health’ project is to continue to support and enhance six therapeutic gardening groups within community hospital sites across Lanarkshire: Kirklands, Coathill, Udston, Lady Home (partnership with local primary school), Hairmyres (wards 19 and 20), Airbles Road rehabilitation centre, and to support the development of a community garden in King George Vth Park, Wishaw.
The weekly gardening groups facilitate health and wellbeing benefits for hospital inpatients, outpatients and community volunteers, facing the greatest risk of health inequalities, as well as staff facing significant levels of stress throughout the pandemic.
We have identified a need to pivot to offering more support for patients recovering from Covid and this expansion of the hospital gardening project would enable us to meet the increased demand for therapeutic services from this cohort.
Project 5
University Hospital Wishaw: Therapeutic Garden for Patients
Create a large outdoor space for patients to socialise in line with Covid-19 guidance.
The Trustees of Lanarkshire Health Board Endowment Fund, said: “We are delighted that the bid to NHS Charities Together for funding to support five different projects has been successful.
“Each of these projects are supporting local communities and NHS staff recover from the pandemic after what has been the most challenging two years in the history of the NHS.
“NHS Charities Together recognised that each of these projects were offering support to sustain good health and wellbeing for NHS Lanarkshire staff and people across Lanarkshire.
Martin Hill, Chair of Lanarkshire Health Board Endowment Fund, added: “We are delighted that NHS Charities Together has provided us with funding totalling £308,000 to support five very different projects but all equally deserving of funding.“
