Our new chief executive visited the paediatric unit at University Hospital Wishaw last week to see first-hand the outstanding care being delivered to children and young people by the dedicated staff.
Accompanied by Dr Lucy Munro, University Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire’s medical director and Pauline Izat, general manager of the Specialist Children’s Health Services Unit, Louise Long toured wards 19 and 20, hosted by Senior Charge Nurse Stephanie Ferrie.
She visited treatment and child protection rooms, clinical areas, and play spaces, and spoke with staff to hear about their work as well as the challenges they face.
The visit concluded with a session with the Integrated Children’s Community Nurses (ICCNS) – a team whose work exemplifies innovation, compassion, and person-centred care.
The ICCNS team plays a vital role in delivering specialist community-based nursing care to children and young people with a wide range of complex health needs.
Their work spans areas such as diabetes, epilepsy, respiratory care, gastroenterology, and palliative care. They also support children with additional support needs (ASN) in schools and work closely with acute wards to ensure continuity of care.
Despite increasing caseloads and growing complexity, the ICCNS team continues to innovate. They develop care management plans, support transitions, and ensure children receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
During her visit, Louise thanked staff for their hard work and dedication to delivering excellent care to our children and young people.
She said: “It’s incredible to see the wide range of work being done across the service.
“Visiting wards 19 and 20, and meeting some of the Integrated Children’s Community Nurses, it’s very clear our staff are incredibly passionate about what they do and are committed to innovation.
“What really struck me is the service’s ethos where everyone is focused on building relationships, not only with patients and their families, but also with other services, teams and organisations.
“Throughout my visit, a recurring theme was how much work is being done to deliver person-centred care through Getting It Right for Every Child.
“Truly getting to know our young people and supporting them is absolutely key to delivering excellent care.”
Reflecting on the visit, Pauline Izat said: “It was fantastic to have Louise visit and see first-hand the incredible work being done across our paediatric services.
“I want to thank all our staff for their continued dedication and professionalism. It was clear to Louise that our whole approach is rooted in person-centred care, empowering children and families to manage conditions confidently while reducing unnecessary hospital admissions.
“The visit was a great opportunity to showcase the innovative approaches we’re taking and the positive difference our teams are making every day to the lives of young people and their families across Lanarkshire.”
