Louise Long, our new chief executive, joined Claire Rae, University Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire’s chief officer, to meet a range of the partnership’s staff across several services making a positive impact in the lives of people across the whole of Lanarkshire.
Louise visited the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and Neurodevelopmental Service (NDS) at Udston Hospital. The visit showcased the dedication of staff and their innovative approaches to enhancing care and reducing waiting times for children and young people.
Louise met Pauline Izat, general manager of the Specialist Children’s Health Services Unit, clinical director Dr Lisa Sigouin, and Suzanne Shields, clinical manager of Neurodevelopmental Services, along with several clinical and operational staff.
The hard work of the CAMHS teams has transformed local CAMHS delivery, resulting in a successful Choice and Partnership model of care. As a result, the team is now consistently surpassing the 90% Referral to Treatment target. This means children and young people referred to the service receive their first non-urgent appointments within nine weeks.
Reflecting on her visit, Louise said: “It was inspiring to witness the commitment and passion of the teams here at CAMHS and the Neurodevelopmental Services.
“The innovative work being undertaken clearly demonstrates the Specialist Children’s’ Health Services Unit’s drive to deliver timely, high-quality care.
“It’s very reassuring to learn that they are continuing to tackle the challenges around waiting times, and the proactive measures and new pathways introduced by both service are making a positive impact on the lives of our young people. I was very impressed with the engagement with children and young people to co-design service changes”
Pauline added: “Our teams continuously strive to offer responsive, compassionate care. Despite significant demand, our innovative solutions, such as enhanced digital systems and increased multi-disciplinary collaboration, are effectively addressing some of our biggest challenges.”
Claire commended the team, saying: “This sustained success reflects the exceptional efforts from everyone involved. The commitment and professionalism of our CAMHS colleagues are making a real difference to families in Lanarkshire.”
Separately, Louise also met a number of colleagues from teams including Health Visiting, Treatment Rooms, Community Mental Health Team, District Nursing and discharge services based at Wishaw’s Houldsworth Centre.
Teams based at the Houldsworth Centre engage extensively with local people to help support them in their own communities and avoid unnecessary hospital appointments or reaching crisis point.
Made up of a dedicated team of registered nurses and healthcare support workers, the Treatment Rooms take patient self-referrals as well as from GPs and other health professionals. The centre’s team see around 5,000 patients each month accessing services ranging from phlebotomy and leg ulcer management to disease monitoring.
An informal hub is also available in the main foyer which hosts experts from health and social care teams as well as from the voluntary sector. By being so visible, local people are able to access information and support on topics such as financial inclusion, family support, cervical screening and safeguarding.
During her visit, Louise commended staff on their work to keep local people at the heart of their communities and promoting self-management. She said: “It’s incredible to see the breadth of work being done and the team approach were everyone is focused on building relationships.
“We know how important it is to support people to stay in their own homes and remain in their communities. Throughout my visit, I heard how much work is being done to deliver person-centred care and not only truly getting to know a person, but also really support them to achieve the goals they identify for themselves.”
Summing up the two visits, Claire added: “Since joining the partnership, I’ve constantly been very impressed by the focus every team has for making a positive impact on the lives of people who use our services.
“It’s great Louise has had a chance to meet several of our teams and really get a deeper understanding of the way we work and how we incorporate innovation in to many of the things we do.
“It’s also been reassuring to see how much work is ongoing on addressing staff wellbeing. We know that if staff aren’t in a good place they’re not as able to deliver excellent care to our patients and service users.
“I’m committed to ensuring that people are listened to and that we look after one another. The benefits are very clearly seen in staff performance and staff – every one of them – are our biggest asset.”
