Several Glasgow City HSCP staff and teams have been shortlisted for Awards over the last few months.

These include:

The NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (NHSGGC) Excellence Awards. These Awards are for individual members of staff, teams or projects that have identified ways to deliver improvements that benefit patients and service uses, colleagues or NHSGGC. There are eight categories of Awards which were presented at the Celebrating Success Awards event on 23 February 2022.

Shortlisted for a NHSGGC Excellence Better Health Award, which commends staff who have implemented an initiative to improve the health and wellbeing of patients, the public and/or staff, were our Older People Mental Health Physiotherapists (OPMH).

As physiotherapists specialising in mental health the teams work regularly with patients and service users who have a diagnosis of dementia.

Angela Watson, Physiotherapy Team Lead said: “Using funding from Alzheimer Scotland a working group of specialist mental health physiotherapists created a new set of six seated exercises for those individuals with poor mobility. Designs were piloted in care homes and in-patient settings gaining feedback from patients, service users, staff and carers. From this feedback we were able to create the final exercise programme and create films of the exercises themselves. We also adapted a current strength and balance programme to fit the same design which made it easier to use.”

The resources are available on the Alzheimer Scotland website under Allied Health Professionals | Alzheimer Scotland (alzscot.org)

Angela continued: “The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive not just from within our service but across the UK. A retired nurse and carer told us that her mum had lost mobility since the start of lockdown because she wasn’t getting out of her room. She used the exercises with her mum which allowed her to mobilise again for short distances. We were also contacted by nine year old Heather Bryson and gave permission for her to use the exercises to make youtube videos. Lockdown Exercise by H was created and saw people who would never normally engage exercise along with her.  Heather Bryson - YouTube.”

Also shortlisted in the Better Health Category was Tracy Brown, Prescribing Support Pharmacist. Based in the south locality of our HSCP Tracy was shortlisted for this award for the Govanhill Pharmacist Led Pain Clinic. Outcomes from the project include reduced use of opioids, patients pain scores reducing by an average of 3 (on a 1-10 score) and a 36% reduction in GP appointments for pain issues from the previous six months.

Barr Street Community Assessment Centre (CAC) was shortlisted for a Better Workplace Award. In March 2020 thanks to the swift launch of Community Assessment Centres across NHSGGC, we were able to manage the flow of potential COVID-19 patients into our hospitals and GPs and minimise the risk of transmission. Barr Street was one of the first of such centres and the team there, made up of volunteers, had a huge impact on what would turn out to be an extremely important tool in the fight against COVID-19.

The multi-disciplinary approach which saw teams working in a fast-paced, unknown and constantly evolving situation helped reduce demand on hospital services and GPs and ensured those patients with COVID-19 symptoms were effectively managed without risk to others.

The team at the Gorbals Health Centre Treatment Room were shortlisted in the Nursing Award category. The team provided an exceptional treatment plan for a patient, who believed she was facing a possible amputation because of damage to her legs. This transformed her quality of life in just 12 weeks, following four years of frustration and trying to manage pain.

Julie Campbell, Mental Health Officer (MHO), was one of three finalists for the Scottish Association of Social Workers, MHO Practice Award. The Practice Award recognises the exceptional work and achievements of an individual, team, initiative or project in mental health practice.

Congratulations to all our staff for their recognition at these Awards.