Medical & Health Services News
18/10/2012
Should You Get a Flu Jab?
What is flu? Flu is much more than a bad cold. It's a virus which can make even healthy people feel very unwell for a week or more.11/10/2012
Patients Rights Updated In New Code
NHS Highland recently discussed the new Patients Rights Act. The Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 aims to improve patients' experiences of using health services and to support people to become more involved in their health and health care.20/9/2012
Caithness District Partnership Meeting
The new Caithness District Partnership will meet in full for the second time on Friday 28 September, as part of the new arrangements under the Planning for Integration (P4i) partnership between the NHS and The Highland Council. Partners will consider a report from the NHS steering group, who are recommending a Stakeholder Engagement Plan.16/9/2012
NHS Highland Achieves 'Exceptional' Patient Safety Rating
NHS Highland has emerged as one of the top two health boards in Scotland in a national assessment of patient safety standards. The board has scored an "exceptional" 4.0 on a five-point scale set by the American-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), in conjunction with Healthcare Improvement Scotland.9/4/2012
Caithness Maternity Unit Receives International Recognition
The Henderson Maternity Unit at Caithness General Hospital has been re-accredited as Baby Friendly, which means it is internationally recognised by UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) as providing high quality support to mothers and babies. Staff at the Wick unit were originally presented with the prestigious Baby Friendly Award in March 2010.23/11/2011
Special Care Baby Unit house opens
Parents of babies who are patients in Raigmore Hospital's Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) now have access to a two-bedroom house on the Inverness hospital site, allowing parents to be close to the hospital whilst their newborn baby is in the unit. Previously mothers were kept in a hospital bed and often the father could not be accommodated.23/11/2011
Wintry launch for National Health Campaign
Health Minister Nicola Sturgeon took to the slopes with school children to highlight the importance of being prepared for winter. The group braved the chill of a snowy winter wonderland at the SNO!zone Scotland centre in Glasgow's Xscape, to encourage everyone to take a few simple steps to ensure they can take care of themselves and their families and have their own "wonderful" festive period this year.23/11/2011
Less is more - save our antibiotics!
Antibiotics are a precious resource that we risk losing within a generation if we do not safeguard their use. This is the message from Black Isle GP Dr Gail Haddock, who is calling for much better use of antibiotics as part European Antibiotic Awareness Day.22/2/2011
Integration Of Health & Social Work - Appointments
Appointment of two senior officers to lead Highland integration of health and social care The Highland Council and NHS Highland have appointed two senior officers to lead the planning for the integration of health and social care. Jan Baird, the Director of Community Care for NHS Highland, will become the Transitions Director, leading a team of seconded staff from the Council and NHS Highland to develop and take forward the integration plan.
20/2/2011
Local Hypnotherapist Meets New National Standards
A Wick based hypnotherapist has become one of the first in the country to achieve a new national standard of excellence for her therapy. Donna Booth has been registered by the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), the UK regulator for complementary healthcare.21/2/2010
Wick Business Offers Many Alternatives
Three months in and Alternative Vitality continues to be an oasis of calm and relaxation in the centre of Wick. Offering a wide range of cognitive and complementary therapies such as hypnotherapy, life coaching, meditation, HypnoBirthing and Hypno-Band (which is a virtual gastric band), massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, Swedish massage, Indian head massage and Indian Face massage.
19/2/2010
Caithness Deaf Care Opening Times
A message from Caithness Deaf Care. 'We would like to reassure our clients that they can continue to access local services at both of our centres on the following days and times:- Wick - Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10.00 am - 2.00 pm Thurso - Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10.00 am - 2 00 pm' .30/3/2009
New Stroke Services Developed At Caithness General
Caithness General Hospital in Wick has developed new services for Stroke patients in the north and is one of the first Rural General Hospital's in Scotland to be offering these treatments. The first of these services, the Novel Rapid Access Neurovascular (TIA) service will start up at the hospital on Thursday 2nd April.19/2/2009
New System Tightens Up On Patient Safety In Theatres
Patients in busy hospital theatres in Highland are benefiting from a safety initiative modelled on the checks made by aircrew on take-off. The Surgical Pause is a final, last minute check-list of questions which ensures that the team of nurses and doctors performing the procedure can be confident that they have reduced the risk of error to the lowest possible level.4/9/2008
HIE Operations Manager Takes Alternative Path
One person taking advantage of the recent round of voluntary redundancies at Highlands & Islands Enterprise is former operations manager, Donna Booth, who recently launched her wellness practice, Alternative Vitality. Says Donna, 'During my many years in high pressure corporate positions, I became increasingly aware of the importance of 'wellness' on both an individual and an industry wide basis.
25/6/2003
