NEWS
Society Funding for Clinical Psychologist
Many members will have been the beneficiaries of the excellent professional support provided at the Douglas Grant Unit and elsewhere by Dr Ranni Sinnak, Clinical Psychologist. For some time, the Branch and our HQ in Edinburgh have been aware that demand for her services have greatly increased. It is with great satisfaction that the Society is now able to joint fund an additional MS specialist clinical psychologist post with the Health Board.
Andrew Johnston from HQ who has spearheaded the project will now be involved in securing a suitable appointment.
We are confident it will be as successful as the specialist MS nurses, physiotherapy and occupational therapy posts in improving services"
Ayrshire & Arran Multiple Sclerosis Service -
Would you like to have a Patient Held Record?
A Patient-Held Record is designed to share information among your medical and health care staff to improve the standard of care you receive. It will contain essential medical information about you. When attending your Doctor or Health Care Professional you can request additional information be added to your record, which would be useful for future reference. The record will also allow your different Doctors and Healthcare staff at different locations to have access to up-to-date information, e.g. changes in medication.
This MS Patient-Held Record does not replace any of your current medical records kept by medical or healthcare staff.
This MS Patient Held Record has been developed by the Ayrshire and Arran MS Service based at the Douglas Grant Rehabilitation Centre. We are now looking to pilot this record with 150 of our registered MS patients for a period of 18 months. During this time we will evaluate the usefulness of the record by asking you to complete a couple of short questionnaires. Your participation in the pilot is voluntary and you are able to withdraw at any time.
If you would like to be issued with a copy of the Patient Held Record, then please discuss this with a member of staff at the Douglas Grant Rehabilitation Centre at your next visit, or telephone us on 01294 323030.
Ayrshire & Arran Multiple Sclerosis Managed Clinical Network
Douglas Grant Rehabilitation Centre
Ayrshire Central Hospital
Kilwinning Road, Irvine KA12 8SS
Email: msmcn@aaaht.scot.nhs.uk
DOUGLAS GRANT UNIT GETS NEW MS NURSE
Anne Thomson, who has spent the last few years working as 'lead' with the Huntington's Disease Society will join the team at the Douglas Grant Rehab Unit from Monday 21st January. A warm welcome to Anne from members of the branch.
Neurological Services in Ayrshire and Arran
Way back in 2004, the Branch felt the need to press the Health Board on the overall poor level of neuro services in the area. Our main concerns were the length of time it took to see a consultant neurologist and get a diagnosis agreed and treatment started. Inadequate respite care also featured on our agenda. We felt to get somewhere we needed the support of the other neuro charities which was readily forthcoming. The Board agreed to an assessment of need. Many members will recall completing the very detailed questionnaires sent to them at that time.
At long last with the help of John Scott MSP, a branch member, we have seen the results.
YES – waiting times are far too long and outside national guarantees and respite care is acknowledged as poor.
Interestingly, the level of neuro provision in Ayrshire is proportionately less than half then
that in the rest of Scotland. As most know we rely on the Southern General in Glasgow with consultant neurology clinics held at Crosshouse and Ayr Hospitals by their visiting staff.
We have doubts if this is the best way to run the service. The feeling is that in the event
of sickness or holidays in Glasgow it is Ayrshire who suffers cancellation of clinics.
At a recent public meeting in Irvine, in the. presence of the Health Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, these deficiencies were acknowledged by the Health Board At the follow up meeting in Ayr, we were pleased to hear that a Group has been established to draw up an action plan to improve the services. It will be chaired by Dr Grant McHattie, a Troon GP, who will be known to many. Importantly, Dr McHattie is also a director of the full NHS Board and is in a position to make things happen, fingers crossed – we have waited far too long
We and our partners (Parkinsons, Headway, Motor Neurones, Epilepsy Scotland and Huntingtons) are promised full involvement in all future discussions
We shall keep you posted
Donald McNeill
Chairman
MS Society
Ayrshire and Arran Branch
Multiple Sclerosis in the Money
The Ayrshire and Arran Branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society raised the magnificent sum of over £16,500 for local branch services at their recent fund raiser at the Park Hotel in Kilmarnock. A great night out and a full house of supporters dug deep in both the auction and raffle. The highlights being over £1,000 for Harry Potter books individually signed by author JK Rowling, the patron of the Scottish Society. Local artist Ronnie Russell’s painting of Arran swelled the pot.
Donald McNeill, chairman of the local Branch, said
“The response we get for all our activities from the whole local community, the three Ayrshire Provosts and MSPs is tremendous and greatly appreciated. It allows us to provide the essential emotional and practical support to people affected by MS and their carers. All monies raised by our supporters stays in Ayrshire and Arran to develop our work. I am proud to say that we do not employ any paid staff and all our efforts are achieved by volunteers who not only organised this high profile event but provide support to people with MS and man our Branch office in Kilwinning.
We are indeed fortunate to have such a cohort of “Friends” but as always can do with more.
If you would like to help us, please telephone 01294 558866
Donald McNeill
Chairman
MS Society
Ayrshire and Arran Branch
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
AGM 2008
Date – Saturday 26 April 2008
Place - Thistle Hotel, Irvine
Members' chance to question the Branch Committee and Society generally.
Details to follow
BRANCH BULLETIN
All members – and many, many others – will have received the splendid September edition
of our Branch Bulletin. Regrettably, this will be the last effort from Margaret Shuttleworth
who very understandably feels it is time for a change.
So, we have a vacancy for an editor and distributor of our quarterly publication starting
with our Christmas/New Year edition. We send out about 600 copies and in communication terms it is the Branch’s flagship. Obviously IT/computer skills are required – to work from home or our Kilwinning Office If you can help please ring Margaret in the first instance – 01294 461357
Margaret is due our sincere thanks for her assistance. She will not be lost to the Branch
and will continue her sterling work at the Cunningham group, our Kilwinning office and the Branch Committee.
LIVING WITH MS
Members were previously told about the five week course being run in the Marine Hotel in Troon by MS Scotland and the Douglas Grant Unit in Irvine and encouraged to join. Uptake has been good. It was pleasing to see in the local press that this pilot project has won, as a Scottish first, a UK national partnership award with pics of Jacquie Downs, Douglas Grant Unit and Esther Threlfall of the Society to the fore. Congratulations to all concerned.
Our feedback from the project is very positive with both Ann Barnes and Irene MacLean, Branch support volunteers, attending. The course which runs for five weeks with one
3 hour session per week aims to provide practical assistance and information about services
(including our own Branch’s efforts) available to people affected by MS. Importantly, health professionals and social workers pinpoint how to access what at times can be excellent but confusing and little understood statutory and voluntary provision for MS. It is estimated over 1,000 people in Ayrshire and Arran are diagnosed with MS. So far 40 have attended The objective is to ensure all are given at least the opportunity to attend further courses both here in Ayrshire and Scotland as a whole. Interested? - Contact Jacquie on tel 01294 323030.
An interesting spin off has been the perceived need for a Branch informal group in the Ayr, Prestwick and Troon areas. This would mirror the Branch’s successful efforts in Stevenston and Kilmarnock. Irene MacLean has taken the lead and the first “talk- in” is scheduled for Wed 31 October - 10.30 am at the Dobbies Garden Centre at Old Toll, Holmston in Ayr.
If you wish to come along ring Irene – 01292 478962
Donald McNeill, Chairman
AWARDS FOR ALL
Moving and Handling
In concert with other like -minded charities, the Branch has taken the lead and secured a grant of £9,200 from the National Lottery to promote a series of courses on moving and handling for people affected by neurological disability and their carers. It seemed odd to us that both health and local authority staff were given this type of training but the people most directly involved did not. Now sorted. !!
The course will start in early 2008 in local venues. Again ring our office - 01294-558866 - if you are interested and watch this space
ANN BARNES JOINS SCOTTISH COUNCIL
The Branch was delighted to hear that Ann Barnes, our volunteer senior support worker,
has been successful in the election of all Scotland members to the Scottish Council of the Society. Congratulations and well done Ann.
Ann is well known for her excellent work on behalf of local members and we are equally confident she will make a major contribution nationally.
PATIENT/CARER INVOLVEMENT GROUP
What are your views on the MS Service in Ayrshire & Arran?
We would like to encourage increased active patient involvement in the Ayrshire & Arran Multiple Sclerosis Service and indeed the MS Managed Clinical Network.
To do this we would like to introduce a ‘Patient/Carer Involvement Group’.
This group aims to encourage input from those affected by MS with the continuing development of the MS Service in Ayrshire & Arran. This Group will be patient led with NHS staff representation from the Ayrshire & Arran MS Service based at the Douglas Grant Rehabilitation Centre.
This Group will meet approximately 4-6 times each year. The aim of this Group would be to increase the flow of information, views and concerns between the Ayrshire & Arran MS Service and the patient. Your involvement may include the review of patient information leaflets, review/comments on both local and national documentation, and it will allow you the patient the opportunity to invite guest speakers along to future meetings. The formal arrangements of this Group will
be discussed at the initial meeting in October.
If you are interested in being a part of this Group, then please telephone Jacqui Downs at 01294 323056, or contact reception at the Douglas Grant Rehabilitation Centre, Ayrshire Central Hospital, Kilwinning Road, Irvine
Review of Local Health Services:
Rehabilitation including Multiple Sclerosis
Over the last few months, most will have seen the continuing debate regarding the future of health services in Ayrshire and Arran. Despite our reservations and indeed representations, the Health Board has decided that the centre for neuro rehabilitation and continuing care for the under 65’s will be accommodated at Ayr Hospital in new purpose built premises costing over £12 million. They promise a specialist centre for excellence for all neurological conditions
This will inevitably involve at some point the transfer of the specialist Douglas Grant Unit and possibly Pavilions 10 and 11 in Irvine to Ayr. It will obviously not take place immediately and indeed cannot until the new facilities are in place. As far as we can ascertain due to financial constraints this will not be until 2010 at the earliest. We are promised that general but not specialist rehab will continue to be available at the new or upgraded Community Hospitals in Arran, Cumnock, Girvan and Irvine. The Branch has undertaken with its partners to ensure all promises are kept in both a clinical and treatment sense where the Douglas Grant Unit excels. In particular, we must be certain that the parking and access for the disabled at any new building meets at least the excellent arrangements at the existing Unit.
So NO immediate concerns. Indeed, it is possible that one of our long standing complaints regarding the accommodation of the young disabled for both continuing and shorter term respite care in geriatric wards will be eliminated. Fingers crossed. We as a Branch are committed to working positively with the Health Board and the three Ayrshire local authorities and our other partners in the voluntary sector to improve services for all affected by MS. Our discussions with the Leonard Cheshire Trust for non-clinical respite care continue.
Donald McNeill
Chairman
MS REGISTER
The Scottish Society has launched an ambitious project to assemble a register of everybody with MS in Scotland. It is being undertaken in collaboration with the Universities and the NHS including MS Nurses and Neurologists. Confidentiality is guaranteed. When you are approached, please co-operate...the benefits to all will be enormous. The project will commence after the summer break.
IF YOU HAVE NEWS OR AN ITEM FOR INCLUSION ON THIS WEBSITE
PLEASE CONTACT US BY CLICKING HERE
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN HELPING PEOPLE AFFECTED BY
MS IN AYRSHIRE & ARRAN?
If you wish to help your local branch and become part of our friendly team
of volunteers please let us know...to contact us click here or phone our Branch Secretary, Harry Travers, on 01294 558866
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Ayrshire & Arran Branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Scotland.
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