Posts from the “Mental Health” Category

Vaccine queen – Tracy Hunter

Posted on May 11, 2021

Although Tracy Hunter trained as a nurse and knows how to give injections, she never imagined when she joined Healthcare Improvement Scotland that she would be supporting a mass vaccination programme – and administering to patients herself. As we celebrate International Day of the Nurse, Tracy, an Assistant Programme Advisor for NMAHP’s Healthcare Staffing Programme tells us the challenges of setting up and running a vaccination programme for NHS Fife – and proves that nurses can turn their hand to just about anything.

When I was first asked to help support the set up and roll out of the COVID vaccination programme for NHS Fife, my first thought was “This is a mammoth task – how on earth am I going to do this?”

Now, over 200,000 vaccinations later, over 62% of Fife’s population have had the vaccine – quite an achievement, and one I’m very proud to have been involved with, given everything we’ve all gone through in the past year. And certainly not bad for someone who started out wanting to be a teacher!

Learning to fly

Nursing wasn’t how I originally saw my life panning out. When I left school, I trained as a teacher, but my heart was always in nursing and wanting to help people. There’s no greater feeling than knowing you have provided the highest quality care to an individual and their families. I feel very privileged to be a nurse and have met and worked alongside so many amazing people.

When the reality of the pandemic began to kick in in March last year, I was on secondment to Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s Healthcare Staffing Programme from my role as a senior charge nurse in adult inpatient services in NHS Fife. Like so many of my colleagues, I was deployed back to my home board to lend a hand to tackling COVID-19, firstly in a senior charge nurse role on a palliative care ward and later through joint care assurance visits with social work colleagues to nursing and care homes.

Seeing the impact the pandemic had, like most people I was delighted when a vaccine finally came in to use. Supporting its set up was quite another thing. In many ways it’s been like flying a plane when you are still trying to build it. That’s a phrase we’ve been using on a daily basis, and it really has been a huge task for everyone involved.

In the wee small hours of the morning…

One of the biggest challenges has been recruitment and management of rosters. Logistically, it was a bit of a headache to start with, and my knowledge of rostering and workforce planning was certainly a benefit in helping set up clinics.

We started out by building a rostering team, and in the early days we were building rosters in the wee small hours – my office actually became my bedroom for a couple of weeks. All the staff have been phenomenal, working excess hours at the drop of a hat to establish clinics. Along the way I’ve tried to be open and honest with the team as we worked alongside all the required agencies to bring the clinics together. I’ve asked the ‘daft lassie’ questions where I needed to, and not been afraid to do so.

Focusing on people, not processing

One of the things that I and the team were determined about when we were setting up clinics is not allowing them to be conveyor belts. I’m passionate about delivering person-centred care, and was keen to make sure every patient was welcomed and time was taken to discuss the vaccine procedure with them. To ensure this approach was being delivered, I’ve taken part in vaccinating people myself a number of times, helping out when teams are busy and need an extra pair of hands. It’s been great chatting to members of the public who in some cases have not been out of their homes for months. I will never forget one elderly gentleman who came in wearing his best suit. He was thrilled to receive his vaccine, so much so we both shared a tear or two. He was so grateful and appreciative of our NHS – you don’t forget things like that.

It’s a feeling shared by staff across the board – the feedback is that they love working in the clinics. So many members of the team work in their own jobs all day then support clinics in the evenings and weekends. I am in constant awe of them.

We’ve been supported in all this by teams from the army, who have helped us in so many ways. Their medical teams have taken part in vaccinating, they’ve helped facilities teams by adapting community clinics and empty shops into vaccination clinics, and they’ve supported the logistics of setting up and running clinics. They have been phenomenal, always sharing what they’ve learned – they’ve become part of the team. And like us, they have particularly enjoyed the regular donations of cakes and steak pies from local bakeries!

Typical day

A typical day for me at the moment is manic – it starts at the crack of dawn and then the day just flies by. It usually consists of rostering workforce (right people, right skills, right place), clinical updates, and educating and training of new recruits, particularly Band 3 healthcare support worker vaccinators – a brand new role developed for the pandemic. There are never two days the same and always some curve ball or other you’re not expecting. On the odd occasion where the clinics have been a little quieter, we’ve been able to offer support to GP practices which is always gratefully welcomed.

There’s still a lot of work to be done, and always room to improve and develop, as with everything, but I am so proud of what we have achieved, 19 vaccination clinics open across Fife and another four mass vaccination clinics. No mean feat given all the sleepless nights! I try to visit each of the clinics on a weekly basis, but it’s becoming harder with there being so many of them. For me personally, this has been a huge learning experience, and as I look forward to returning to work with colleagues in the Healthcare Staffing Programme, I hope we can make real use of everything we’ve all learned during this past year.

Tracy Hunter is an Assistant Programme Advisor for NMAHP’s Healthcare Staffing Programme, part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland

More information

Find out more about the work of our Healthcare Staffing Programme.

Categories: Mental Health

Sticks, stones and stigma – Lauren Redpath

Posted on May 10, 2021

As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, Communications Officer, Lauren Redpath, reflects on the importance of language in how we approach the topic of mental health – and explains what Healthcare Improvement Scotland is doing to deliver improvements to mental health care services.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.”

When I was little, I used to chant this saying in the playground when other kids would poke fun at my curly hair. I remember one of my primary school teachers proudly teaching us the saying as if she believed she was providing us with a fool-proof coping mechanism against name-calling. It wasn’t until I got a bit older – and perhaps less resilient – that it dawned on me that names and labels do hurt and they have an unwelcome way of sticking too.

Bill Clinton once said: “Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all.” This quote resonates with me on so many levels, but it’s a stark reminder that although we have made significant progress in reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and mental ill-health, we still have a very long way to go in ensuring it has no place in our society. Mental health stigma has existed for decades and the hurtful, inaccurate labels often given to people living with mental health issues are still swirling around – they’ve found a way of sticking.

Progress – but still a way to go

Over the past 10 years, mental health has become less of a taboo subject – we’ve seen more stories in the media and heard more conversations about mental health than ever before. Governments are also making it a priority. Mental health is a key theme in our organisation’s work and we have a broad portfolio of mental health redesign and improvement programmes, plus clinical guidelines to support diagnosis and care. For example, Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) is highlighted as a priority in the Scottish Government’s Mental Health Strategy (2017-2027) and Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan (2020). As a result, they commissioned us to undertake a detailed exploration of current EIP services across Scotland, the findings of which were published in March. Engaging with people with lived experience of psychosis was a key part of this work, with the findings highlighting that stigma prevents people from seeking help early. Stigma doesn’t only present itself as hurtful labels, it’s also a barrier to people seeking help when they need it most.

According to research carried out by See Me in 2019, 79% of people in Scotland think that public perception of mental health problems has improved over the past 10 years. However, 56% of people with a mental health condition have experienced stigma and discrimination and only 55% of us would feel confident challenging mental health stigma if we saw it. Being a glass half-full kind of girl, I like to think the other 45% perhaps don’t feel confident in challenging mental health stigma because they don’t know what it looks like – and not because they’re willing to turn a blind eye as it’s not their problem.

The view from Down Under

Before joining Healthcare Improvement Scotland at the start of 2021, I lived and worked in Melbourne for six years – making the most of that big, round, yellow hot thing in the sky that us Scots only get to experience for one week of the year – if we’re lucky. Ok, ok, maybe that’s a glass half-empty statement but I’m sure you wouldn’t disagree.

I worked for an organisation called SANE Australia – a national mental health charity providing support and advocacy for Australians affected by complex mental health issues such as schizophrenia, bipolar, eating disorders, OCD, complex PTSD and trauma. I managed their StigmaWatch programme which promotes responsible reporting of mental ill-health and suicide in the Australian media. The programme team monitors and responds to reports of inaccurate or inappropriate stigmatising media portrayal of mental ill-health and suicide. They also work with the media to provide constructive feedback and advice on how to responsibly report stories touching on these issues.

Mind your language

Studying journalism at university and choosing a career in communications, it’s no surprise that language and how we communicate with each other fascinates me. Add to that my passion for raising awareness of mental health and breaking down the stereotypes and myths associated with it, working on the StigmaWatch programme couldn’t have been a better fit.

I’m hoping I can now use what I learned in Australia to help our vital communications work around mental health in Healthcare Improvement Scotland. I’m passionate about educating and supporting people and organisations on how to talk about mental health safely and responsibly. The language we use when talking about mental ill-health often plays a big role in keeping stereotypes, myths and stigma alive. But what does stigmatising language look like when talking about mental ill-health? Well, terms you might hear every day such as ‘nutter’, ‘crazy’ ‘lunatic’, ‘psycho’, ‘schizo’ and ‘mental patient’ are not only offensive and hurtful, they’re problematic and sensationalise mental ill-health. The preferred language would be a person is ‘living with’ or ‘has a diagnosis of’ a mental illness. It is also stigmatising to label a person by their mental illness. We shouldn’t refer to someone as a ‘schizophrenic’ – instead we should say, ‘a person has a diagnosis of’ or ‘is living with schizophrenia.’ Think about it this way – we wouldn’t label someone by the type of cancer they have so why should it be any different when someone is living with mental ill-health?

A weapon that keeps people apart

During my time at SANE Australia, I worked closely with many of our peer ambassadors who had lived experience of mental ill-health. While filming a promotional video to explain what StigmaWatch is and does, we asked one of them to tell their story. He turned to look in to the camera and said:

“Stigma is a permanent part of my life. After my diagnosis, many people just left. The negativity just came from decades of misunderstanding – in the media, in medicine. People were afraid. When I was given my diagnosis, it was stigma that told me that I was never going to have a home, I was never going to have a job, I was never going to have a family and I was never going to have a life. It took me 15 years to realise that that is all completely wrong.

“Stigma is a weapon that keeps people apart.” I think if I’d asked him about the sticks and stones saying from my childhood, he would simply have said “the sticks and stones and words just never stop coming – or hurting.”

Lauren Redpath is a Communications Officer for Healthcare Improvement Scotland. In her spare time she sits on the Advisory Group for See Me, Scotland’s programme for tackling mental health stigma and discrimination.

More information

Find out more about our mental health improvement portfolio

For anyone looking for support in a crisis, the Samaritans helpline is 0116 123 and is open 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Rethink Mental Illness offers support and advice for people living with mental illness.
Phone 0300 5000 927 (Monday – Friday, 9.30am to 4pm)

Categories: Mental Health

Full ESTEEM ahead for those who experience psychosis – Jonathan O’Reilly

Posted on January 9, 2020

“I no longer see psychosis as a catastrophe…I’ve been able to accept my diagnosis and not let it define me or my trajectory.”

These words were spoken at the first meeting of our Early Intervention in Psychosis Improvement Network (EIPIN) by Michael who has personal experience of psychosis.

With vulnerability and openness, Michael – and Stephanie, who also had experience of psychosis – brought to life for those attending the meeting what the experience is like, the recovery journey, and the impact and importance of early intervention.

Michael’s words of acceptance and hope had particular resonance for those attending the network meeting, as this is the very outcome we are striving to achieve for everyone who experiences psychosis in Scotland.

What is psychosis?

“Treating psychosis in the early stages can reduce the amount of time a patient needs to spend in hospital, reduce relapses, and leads to more effective and long lasting outcomes.”

Psychosis is characterised by hallucinations, delusions and disturbed thinking. It can cause considerable distress and disability for people affected, and for their families or carers. It’s estimated that there are approximately 1,600 new cases of psychosis in Scotland each year. Psychotic disorders can be extremely debilitating and it’s vital that those experiencing psychosis are treated quickly and effectively. Treating psychosis in the early stages can reduce the amount of time a patient needs to spend in hospital, reduce relapses, and leads to more effective and long lasting outcomes. Research from previous work in Scotland has shown improved outcomes when using a specially-designed model (called ESTEEM), compared to a more generic model, as inpatient stays can be significantly reduced, sometimes by up to 55%.

How the network came about

In the summer of 2019, Scottish Government published the action plan, Our Vision to Improve Early Intervention in Psychosis in Scotland, affirming their commitment to action 26 of the Mental Health Strategy, to improve access to services for those experiencing psychosis.

The Early Intervention in Psychosis Improvement Network is part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s Mental Health Improvement Portfolio of work.

By establishing and launching the network with the first meeting, Scotland took its first step in achieving those actions and mobilising a network consisting of health and social care, education sector, third sector, individuals with lived experience and carers.

The first EIPIN meeting was hosted by Healthcare Improvement Scotland with over 100 people from across Scotland in attendance. The aim of the meeting was to raise awareness of the importance of Early Intervention in Psychosis, the current evidence base for treatment, and how that evidence is currently being applied in the ESTEEM service in Glasgow (a community mental health service for people between 16-35 years, who appear to be experiencing their first episode of psychosis). Most importantly, the network will look at the positive impact of early intervention services on people’s lives.

Partnership working to drive improvements in care

“This work will ensure people presenting for the first time with psychosis anywhere in Scotland get access to effective care and treatment, with a focus on early intervention and recovery.”

A crucial part of this programme of work has been to recruit NHS Forth Valley and NHS Highland and their associated Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) to better understand the current provision of EIP services, what’s required to improve services, consider how data can be best collected and optimised, and determine what a good service for people experiencing psychosis looks like for service providers and service users.

I’m delighted to be involved in this important work. The work will ensure people presenting for the first time with psychosis anywhere in Scotland get access to effective care and treatment, with a focus on early intervention and recovery.

The success of the network launch – and the enthusiasm of all those who have stepped forward to be involved – has put us all on a strong footing to deliver improvements and recommendations to change the future for so many people experiencing psychosis in our communities.

Jonathan O’Reilly is an Improvement Advisor within the Mental Health Portfolio of Healthcare Improvement Scotland

More information

To learn more about the EIPIN and how we are progressing the action plan visit ihub.scot or on Twitter @spsp_mh. Get involved in the conversation on social media by following the hashtag #EIPScot.

Categories: ihub, Mental Health

Young Lives Matter – Creating Hope in Scotland, Dr Dame Denise Coia

Posted on February 3, 2017

Hello and welcome to the first Healthcare Improvement Scotland blog. We want to highlight some of the really amazing work going on improving health and social care across Scotland, let you know how we help and hopefully prompt some healthy debate. After retiring from my frontline healthcare job, I was anticipating a quiet life in the background. But I still felt the need to do something useful. So off came the slippers and I feel fortunate to have been appointed Chairman of Healthcare Improvement Scotland since its launch in April 2011. So why become involved again? Well, after a career spent looking after those with mental health problems, a huge motivation for me is improving Scotland’s mental health. That is linked to a firm…

Categories: Mental Health