Your guide to local health services

Your guide to local health services in Argyll & Bute Community Health Partnership www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk WORKING WITH YOU TO MAKE HIGHLAND THE HEALTHY PLACE TO BE

Contents Page About this guide............ 2 About Argyll & Bute Community Health Partnership................ 2 Local Management.......... 3 CHP Localities.............. 4 How to get the right treatment.................. 5 How your money makes a difference................ 8 Our plans for a better service. 9 How you can get involved.... 12 If you have a complaint...... 13 Useful contacts............ 15 How you can comment on our services............... 16 ABOUT THIS GUIDE Everyone wants to be assured that services will be there when they need them. This guide has been produced to tell you about community health services across Argyll and Bute. It outlines some of our plans for improving services and how you can get involved. It includes useful contact information to help you get the services you need. Keep it in a safe place, perhaps by the phone. ABOUT ARGYLL & BUTE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERSHIP (CHP) Argyll & Bute Community Health Partnership is one of four CHPs within NHS Highland. It manages acute, primary, community health and mental health services across Argyll and Bute. We provide services to around 91,000 people across 2,600 square miles. During the summer months the number of people in the area increases significantly owing to an influx of tourists. The CHP has a diverse range of settlements including 6 towns, 46 villages, 156 small settlements and 26 inhabited islands. 2

Local Management for Argyll & Bute Community Health Partnership Our aim is to establish and develop high quality local services with health, social, carers, patients and voluntary organisations working closely together to provide services that meet your needs. We want to make sure that the right care is delivered at the right time and in the most appropriate place. We will also work to help people in Argyll and Bute live healthier lives. CHP Committee Chair CHP General Manager CHP Clinical Director CHP Lead Nurse Locality Manager, Oban, Lorn and the Isles Locality Manager, Mid Argyll, Kintyre & Islay Locality Manager, Cowal & Bute Locality Manager, Helensburgh & Lomond Bill Brackenridge Fiona Ritchie Mike Hall Pat Tyrrell David Whiteoak John Dreghorn Viv Smith Anne Helstrip We have a wide range of community and hospital based services including maternity care, children s services, community nursing, mental health, palliative care and rehabilitation services. We also provide services such as health visiting, speech and language services, physiotherapy and district nursing. 3

Argyll & Bute Community Health Partnership Localities Locality Pop. Description Oban, Lorn & the Isles 20,094 Oban, north to Port Appin, east to Dalmally, south to Arduaine & includes the isles of Lismore, Luing, Seil, Mull, Tiree, Coll & Colonsay Mid Argyll, Kintyre & Islay 21,330 Southend, Campbeltown, Muasdale, Carradale, Tarbert, Lochgilphead, Ardfern, Inveraray, Isles of Islay, Jura and Gigha You can contact us at the address below: Argyll & Bute CHP Aros, Blarbuie Road Lochgilphead PA 31 8LB Phone: 01546 605680 Cowal & Bute 22,872 Lochgoilhead, Strachur Kilmun, Tighnabruaich, Dunoon and the Isle of Bute Helensburgh & Lomond 26,740 Helensburgh, Kilcreggan, Garelochhead, Arrochar Argyll & Bute CHP 91,036 4

If you feel unwell or need some advice about your health, there are a number of places you can go. Please read the following information. How to get the right treatment NHS 24 If you or someone you care for is unwell during the out of hours period when GP surgeries are closed, and you feel it can t wait until the surgery re-opens, then you should call NHS 24 on 08454 24 24 24 (www.nhs24.com) so that you can be directed to the most appropriate care as quickly as possible. Of course, if your condition is immediately life-threatening, then 999 should be dialled. Pharmacist Your local pharmacist can give advice on common health problems and can answer questions about medicines. Community pharmacists now also offer a Minor Ailment Scheme to provide treatment and advice to patients with minor ailments who do not pay for prescription charges. Many pharmacists provide other services such as helping you stop smoking, checking the different medicines you are taking, or giving advice about sexual health. Ask to speak to your pharmacist in a private area if there is something you don t want other people to hear. If your symptoms are serious, your pharmacist might suggest you should go to your GP. To find a pharmacy which is open out of hours phone NHS 24. Self-care There are lots of ways you can look after yourself if you feel unwell. A well-stocked medicine cabinet will help you treat everyday illnesses at home. It is useful to have paracetamol, plasters and bandages, a thermometer, antiseptic cream, and other remedies for coughs, colds and sore throats. Always follow the instructions on the medicine label. 5

How to get the right treatment GP surgeries For medical advice and treatment, or prescriptions, you can make an appointment at your GP surgery. Surgeries vary in size and patients can make appointments with a wide range of staff such as GPs, nurses, health visitors, counsellors and physiotherapists. Some surgeries run special clinics for people with diabetes, asthma or other health conditions. To get a list of surgeries in your area, or for help with registering with a doctor, phone NHS 24. Out of hours GP services Out of hours GP services are available between 6.30pm and 8am on weekdays, at the weekend, and on public holidays. These services provide help when your GP surgery is closed and your condition is too serious to wait until the next day. If you phone your surgery when it is closed you will get a message explaining how to contact your local out of hours service. Accident and Emergency Hospital Accident and Emergency departments only treat accidents and emergencies which are urgent or serious. If your condition is urgent you can make your own way there or call for an ambulance using 999. If you re not sure if you should go to Accident and Emergency, phone NHS 24 for advice. Social Work Services For practical help for yourself or your carer, contact the Social Work Department of Argyll and Bute Council. The department supports the care provided by families, neighbours, and the community in general. The Social Work department can assess you for home care, day care, respite care, meals on wheels and any other help you may need. 6

How to get the right treatment Argyll & Bute Hospital (Mental Health Facility) Blarbuie Road, Lochgilphead, PA31 8LD Telephone 01546 602323 Campbeltown Hospital Ralston Road, Campbeltown, PA28 6LE Telephone 01586 552224 Dunaros Salen, Isle of Mull, PA72 6JF Telephone 01680 300392 Dunoon Hospital Sandbank Road, Dunoon, PA23 7RL Telephone 01369 704341 Islay Hospital Gortonvogie Road, Bowmore, Islay, PA43 7JD Telephone 01496 301000 Lorn & Islands Rural General Hospital Glengallan Road, Oban, PA34 4HH Telephone 01631 567500 Mid Argyll Community Hospital & Integrated Care Centre Blarbuie Road, Lochgilphead, PA31 8JZ Telephone 01546 462000 Victoria Hospital & Annexe High Street, Rothesay, PA20 9JJ Telephone 01700 503938 Victoria Infirmary 93 East King Street, Helensburgh, G84 7BU Telephone 01436 655037 7

How your money makes a difference The Argyll & Bute Community Health Partnership spends public money, your money, on health and social care services. This money provides a wide range of services in acute and community hospitals, GP surgeries, and locally in the community. The total expenditure for the CHP in the last financial year was 153.9 million. The following service developments were included in the Financial Plan: Opening of the new Mid Argyll Hospital in Lochgilphead. New Jura Care Centre. New specialist nursing for out of normal hours working at Lorn & Islands Hospital in Oban supporting emergency care. Developing ultrasound service for Lorn & Islands and Mid Argyll. Piloting anticipatory health care in Oban and Campbeltown aimed at keeping people in the community and preventing hospital admission. Seeking to appoint a third consultant surgeon at Lorn & Islands Hospital. Building a new health centre at Garelochhead. Meeting waiting times targets. Other plans and developments currently being worked on include: Redesign of the mental health service, including plans to keep older people with dementia closer to home. Relocating and reproviding the A&E Department in Campbeltown Hospital. Reviewing the proposals for the reprovision of Rothesay Victoria Hospital and Annexe on Bute. Developing GPs and other practitioners with special interests to improve and retain local access to services.

Our plans for a better service Professor David Kerr s report Building a Health Service Fit for the Future and the Health and Community Care Minister s response to Delivering for Health October 2005, set out the priorities and programme of action for the NHS over the next decade. The Minister has emphasised the need to shift the balance of health care, focusing the service on prevention and maintenance of people s health, and enhancing local access to services. The modernisation proposals for the NHS in Scotland will see the following changes in services over the next five years: Current View Geared towards acute conditions Hospital centred Doctor dependent Episodic care Disjointed care Reactive care Patient as passive recipient Self care infrequent Carers undervalued Low Tech Evolving Model of Care Geared towards long term conditions Embedded in communities Team based Continuous care Integrated care Preventative care Patient as partner Self care encouraged Carers supported as partners High Tech 9

Our plans for a better service To deliver this model of care the health services in NHS Highland and the Argyll & Bute CHP will: Strengthen services in local communities by using our community hospitals as hubs for diagnostic and treatment services, networked with GP practices. Adopt a more proactive approach to care for people with long-term chronic illness conditions to help maintain their health and independence. Reduce the inequalities gap, providing deprived and socially excluded groups with enhanced primary care teams to identify at risk populations and provide early access to preventative interventions. Stream planned care (i.e. non emergency operations) by separating emergency and planned care into dedicated units, thereby improving the predictability of workflow and reducing cancellations. Strengthen our local casualty units backed up by larger specialist A&E units. Apply a systematic approach to influence decisions regarding the concentration of specialist services in the major specialist hospitals in urban areas e.g. Glasgow, Paisley etc. Undertake research with communities to identify and plan future health care provision in our most remote and isolated rural areas. Community and Rural General Hospitals (RGH) to act as the hub for emergency and out of hours care with appropriate diagnostic facilities. Rural General Hospital in Oban networked with other RGHs and larger hospitals to ensure the bulk of remote community s acute health care needs (both emergency and planned care) are met locally. Consider evidence around standards of care in remote and rural areas and make decisions on how this can or cannot be provided locally. Consider how staffing can be assured and skills maintained in services where small number of operations or treatments are carried out. Develop appropriate training for remote and rural practitioners to ensure we can maintain and develop our workforce. 10

Our plans for a better service These areas will be at the core of the modernisation programme for NHS Highland and the Argyll & Bute CHP. Within Argyll and Bute the developments we have outlined earlier are all aimed at beginning this process of shifting the balance of care. Other initiatives we are planning include: Look at rolling out anticipatory care services for at risk patients with chronic diseases to prevent avoidable admissions to hospital and maintain health and well being. Implement an expert patient training programme to establish a network of self-help support for patients with chronic disease, thus allowing them to take more control of their health. Complete review of our rural community hospitals to identify what the future service profile of these services should be focusing on improving local access to outreach and locality specialist services. Review Radiography services across Argyll and Bute to ensure a safe and sustainable service is maintained. Public Health Strategies Joint working with partners such as Argyll and Bute Council. Local public health networks have been instrumental in developing partnership working and initiating activities such as co-ordinated youth activities, health improvement events and elderly support groups. Mental health initiatives to promote greater public awareness, encouraging people to seek help early and training for staff to provide early prevention and intervention. A Local Enhanced Service (LES) for alcohol misuse. Working closely with the local Police in the implementation of a variety of drive safe campaigns Integrated working to tackle obesity with GPs referring obese people to weight management programmes and Health Walks. 11

How you can get involved It is vital that the public is involved in helping us develop and provide the best possible services. There are more ways than ever before for members of the public to help improve local health and social care services. Let us know what you think about services. Tell us if you have any concerns or comments about the services we provide. If you are involved in a local patient group, community group, or other organisation, let us know about your group. We can discuss our services with your group when they affect it. If your group has any ideas, comments or concerns they would like to share with us, please get in touch. Please fill in any surveys you are given about services. Argyll & Bute Public Partnership Forum (PPF) The Scottish Executive Health Department set out specific requirements for NHS Boards to build on existing good practice in public involvement. As such, every Community Health Partnership (CHP) in Scotland is required to establish a Public Partnership Forum (PPF). The Argyll & Bute CHP has established a PPF, made up of patients, focus groups, community groups, voluntary organisations and individual members of the public. We are also in the process of developing locality PPFs across the CHP. In accordance with the Scottish Executive s Statutory Guidance, the role of the PPF is to: Ensure the CHP is able to inform local people about local services, through the PPF and other means. Engage local users, carers and the public about how to improve health services. Support wider public involvement through planning and decision making, to seek to make public services more responsive and accountable to citizens and local communities.

The PPF is open to anyone within the community regardless of age, gender, ability, faith, ethnicity or sexual orientation. You can join the PPF at whatever degree you choose. You may just want to be kept informed, you may wish to have your say or you may wish to be more actively involved, joining meetings or committees with health service staff. In addition to the Argyll & Bute PPF, you can also get involved through the Highland HealthVOICES Network (HHVN). This is a Public Partnership Forum which spans the whole of NHS Highland s area. It is a network of people throughout the Highlands who want to get involved in helping to improve health or wellbeing, including health and community care services. If you wish to find out more about the Argyll & Bute PPF or how to join or be informed of groups in your area or other ways to get involved, contact Caroline Champion, Planning & Public Involvement Manager on 01546 605680/605681 or email caroline.champion@nhs.net. For further information about the Highland HealthVOICES Network, contact the PFPI Team on 01463 704702 or email pfpi@hhb.scot.nhs.uk. How you can get involved IF YOU HAVE A COMPLAINT NHS Highland is committed to delivering high quality care for all patients. This includes making sure people are treated properly and promptly. However, sometimes people are dissatisfied with the service they have received and wish to make a complaint. When we receive a complaint we aim to provide a thorough response as quickly as possible. It is always best to speak to someone there and then. Whenever possible you should tell someone close to the cause of your complaint. Ideally this should be the nurse in charge, the head of the department or practice manager. Very often they will be able to sort things out straight away. 13

If you wish to speak with someone outwith the department concerned, or for more information about making a complaint, then please contact: The Complaints Team, NHS Highland, PO Box 5713, Inverness, IV1 9AQ Telephone 01463 717123 Email: Complaints.Mailbox@haht.scot.nhs.uk If you need help to make a complaint a Complaints Officer will either help you or advise you how to get independent help if you would prefer that. Complaints regarding GPs, Dentists, Chemists or Opticians If your complaint is about any of the above services you should complain directly to the practice or the individual concerned. However if you would prefer to talk to someone not involved in your care you can contact the Complaints Department as above. NHS 24 If you want to find a GP, dentist, optician, or pharmacist in your local area, phone NHS 24 on 08454 24 24 24 (Textphone 18001 08454 24 24 24). GP surgeries For a list of the GP surgeries in your area and information about how to register, phone NHS 24. Dentists For a list of the NHS dentists in your area and information about how to register, phone NHS 24. You can also use NHS 24 to find out about emergency dental services. Opticians For a list of the NHS opticians in your area phone NHS 24. Pharmacies For a full list of pharmacies in your area phone NHS 24. NHS Board NHS Highland is responsible for overseeing the provision of health services throughout the Highland and Argyll and Bute region. 14

For information on healthy living, waiting times, or other health service enquiries in your local area, contact: NHS Highland Assynt House, Beechwood Park, Inverness IV2 3BW Phone: 01463 717123 Fax: 01463 235189 Website: www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board Dalian House PO Box 15329 350 St. Vincent Street Glasgow G3 8YZ Phone: 0141 201 4444 Fax: 0141 201 4401 Website: www.nhsggc.org.uk Council services For general information on council services contact: Argyll & Bute Council Kilmory, Lochgilphead, Argyll PA31 8RT. Phone: 01546 602127 Useful contacts Al-Anon (For family and friends of alcoholics) Phone: 0141 221 7356 Alcoholics Anonymous (open 24 Hours) Phone: 0845 769 7555 Breathing Space (Depression phoneline service) (open 6pm-2am) Phone: 0800 838587 Childline Phone: 0800 111 111 Cruse Bereavement Care Phone: 0870 167 1677 Depression Alliance Scotland 0131 467 3050 Domestic Abuse Helpline Phone: 0800 027 1234 Family Planning Association Scotland 0141 576 5088 TALK TO FRANK (drugs helpline, open 24 hrs) Phone: 0800 776 600 NHS Helpline (information on Scottish health services & health matters, open daily 8am-10pm) Phone: 0800 22 44 88 NSPCC Child Protection Helpline (for children and adults concerned about kids being abused) Phone: 0808 800 5000 Rape Crisis Scotland Phone: 0141 248 8848 Red Cross Phone: 01324 679060 Parentline Scotland (open 9am-5pm Mon/Wed/Fri & 9am-9pm Tues/Thurs) Phone: 0808 800 2222 Parent Network Scotland Phone: 0131 555 6780 Relate Scotland (open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) Phone: 0845 130 4016 Samaritans (open 24 hrs) Phone: 0845 790 9090 Scottish Women s Aid 0800 027 1234 SeniorLine (open Mon to Fri 9am-4pm) Phone: 0808 800 6565 Victim Support Scotland Phone: 0845 603 9213 Who Cares Scotland Phone: 0141 226 4446 15

How you can comment on our services We would like to know what you think of our services and this guide. Positive or negative comments are always welcome, and help us improve. If you would like to make a comment or suggestion, please contact us at: Argyll & Bute Community Health Partnership Aros, Blarbuie Road, Lochgilphead, PA31 8LB Telephone: 01546 605680 If you would like a copy of this document in large print, on tape or in a language other than English please contact the Communications Team at: Argyll & Bute Community Health Partnership, Aros, Blarbuie Road, Lochgilphead, PA31 8LB Telephone: 01546 605680