Your guide to local health servicesin Argyll & Bute Community HealthPartnershipwww.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk

WORKING WITH YOU TO MAKE HIGHLAND THE HEALTHY PLACE TO BE

ContentsPage

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 therewhen they need them. This guide has been produced totell you about community health services across Argyll andBute. It outlines some of our plans for improving servicesand how you can get involved. It includes useful contactinformation 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 fourCHPs within NHS Highland. It manages acute, primary, community health and mental health servicesacross Argyll and Bute. We provide services to around91,000 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. TheCHP has a diverse range of settlements including 6 towns,46 villages, 156 small settlements and 26 inhabited islands.

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Our aim is to establish and develop high quality local services withhealth, social, carers, patients and voluntary organisations workingclosely together to provide services that meet your needs. We wantto make sure that the right care is delivered at the right time and inthe most appropriate place. We will also work to help people inArgyll and Bute live healthier lives.

We have a wide range of community and hospital based servicesincluding maternity care, children’s services, community nursing,mental health, palliative care and rehabilitation services. We alsoprovide services such as health visiting, speech and language services, physiotherapy and district nursing.

CHP Committee Chair Bill BrackenridgeCHP General Manager Fiona RitchieCHP Clinical Director Mike HallCHP Lead Nurse Pat TyrrellLocality Manager, Oban, Lorn and the Isles David WhiteoakLocality Manager, Mid Argyll, Kintyre & Islay John DreghornLocality Manager, Cowal & Bute Viv SmithLocality Manager, Helensburgh & Lomond Anne Helstrip

Local Management for Argyll & ButeCommunity Health Partnership

You can contact us at theaddress below:

Argyll & Bute CHPAros, Blarbuie RoadLochgilpheadPA 31 8LBPhone: 01546 605680

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

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

Argyll & Bute Community Health Partnership Localities

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How to get the right treatment

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NHS 24If 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 untilthe surgery re-opens, then you should call NHS 24 on 08454 24 24 24 (www.nhs24.com) so that you can be directed to themost appropriate care as quickly as possible. Of course, if your condition is immediately life-threatening, then 999 should be dialled.PharmacistYour local pharmacist can give advice on common health problems and can answer questions about medicines. Communitypharmacists now also offer a Minor Ailment Scheme to provide treatment and advice to patients with minor ailments who do not payfor prescription charges. Many pharmacists provide other services such as helping you stop smoking, checking the differentmedicines 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 symptomsare 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-careThere are lots of ways you can look after yourself if you feel unwell. Awell-stocked medicine cabinet will help you treat everyday illnesses at home. It is useful to have paracetamol, plasters andbandages, a thermometer, antiseptic cream, and other remedies forcoughs, colds and sore throats. Always follow the instructions on themedicine label.

If you feel unwell or need someadvice about your health, there are anumber of places you can go. Pleaseread the following information.

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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 makeappointments with a wide range of staff such asGPs, nurses, health visitors, counsellors and physiotherapists. Some surgeries run special clinicsfor people with diabetes, asthma or other healthconditions. To get a list of surgeries in your area, orfor help with registering with a doctor, phone NHS24.

Out of hours GP services

Out of hours GP services are available between6.30pm and 8am on weekdays, at the weekend, andon public holidays. These services provide helpwhen your GP surgery is closed and your conditionis too serious to wait until the next day. If youphone your surgery when it is closed you will get amessage explaining how to contact your local out ofhours service.

Accident and Emergency

Hospital Accident and Emergency departments onlytreat accidents and emergencies which are urgentor serious. If your condition is urgent you can makeyour own way there or call for an ambulance using999. If you’re not sure if you should go to Accidentand Emergency, phone NHS 24 for advice.

Social Work Services

For practical help for yourself or your carer, contactthe Social Work Department of Argyll and ButeCouncil. The department supports the care provided by families, neighbours, and the community in general. The Social Work departmentcan assess you for home care, day care, respitecare, meals on wheels and any other help you mayneed.

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How to get the right treatment

Argyll & Bute Hospital(Mental Health Facility)Blarbuie Road, Lochgilphead, PA31 8LDTelephone — 01546 602323

Campbeltown HospitalRalston Road, Campbeltown, PA28 6LETelephone — 01586 552224

DunarosSalen, Isle of Mull, PA72 6JFTelephone — 01680 300392

Dunoon HospitalSandbank Road, Dunoon, PA23 7RLTelephone — 01369 704341

Islay HospitalGortonvogie Road, Bowmore,Islay, PA43 7JDTelephone — 01496 301000

Lorn & Islands Rural General HospitalGlengallan Road, Oban, PA34 4HHTelephone — 01631 567500

Mid Argyll Community Hospital & Integrated Care Centre Blarbuie Road, Lochgilphead, PA31 8JZ Telephone — 01546 462000

Victoria Hospital & AnnexeHigh Street, Rothesay, PA20 9JJTelephone — 01700 503938

Victoria Infirmary93 East King Street, Helensburgh, G84 7BUTelephone —01436 655037

The Argyll & Bute CommunityHealth Partnership spends public money, your money, onhealth and social care services.This money provides a widerange of services in acute and community hospitals, GPsurgeries, and locally in thecommunity.

The total expenditure for theCHP in the last financial yearwas £153.9 million. The following service developments were included in the Financial Plan:

How your money makes a difference

l Opening of the new Mid ArgyllHospital in Lochgilphead.

l New Jura Care Centre.

l New specialist nursing for outof normal hours working atLorn & Islands Hospital inOban supporting emergencycare.

l Developing ultrasound service for Lorn & Islands andMid Argyll.

l Piloting anticipatory healthcare in Oban andCampbeltown aimed at keeping people in the community and preventinghospital admission.

l Seeking to appoint a thirdconsultant surgeon at Lorn &Islands Hospital.

l Building a new health centreat Garelochhead.

l Meeting waiting times targets.

Other plans and developmentscurrently being worked oninclude:

l Redesign of the mental healthservice, including plans tokeep older people withdementia closer to home.

l Relocating and reprovidingthe A&E Department inCampbeltown Hospital.

l Reviewing the proposals forthe reprovision of RothesayVictoria Hospital and Annexeon Bute.

l Developing GPs and otherpractitioners with specialinterests to improve andretain local access to services.

Our plans for a better service

Professor David Kerr’s report ‘Building a HealthService Fit for the Future’ and the Health andCommunity Care Minister’s response to ‘Deliveringfor Health’ October 2005, set out the priorities andprogramme of action for the NHS over the nextdecade. The Minister has emphasised the need to

shift the “balance of health care”, focusing theservice on prevention and maintenance of people’shealth, and enhancing local access to services. Themodernisation proposals for the NHS in Scotlandwill see the following changes in services over thenext 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 termconditions

Embedded in communities

Team based

Continuous careIntegrated care

Preventative care

Patient as partner

Self care encouraged

Carers supported as partnersHigh Tech

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To deliver this model of care the health servicesin NHS Highland and the Argyll & Bute CHP will:

Our plans for a better service

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n Strengthen services in local communities byusing our community hospitals as hubs for diagnostic and treatment services, networkedwith GP practices.

n Adopt a more proactive approach to care forpeople with long-term chronic illness conditionsto help maintain their health and independence.

n Reduce the inequalities gap, providing deprivedand socially excluded groups with enhanced primary care teams to identify at risk populations and provide early access to preventative interventions.

n Stream planned care (i.e. non emergency operations) by separating emergency andplanned care into dedicated units, therebyimproving the predictability of workflow andreducing cancellations.

n Strengthen our local casualty units backed upby larger specialist A&E units.

n 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.

n Undertake research with communities to identify and plan future health care provision inour most remote and isolated rural areas.

n Community and Rural General Hospitals (RGH)to act as the hub for emergency and out ofhours care with appropriate diagnostic facilities.

n Rural General Hospital in Oban networked withother RGHs and larger hospitals to ensure thebulk of remote community’s acute health careneeds (both emergency and planned care) aremet locally.

n Consider evidence around standards of care inremote and rural areas and make decisions onhow this can or cannot be provided locally.

n Consider how staffing can be assured and skillsmaintained in services where small number ofoperations or treatments are carried out.

n Develop appropriate training for remote andrural practitioners to ensure we can maintainand develop our workforce.

These areas will be at the core of the modernisationprogramme for NHS Highland and the Argyll & ButeCHP. Within Argyll and Bute the developments wehave outlined earlier are all aimed at beginning thisprocess of shifting the balance of care. Other initiatives we are planning include:

n Look at rolling out anticipatory care services forat risk patients with chronic diseases to prevent avoidable admissions to hospital andmaintain health and well being.n Implement an expert patient training

programme to establish a network of self-helpsupport for patients with chronic disease, thusallowing them to take more control of theirhealth.n Complete review of our rural community

hospitals to identify what the future service profile of these services should be focusing onimproving local access to outreach and ‘locality’specialist services.n Review Radiography services across Argyll and

Bute to ensure a safe and sustainable service ismaintained .

n Joint working with partners such as Argyll andBute Council.

n Local public health networks have been instrumental in developing partnership workingand initiating activities such as co-ordinated youth activities, health improvement events and elderlysupport groups.

nMental health initiatives to promote greater publicawareness, encouraging people to seek help earlyand training for staff to provide early preventionand intervention.

n A Local Enhanced Service (LES) for alcohol misuse.

nWorking closely with the local Police in the implementation of a variety of drive safe campaigns

n Integrated working to tackle obesity with GPs referring obese people to weight management programmes and Health Walks.

Our plans for a better service Public Health Strategies

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How you can get involved

It is vital that the public is involved in helping usdevelop and provide the best possible services.There are more ways than ever before for membersof the public to help improve local health and socialcare services.

Let us know what you think about services.

Tell us if you have any concerns or comments aboutthe services we provide.

If you are involved in a local patient group, community group, or other organisation, let usknow about your group. We can discuss our serviceswith your group when they affect it. If your grouphas any ideas, comments or concerns they wouldlike 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 Departmentset out specific requirements for NHS Boardsto build on existing good practice in publicinvolvement. As such, every CommunityHealth Partnership (CHP) in Scotland isrequired to establish a Public PartnershipForum (PPF).

The Argyll & Bute CHP has established a PPF,made up of patients, focus groups, community groups, voluntary organisationsand individual members of the public. We arealso in the process of developing localityPPFs across the CHP.

In accordance with the Scottish Executive’sStatutory Guidance, the role of the PPF is to:

lEnsure the CHP is able to inform local peopleabout local services, through the PPF and othermeans.lEngage local users, carers and the public about

how to improve health services.lSupport wider public involvement through

planning and decision making, to seek to makepublic services more responsive and accountable to citizens and local communities.

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How you can get involvedThe PPF is open to anyone within the community regardless of age, gender, ability,faith, ethnicity or sexual orientation. You canjoin the PPF at whatever degree you choose.You may just want to be kept informed, youmay wish to have your say or you may wish tobe more actively involved, joining meetings orcommittees with health service staff.

In addition to the Argyll & Bute PPF, you can alsoget involved through the Highland HealthVOICESNetwork (HHVN). This is a Public PartnershipForum which spans the whole of NHS Highland’sarea. It is a network of people throughout theHighlands who want to get involved in helping to improve health or wellbeing, includinghealth and community care services.

If you wish to find out more about the Argyll &Bute PPF or how to join or be informed of groupsin your area or other ways to get involved, contactCaroline Champion, Planning & Public InvolvementManager on 01546 605680/605681 or email caroline.champion@nhs.net. For further information about the Highland HealthVOICESNetwork, contact the PFPI Team on 01463 704702or email pfpi@hhb.scot.nhs.uk.

IF YOU HAVE A COMPLAINT

NHS Highland is committed to delivering highquality care for all patients. This includes making sure people are treated properly andpromptly. However, sometimes people are dissatisfied with the service they have receivedand wish to make a complaint. When we receive acomplaint we aim to provide a thorough responseas quickly as possible.

It is always best to speak to someone there andthen. Whenever possible you should tell someone close to the cause of your complaint.Ideally this should be the nurse in charge, thehead of the department or practice manager.Very often they will be able to sort things outstraight away.

NHS 24If you want to find a GP, dentist, optician, or pharmacist in your local area, phone NHS 24 on08454 24 24 24 (Textphone 18001 08454 24 24 24).

GP surgeriesFor a list of the GP surgeries in your area and information about how to register, phone NHS 24.

DentistsFor 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.

OpticiansFor a list of the NHS opticians in your area phoneNHS 24.

PharmaciesFor a full list of pharmacies in your area phone NHS24.

NHS BoardNHS Highland is responsible for overseeing the provision of health services throughout the Highlandand Argyll and Bute region.

If you wish to speak with someone outwith thedepartment concerned, or for more informationabout making a complaint, then please contact:

The Complaints Team, NHS Highland, PO Box 5713, Inverness, IV1 9AQTelephone 01463 717123Email: Complaints.Mailbox@haht.scot.nhs.uk

If you need help to make a complaint aComplaints Officer will either help you or adviseyou how to get independent help if you wouldprefer 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 ifyou would prefer to talk to someone not involvedin your care you can contact the ComplaintsDepartment as above.

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For information on healthy living,waiting times, or other health serviceenquiries in your local area, contact:

NHS HighlandAssynt House, Beechwood Park, Inverness IV2 3BWPhone: 01463 717123Fax: 01463 235189Website:www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk

Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS BoardDalian HousePO Box 15329350 St. Vincent StreetGlasgow G3 8YZPhone: 0141 201 4444Fax: 0141 201 4401Website: www.nhsggc.org.uk

Council servicesFor general information on council services contact:Argyll & Bute CouncilKilmory, Lochgilphead, ArgyllPA31 8RT. Phone: 01546 602127

Al-Anon(For family and friends of alcoholics)Phone: 0141 221 7356Alcoholics Anonymous(open 24 Hours)Phone: 0845 769 7555Breathing Space(Depression phoneline service)(open 6pm-2am)Phone: 0800 838587 ChildlinePhone: 0800 111 111Cruse Bereavement CarePhone: 0870 167 1677Depression Alliance Scotland0131 467 3050Domestic Abuse HelplinePhone: 0800 027 1234Family Planning AssociationScotland0141 576 5088TALK TO FRANK(drugs helpline, open 24 hrs)Phone: 0800 776 600NHS Helpline (information onScottish health services & healthmatters, 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 5000Rape Crisis ScotlandPhone: 0141 248 8848Red CrossPhone: 01324 679060Parentline Scotland(open 9am-5pm Mon/Wed/Fri & 9am-9pm Tues/Thurs)Phone: 0808 800 2222Parent Network Scotland Phone: 0131 555 6780Relate Scotland(open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)Phone: 0845 130 4016Samaritans(open 24 hrs)Phone: 0845 790 9090 Scottish Women’s Aid0800 027 1234SeniorLine(open Mon to Fri 9am-4pm)Phone: 0808 800 6565Victim Support ScotlandPhone: 0845 603 9213Who Cares ScotlandPhone: 0141 226 4446

Useful contacts

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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

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 PartnershipAros, Blarbuie Road,Lochgilphead,PA31 8LB

Telephone: 01546 605680

How you can commenton our services