Health Boards
Scotland are starting a three year dermatology project thanks to an £8.5 million EU funding.
Source: nhsggc.org.uk
Quote:
A Glasgow nurse is leading a project across Scotland aimed at improving dermatology services including Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
The project, which aims to develop a range of nursing education and training resources designed to help standardise clinical practice, is part of ‘The Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) Acute Hospitals Services Project’ and has received funding from the European Union (EU).
Approximately £8.5 million has been awarded through the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) as part of a three-year dermatology project which links into the Scottish Government’s Modern Outpatient Programme.
The project is an initiative which aims to minimise unnecessary hospital visits and ensure that patients are seen by the right person, in the right place, at the right time.
Two dermatology improvement nurses, one from Glasgow and one from Tayside, are leading the project in Scotland and are being supported by the Modern Outpatient Programme.
Over the three years of the project, the nurses will test and evaluate new methods of working, run practical clinical sessions, and develop training materials to help support and educate dermatology nurses in the future.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “This project will help us to further develop dermatology services across Scotland’s NHS, helping to reduce waiting times and improve patients’ outcomes. I look forward to seeing the results.”
Dr Fiona Macdonald, the Modern Outpatient Programme’s Clinical Lead for Dermatology, said: “Dermatology nursing and specialist nursing has been a core part of Dermatology for many years.
“Dermatology is a specialty with a huge demand and is also a significant part of the Primary care workload.
“It is essential that all nurses qualifying over the next few years have a general knowledge of core aspects of Dermatology, but we also need to acknowledge and plan for future vacancies due to retirement and so on, as well as expansion where it will be appropriate for the service.
“This project will help us to establish the training that is required and to consider how we address these training needs.
“The nurses have mapped out the existing dermatology services for every NHS Board in Scotland, and will use their findings to determine what kind of skills nurses will need in the future.
“At the end of the project, we want to be able to provide a programme of basic dermatology training for all nurses; specialist training for dermatology nurses; and advanced training at degree or masters level for highly qualified nursing specialists.
“Developing a common set of training materials will help us to standardise and enhance training for a range of clinical professionals, and will help patients access the services they need.”
Gina McIntyre, CEO of the Special EU Programmes Body, said: “This highly innovative EU INTERREG VA funded project will deliver real efficiencies in vital health and social care services for the benefit of thousands of people on a cross-border basis.
“This collaborative approach to deliver services will enhance access to the essential medical care used in the treatment of a wide-range of illnesses.”
Source: nhsggc.org.uk
