Research Opportunity: Individuals with Experience of Volunteering

Focus Group on Pressure Ulcer Standards

When: Thursday 17th March, 2pm-3.30pm
Where: The ALLIANCE, Venlaw Building, 349 Bath Street, G2 4AA

One of the roles of Healthcare Improvement Scotland is to set standards of care for patients accessing health and social care services across Scotland. They do this by working with staff, individuals, volunteers, carers and families.

They are currently developing standards to ensure that people who use services for the prevention and management of pressure ulcers have the same high quality of care wherever they live, whoever they are and whatever their personal circumstance.

To do this they are looking for feedback from people who have experience of pressure ulcer care.

They will share information about the draft standards for pressure ulcers that they have developed with their project group and would like to hear your feedback and comments about them. 

Taking part provides an opportunity to influence the way NHS Scotland provides services for the prevention and management of pressure ulcers.

If you would like to take part, please get in touch with Gillian Fergusson by email (gillian.fergusson@alliance-scotland.org.uk) or telephone on 0141 404 0231.

Research Opportunity: Children and Young People with Complex Health Care Needs 

Researchers from the University of Surrey would like to invite families with children and young people under 19 years old living with undiagnosed complex health care needs to participate in a research study.

The study is interested in exploring ways in which technology could help support families to stay at home with their children and young people, but families don't need to know about or be using technology to take part in this study. There are two ways families can take part ­- either by participating in an interview or by completing a short survey. 

If you would be interested in taking part in this research, or want further information, please get in touch with Benjamin by email (benjamin.mcelwee@alliance-scotland.org.uk) or telephone on 0141 404 0231.

Research Opportunity for Individuals: Exercise Prescribing Using a Links Practitioner Model

Researchers at University of Stirling are in the early stages of writing a research proposal exploring the idea of co-locating exercise links practitioners in GP practices and leisure centres to act as a bridge between health and exercise services and would welcome some involvement from individuals.  

Physical activity is important for the prevention and management of disease. Yet, a third of adults in Scotland are failing to meet the government recommended level of physical activity to achieve health benefits. Half of these adults will have an existing medical condition who may be put off from being physically active for fear of making their condition worse, pain, being too tired, or getting hurt. In this particular study, the main focus is on examining the main challenges of implementing and testing this intervention in practice.

If you would be interested in taking part in this research, or want further information, please get in touch with Benjamin by email (benjamin.mcelwee@alliance-scotland.org.uk) or telephone on 0141 404 0231.

People Power: Creating the Conditions for Change

The People Powered Health and Wellbeing team held their learning event in Perth on Monday 29th February. Claire Mills, the graphic facilitator for the day, produced the images below which give a flavour of the different workshops and interactive activities that occurred, and some of the discussion points throughout the conference.

The event also saw the launch of the PPHW learning products on the subjects of Creating the Conditions for Change, Assets - A New Social Currency, Conversations that Change Lives, and The Power of Lived Experience. These were available physically at the event, but they will be available online very soon.

Contribute to an Article About Dementia for the British Medical Journal

Are you a carer for someone with dementia? The British Medical Journal's Patient Editor is looking for an article written from the perspective of a carer for a series of articles for their journal called What Your Patient Is Thinking. Even if you don't feel comfortable writing the article yourself, you can get in touch to verbally discuss your story and have it written up by a staff member at the ALLIANCE.

If you believe you could contribute to this, then please contact Benjamin by email benjamin.mcelwee@alliance-scotland.org.uk or phone on 0141 404 0231

Have Your Say on the ALLIANCE's Manifesto

The ALLIANCE has launched its manifesto for health and social care in Scotland and we want to hear from you before the upcoming Scottish parliamentary elections.

'2 Million Expert Voices' demands that combating loneliness and social isolation must be a top priority for the new Scottish Parliament and calls for: 

• More support for people to “self manage” their long term conditions;
• The creation of a Cabinet position to represent and work on behalf of people with long term conditions, people who are disabled and unpaid carers;
• A new approach to social security, based on compassion and human rights.

A new website, 4in10.alliance-scotland.org.uk, contains full details of the manifesto and personal testimonies from ALLIANCE members on each of the asks.

Have your say on the ALLIANCE manifesto today and make your voice heard by contacting Andrew Strong by email at andrew.strong@alliance-scotland.org.uk or by telephone on 0141 404 0231.

Events

Purposeless Movements (Play About Cerebral Palsy), 2-4 March, Edinburgh Declaration, a new arts festival to explore health and human rights, 3-6 March National Kinship Care event, 16 March, Edinburgh ALLIANCE Health and Social Care Hustings event, 6.30-8.30pm, 16 March, Edinburgh Scottish Government New Mental Health Strategy Engagement events: 8 March - Glasgow; 14 March - Perth; 21 March - Alloa; 21 March - Edinburgh Marie Curie and Children's Hospice Association Scotland Hustings event, 23 March, Edinburgh Scottish Consortium of Learning Disabilities Transitions Conference, 23 March, Glasgow Roundtable on Specialist Nursing in Scotland, 20 April, Glasgow TV Watch My Baby, Psychosis and Me - The journey of two mum for whom childbirth triggers postpartum psychosis, one of the most severe forms of mental illness. The Not So Secret Life of the Manic Depressive: 10 Years On -  A decade on from when he first spoke about manic depression in his award-winning series, this film returns to the subject to understand where he and others with bipolar are now.

Longreads

Consciousness Creep - Could artificial intelligence machines become self-aware without us realising it? Values and Vaccines - Are parents who reject vaccinations for their children merely making a rational choice? The New Mind Control - How the internet may be able to flip elections and alter our opinions. Peekaboo - Why playing peekaboo with babies is no laughing matter. We Are Hopelessly Hooked - How our increasing use of technology is corroding our ability to be social. Mental Illness is a Result of Misery, Yet Still We Stigmatise It - Taking Stephen Fry's documentary as its touchstone, this article explores how patients are being shunned in the mistaken belief they have biological defects when in fact the evidence shows that most have endured traumas.