Welcome to NHS Highland News
NHS Highland publishes frequent press releases to let you know about new services and the latest health information and advice from our experts. See NHS Highland news stories that were released in 2008 below.
A multi-agency reporting system called Hate Free Highland, set-up to encourage the reporting of hate crime incidents across Highland, has been hailed a success.
NHS Highland today (Monday) formally launched the roll-out of the Scottish Bowel Screening programme across Highland. The Programme has been implemented in a phased fashion across Scotland and will be rolled-out across NHS Highland on the 1st December 2009.
Men and women aged 50-74 years will be invited to participate in the Programme through completing a home screening test every two years. The screening test looks for hidden blood in bowel motions which may suggest a higher chance of bowel cancer.
Most people will have a negative result, meaning that no blood was found in the samples tested. A positive result signifies that blood was detected in the samples tested. This does not mean that the person who submitted the sample has bowel cancer, although they will be contacted by a health professional so that this can be checked further.
Services at the Belford Hospital in Fort William are being redesigned to reduce waiting times and the length of time people need to stay in hospital.
An exhibition to raise awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding for both babies and mums will be visiting the Eastgate centre in Inverness on the 21st and 22nd November. The ‘FeedGood Factor Roadshow‘ also aims to give useful advice and support for ‘significant others’ of new mums – the people who can provide support and encouragement to help women choose breast over bottle.
NHS Highland has today (Wednesday) published the findings of the Radiology Critical Incident Review which was recently carried out into x-rays and ultrasound scans performed at Lorn & Islands Hospital in Oban between 16 October 2007 and 15 May 2008.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) can make those affected, whether they are someone with COPD or their carer, feel isolated and cut off from normal day to day life.
NHS Highland’s commitment to the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative has taken another step with the entire organisation recently achieving Stage 1 in the community health section of the initiative.
Raigmore Hospital has maintained ‘Baby Friendly’ status after impressing UNICEF with the significant progress made when they visited in September.
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon will lead this year’s Annual Review of NHS Highland’s performance.
A squeeze on NHS capital expenditure will mean a delay to NHS plans announced last October to redevelop the Nelson Ward at Lorn & Islands Hospital (LIH) to include a new purpose built palliative care unit in partnership with Oban Hospice. But Oban Hospice Trustees have agreed to consider funding an interim programme aimed at improving the quality and experience of care received by patients and their families who require palliative care within LIH.
The Scottish Government has given the go ahead for a new £8.3million hospital to be built at Bonar Bridge in Central Sutherland to replace Migdale Hospital, which is almost 150 years old.
