This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Fife gets £1.63 million from fund
25/07/2003
Patients in Fife are to benefit from £1.63 million to
develop services and a further £398,000 to improve cardiac
and stroke services.
The £1.63 million will support NHS Fife's plan for
redesigning and modernising services. Health Boards were
asked to submit plans for their share of a £26 million fund
outlined at the launch of the White Paper, Partnership for
Care, in February this year.
Confirming approval of the Board's plan on visit to
Fife, Deputy Health Minister Tom McCabe said: "This means
that the Board can now go ahead and develop detailed
proposals which will make a big difference for patients
across the Kingdom.
"The central themes of the White Paper are
decentralisation and devolution of power to frontline staff
so that they can improve services for patients.
"I am very pleased to be able to see how this is being
implemented in Fife. There are good projects under way -
like the new cataract service at the Queen Margaret which
has made a big impact on waiting times and the innovative
joint working between the Board and Fife Council in
successfully tackling delayed discharges.
"We are determined to remodel health service with the
perspective of the patient at the forefront. That
transformation is already evident in one stop and fast
access clinics and other redesign initiatives which remove
artificial barriers between primary and hospital care.
"There is a groundswell among both clinicians and
patients for extending this further to improve health
services at a local level across the country. There is a
lot more which can be done and we are determined to give
such innovative projects every support."
The additional £398,000 comes from the Executive's
CHD/Stroke strategy funding and is in addition to the
£100,000 already allocated for this year and next to assist
with development of the cardiac services and stroke Managed
Clinical Networks in Fife.
The new funding package includes:
- £68,000 to set up a one-stop cardiology outreach
clinic in St Andrews to bring about a significant
reduction in waiting times in central Fife. The clinic
will be staffed by a visiting consultant cardiologist
and a local GP;
- £45,000 to appoint a Cardiology Nurse Specialist to
develop and manage care pathways for patients with
suspected chest pain. This will help with
identification of high-risk patients and encourage
their early access to treatment;
- £47,000 to appoint a CHD Nurse in North East Fife,
to bring it into line with other areas of Fife which
already have community specialist nurses in place.
- £200,000 to enhance nurse and Allied Health
Professional staffing levels in dedicated stroke
inpatient areas. Implementing the staffing levels
recommended for stroke units in national guidelines
will lead to better outcomes for patients, earlier
discharge and reduced numbers of admissions to
long-term care. It will also improve staff
training;
- £18,000 to set up a Transient Ischaemic Attack
(TIA) clinic which will allow patients rapid access to
a one-stop service for access to imaging and
investigation by a physician to determine diagnosis and
treatment options. This will help provide 24 hour
access, and access to tests within 48 hours of
referral.
Mr McCabe said:
"Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke are two of the
biggest killers in Scotland and the prevention and
treatment of both conditions is a key priority for us.
"The funds allocated today will not only lead to major
improvements in services for patients in Fife but will also
help many get treatment closer to their homes. We are
determined to ensure that where services can be delivered
locally, they should be delivered locally."
The £26 million is part of the 2003/4 Scottish Budget
monies. Health boards were asked to submit robust change
and innovation plans for a share calculated on the same
basis as their ordinary revenue budgets.
The Centre for Change and Innovation was established by
the Health Department in November last year to promote
innovative practice across NHSScotland. Its current work
includes redesign of outpatient services, improving access
to primary care, and supporting a range of pilot projects
in health boards.