News
Regional consortia meetings
A series of meetings with clinical skills educators and practitioners across Scotland will be hosted by the CS MEN in March and April 2010. As well as providing networking opportunities with colleagues from each Region’s Health Boards and HEIs, participants will take an active part in discussions and where appropriate, “show and tell” examples of good practice. There will be short sessions and workshops on skills packs development; quality assurance; the mobile training unit; and other relevant regional issues.
Aberdeen - 19 March 2010
The first meeting of the North regional consortia is to be held in Aberdeen at the Suttie Centre for Teaching & Learning in Healthcare (Foresterhill) on Friday 19th March for staff from Grampian and Tayside areas, and will be hosted by Jerry Morse, CS MEN Regional Champion for the North of Scotland. The meeting starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m., allowing participants time for travel. Videoconferencing facilities are also available if desired.
Inverness - 14 April 2010
A second meeting of the North regional consortia is to be held in Inverness at the Centre for Health Science, Raigmore Hospital on Wednesday 14th April for staff from H&I, Shetland, Orkney and W. Isles Health Board areas. It will also be hosted by Jerry Morse, CS MEN Regional Champion for the North of Scotland. As with the Aberdeen event, the meeting starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m., allowing participants time for travel. Videoconferencing facilities are also available.
Edinburgh - 22 April 2010
The first meeting of the South & East consortia will be held in the Chancellor's Building at Little France and hosted by Regional Champion Janet Skinner. All clinical skills staff from health boards and HEIs in Lothian, Borders, Fife, Dumfries & Galloway and Lanarkshire are invited. The meeting will start at 2 p.m. and the first part will have a “show and tell” format, showcasing examples of good practice across the region and with short talks on IV medicines, paediatric outreach teaching and innovative approaches to simulation. In the second part, two workshops are planned, one likely to be a discussion group and the other a communication skills workshop.
Glasgow - 29 April 2010
The West consortia meeting will take place at the School of Nursing & Healthcare, Glasgow University, hosted by Regional Champion for the West of Scotland, Anna O’Neill. This meeting is for clinical skills educators and practitioners from health boards and HEIs across the West of Scotland, including GGC, Forth Valley and Ayrshire & Arran, but staff from Lanarkshire and Dumfries & Galloway are welcome to attend this event too. Starting at 1 p.m. with lunch, the meeting will include an update on the work of CS MEN, showcase some of the packs CS MEN has developed and discuss the quality assurance self-assessment questionnaire for clinical skills courses being piloted in the GGC area.
If you would like to attend one of these meetings, please notify Felicity Garvie on f.m.garvie@dundee.ac.uk
14 December 2009 - CS MEN Team Away day held
For the first time in the Network’s existence, the entire team met for an “Away day” on December 14th in Edinburgh. Items discussed included key performance indicators for quality assurance of skills provision, packs for development in the CS MEN’s third year and stakeholder mapping in the three regions to achieve greater engagement with the Scottish Clinical Skills Strategy and deployment of the clinical skills mobile unit across Scotland.
2009 ScotVAN conference postponed until May 2010
The Scottish Vascular Access Network's First Annual Conference: A Collaborative IV Journey, which was due to be held on 12th & 13th November has had to be postponed due to the challenge of making sure staff are available in hospitals during the ongoing threat of the H1N1 virus. It will now take place on 4th & 5th May 2010. Speakers include: Andrew Jackson (Rotherham), Helen Hamilton (Oxford) and Professor Jackie Reilly (Glasgow). Please visit the website for further information: http://www.scotvan.com/
11 August 2009 - The mobile unit 'on show' in Edinburgh
The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh was the latest location for showcasing the clinical skills mobile unit which was parked a few yards away from the main entrance and visible to everyone accessing the hospital. Hundreds of clinicians and educators from a range of departments and professions, and students attending the University of Edinburgh's MTO Summer School in Clinical Education, boarded the unit and were duly impressed by its facilities. Heather Blyth and Margaret Currer of Edinburgh Sick Kids' Paediatric Retrieval Team demonstrated resuscitation scenarios using SimBaby, whilst students were able to practise inserting Chest Drains, developed by Janet Skinner of the University of Edinburgh who also hosted the visit. Students were also able to practise their communication and diagnostic skills on a patient volunteer.
21 April 2009 - Chest Drains Pack now available throughout NHS
The Chest Drains Pack, developed by Dr Janet Skinner of the CS MEN, with input from several of you, is now available to download from the NHS Shared Learning website. To access the pack and guide, type “Chest drains” into search window in the site. If you require a hard copy, please contact Felicity Garvie at f.m.garvie@dundee.ac.uk
16 April 2009 - Meeting of the West consortia
17 representatives from medicine, dentistry, nursing and radiography gathered at Glasgow University’s School of Nursing for a meeting hosted by CS MEN Regional Champion for the West of Scotland, Anna O’Neill. Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of Glasgow were represented along with educators and workforce planners from Ayrshire & Arran and Greater Glasgow & Clyde health boards and NES, the National Waiting Times Centre and Yorkhill Hospital. The meeting was one of the regional outcomes of a national event organised by NES in November 2008 to discuss the Clinical Skills national strategy.
31 March 2009 - CS MEN at Out of Hours Conference
Jeanette Stevenson, CS MEN Project Manager and Jerry Morse, Regional Champion (North) attended the 5th Annual Out of Hours Unscheduled Care conference in Dunblane to present the network to over 100 emergency healthcare practitioners. Their purpose was also to showcase the Mobile Clinical Skills Unit which was stationed outside the conference, and delegates were able to visit the unit during their breaks to see SimMan and the other facilities available being demonstrated in clinical training scenarios.
10 March 2009 - Sharing experience with NHS West Midlands
Jean Ker participated in a panel to scope the future of clinical skills and simulation for NHS West Midlands as part of a joint piece of work by the University of Birmingham, Warwick Medical School and Birmingham City University. The project remit was to scope the current level of skills provision in the region and identify future requirements. It was run over a six-month period and came up with a number of recommendations, which reflect some of the key initiatives being implemented by the Scottish clinical skills strategy.
11 February 2009 - Jean and Rona support strategy development in East Midlands
Along with Rona Patey, Chair of the SCSN, Jean Ker was a keynote speaker at a conference in Derby and led a workshop on 'Developing a strategy for integrated clinical skills provision in the East Midlands'. Expert input from the workshop will be used to develop a paper to take forward collective ideas on a multiprofessional approach.
5 February 2009 - Irish Network of Medical Educators’ Conference
Jean Ker gave a presentation to the Irish Network of Medical Educators at their 2nd Annual Conference in Cork which identified clinical skills and selection of students as two of its main themes. A presentation on Simulation in the Education and Accreditation of Healthcare Professionals has led to clinical skills being prioritised as a key area for a national initiative.
21 November 2008 - Launch of the mobile unit
The mobile clinical skills unit was launched today by Ms Shona Robison MSP, Minister for Public Health, during the Scottish Clinical Skills Alliance conference held at Stirling Management Centre. The event was attended by over 120 representatives from Health Boards and HEIs, who met in regional workshops to discuss priorities for clinical skills in the short, medium and longer terms. The outcomes from the day will be drafted into regional action plans to be taken forward by the Clinical Skills Managed Educational Network, supported by the Scottish Clinical Skills Alliance.
25 August 2008 - Progress of the mobile unit
MEN Clinical Lead Dr Jean Ker, Regional Champion Jerry Morse, Project Manager Jeanette Stevenson and Network Administrator Felicity Garvie visited Cebotec coachbuilders at Falkirk today to view progress being made on the building of the Clinical Skills Mobile Training Unit. David Lapsley, Managing Director of Cebotec, which has already custom-built other training vehicles for the fire service, showed the group the vehicle. The base unit, which is 8 metres in length, was delivered by Renault in June and the frame on which the extendable pods will rest, is in now place. These are operated through compressed air cylinders under the frame. Development continues and we are confident the unit will be completed in November, ready for its first tour which is currently being planned.
18 August 2008 - Audit of available skills education underway
One of CS MEN’s main first year tasks is to conduct an audit of current skills education and training available in Scotland. This started in May, building on the needs identified by the established units which reported in 2005 and again in 2007. On behalf of the Regional Champions the MEN office wrote to approximately 150 regional consortia members, with a request for information on available skills training. So far we have received responses from 32 training providers and are expecting 12 more responses to gain a complete picture. Simon Williams from NES Head Office will support this research and draw up a report on the data gathered.
22 July 2008 - NES Paediatric Emergency Care open meeting
Jeanette attended the NES Paediatric Emergency Care open meeting today to see how the Clinical Skills MEN links into the Emergency Care Framework. Elements of the specialist tier of the Framework will be delivered through the mobile unit in Remote and Rural areas.
28 May 2008 - Science of Simulation in Healthcare Conference, Washington, USA
Jean Ker participated in the ‘Science of Simulation in Healthcare: Defining and Developing Clinical Expertise’ conference in Washington USA, where she shared on the progress made in Clinical Skills in Scotland.
2 June 2008 - Mobile Unit Working Group Established
The Mobile Skills Unit Working Group met for the first time in Edinburgh to consider training courses to be offered by the unit in remote and rural areas of Scotland; logistical issues such as equipment and venues; the staffing and management of the unit while it’s on the road; and to share information about any overlap with other training initiatives. The Group was set up as a short term measure to bring together clinical skills educators and practitioners to give advice and guidance to the mobile unit project; further meetings are scheduled.
7 May 2008 - Project Manager visits Cebotec Coachbuilders
Jeanette Stevenson, Educational Project Manager visited the Scottish Fleet, Waste & Ground Services Trade Fair at Aviemore to view the Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Community Safety Vehicle. The fire vehicle has been custom built on a standard chassis by Cebotec - the engineering company which will develop the mobile skills training unit. The mobile unit shall use the same shell as the fire vehicle and we are now in the process of finalizing the specification for the unit and its equipment.
28 April 2008 - 1st meeting of the new CS MEN team
The Regional Champions, Clinical Lead and Office staff met for the first time to agree Outcomes for the first year of the network and to discuss the establishment of Regional Consortia and the projects being taken forward by the Managed Educational Network.
16 April 2008 - Clinical Lead meets Chief Executives of NHS Scotland Boards
Dr Jean Ker gave a presentation to the Scottish NHS Boards Chief Executives' Group in Edinburgh today as part of her plan to speak to high-level stakeholders involved in the delivery of clinical skills training and patient safety as part of the government's "Better Health, better care" programme. She introduced them to the Managed Educational Network which is a linked group of skills educators and learning organisations across Scotland working in a coordinated manner, but unconstrained by existing professional and health board boundaries, to ensure equitable provision of high quality standards of core skills for the NHS.
1 April 2008 - CS MEN office starts work
The Managed Educational Network Office was established today, based at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee. Felicity Garvie, Project Administrator has taken up her post and shall be joined in two weeks by Jeanette Stevenson, Educational Project Manager. The three Regional Champions, who shall each work for the Network one session a week, also took up their posts today.
20 February 2008 - Clinical Lead meets Medical Directors of NHS Scotland Boards
As part of her programme of meeting high-level stakeholders in clinical skills training in Scotland, Jean Ker today gave a presentation on the Scottish Clinical Skills Strategy to the Scottish Association of NHS Medical Directors (SAMD) at Stirling Royal Infirmary. This body which includes all Medical, Associate Medical and Clinical Directors working within the NHS in Scotland aims to provide an effective interface between the health service, the higher education sector and the Scottish Government. Jean felt her presentation was well received and that there was enthusiasm for the potential improvements in healthcare that the Clinical Skills Strategy can deliver for both providers and patients.
17 January 2008 - Clinical Lead meets Universities Scotland to introduce CS MEN
Dr Jean Ker today gave a presentation on the Scottish Clinical Skills Strategy to the Health Committee of Universities Scotland at their headquarters in Edinburgh. This is the first high-level body that Jean has met with in her plan to talk to the major stakeholders in healthcare provision and patient safety in Scotland since taking up her post as Clinical Lead for the Managed Educational Network. The Committee considers the many ways in which the health sector interacts with Scottish Higher Education Institutes and will be represented by Professor Valerie Maehle of Robert Gordon University on the Scottish Clinical Skills Alliance, the body charged with overseeing the implementation of the Clinical Skills Strategy.
1 October 2007 - Clinical Lead takes up her post
Dr Jean Ker, newly appointed Clinical Lead for the Managed Educational Network, takes up her post today as part of the Scottish Clinical Skills Strategy launched on 28 September by the Minister for Health, Ms Nicola Sturgeon MSP. Jean, who is Director of Dundee University's Clinical Skills Centre at Ninewells Hospital, will be seconded one day a week to work for the Network which is jointly funded for 3 years by the Scottish Funding Council and NHS Education for Scotland. She said, "I applied for the post of Lead Clinician because I think the Scottish Clinical Skills Strategy has the potential to improve patient safety in collaboration with the Scottish Patient Safety Alliance and Scottish clinical priorities. It is an ambitious and unique strategy which has not been done before, but the time is now right".
