Health centres

A wide range of community health services are delivered within each health centre and the home, and include community midwives, community psychiatric nurses, physiotherapy, podiatry, speech & language therapy, treatment room nurses, phlebotomists and outreach clinics from St Johns Hospital.

Community Team
All community nursing staff are based within health centres and are attached to the GP practices, working as a member of the established primary care team. Health visiting and district nursing teams each have their own office.

Each band six district nurse and health visitor has a PC on their desk giving immediate access to the community information system for all members of the community team and email, intranet and internet. Admin and clerical support is provided to the health visiting and district nursing teams by band three administrative assistant who is also based within the health centre and works as an integral member of the GP?s reception and administrative team.

District nursing service
The district nursing service provides a comprehensive, flexible, 24-hour, multi-skilled nursing service to patients of all age groups, in their home, within health centres/clinics and other community settings. 80% of district nursing patients in West Lothian are over 65. Open access is offered, but 60% of all referrals come from general practitioners.

Patients suffer from a wide range of acute, chronic and terminal medical conditions.

District Nurses
Band six district nurses manage individual case loads with a skills mix of staff nurses and Health Care support workers. Their role in West Lothian is unique in that they provide palliative care services within their care role together with the specialist palliative care services

District nursing service times

The district nursing service provides a 24-hour service every day of the year:

• Service operates 8:30 am ? 4:30 pm Monday to Friday.
• Weekend services operate 8:30 am ? 4:30 pm Saturday and Sunday with teams made up of a district nurse, staff nurse and Healthcare Support workers covering the locality on a rota basis.
• Out of hours service Community Nursing Service provides cover from 4:30 pm ? 8:30 am daily Monday to Friday and 4.30pm on a West Lothian wide by evening and night service nursing teams based within St John's Hospital.

Health Visiting Service

The aim of the health visiting service is to promote and maintain optimum health and wellbeing. This includes the initial prevention, early detection and reduction of ill health and disease amongst individuals, social groups and communities. The service provides care and support for patients and families of all age groups in health centres, their own homes /clinics and other community settings.

Children All pre-school children are registered with a named health visitor from birth and a first notification domiciliary visit is undertaken on the 11th day when nursing care of the child is handed over from the Community Midwife. A structured Core Health Visiting Programme is then implemented in line with Child Health Surveillance programme. Mothers can make contact at any time with named health visitor through health centre or attendance at local child health clinics.

Referrals to the service are accepted from GP?s, other health professionals, other agencies and self-referrals. Times Health visiting service operates a 9:00 ? 5:00 pm Monday to Friday service. Health visitors within the health centre teams and wider locality team provide cover for each other for annual leave, sickness, training and education. Community nursing Whilst community nursing staff within West Lothian are members of their individual Primary Health Care teams, they also have a strong team identity, supported by regular unidisciplinary and multidisciplinary team Meetings with primary care and community managers. These promote peer support, information sharing, communication, and professional development and stimulate motivation and innovation. Range of Services

• Domiciliary visits
• Pre-conceptual care through to post natal support
• Parenting support and education
• Advice on sleep and behavioural problems in children
• Enuretic support
• Post natal depression support
• Family centre liaison
• Monthly social work liaison

Treatment Room Service

 The treatment room service provides a range of comprehensive services to the GP practice population. Range of Services:

• Range of treatments and clinical interventions
• Wound care
• Family planning
• Cervical screening
• Cryotherapy
• Travel vaccination
• Minor surgical procedures
• Health promotion & education

A range of GP and CHCP staff members provide services for treatment rooms

Health Visitors

Manage individual case loads and work with a mix of nursery nurses and/or nursing assistants. There have been developments in health visiting to include development posts for staff nurses within health visiting teams and there are currently 6 posts for West Lothian.

Phlebotomist Service

Provide phlebotomy services to the GP practice population in a variety of settings ensuring patients feel welcome, safe and cared for. Assists the primary health care team in the collection of blood samples by venepuncture and blood pressure monitoring.

Child Development Centre

The Child Development Centre provides an accessible focus for the provision of services to children with a disability and their families in West Lothian.

Children are offered multi-disciplinary assessment, investigation and management of all forms of neuro developmental delay including that associated with autistic spectrum disorder, physical and learning disabilities and social deprivation. Joint working practices with colleagues in all health disciplines, education, social policy and the voluntary sector ensures a co-ordinated approach to delivery of services in partnership with families.