NHS staff are a class apart

Jul 17 2008 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

ELEVEN staff from NHS Lanarkshire proved they’re top of the class after becoming the first in Scotland to achieve a new post graduate certificate.

The Essential Development for Clinical Leadership Programme is accredited by Queen Margaret University and helps improve the care provided to patients.

This has been available in Lanarkshire since 2002 at degree level, and Masters level since 2005.

However, the latter was then upgraded to post graduate status two years later.

NHS Lanarkshire is the only Scottish health board to offer this certificate programme, which is divided into ‘developing self’ and ‘leading others’ modules, and run over 24 weeks for those taking part.

The 11 who graduated at a ceremony held in the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh on July 9 were: Elizabeth Bell, anticoagulant specialist nurse; Julie Main, charge nurse, ACCU, (both Wishaw General); Edward Sutherland, practice development, old age psychiatry, Strathclyde Hospital; Catherine Brown, occupational therapist, Roadmeetings; Andrew Dunlop, community health team, Cumbernauld; Pauline Creaney, community midwife, East Kilbride; Jim Logan, senior podiatrist, Hairmyres Hospital; Elizabeth Marshall, team leader, Cumbernauld; Catherine McKeown, physiotherapy team leader, Coatbridge; Winifred McLure, theatre sister, Hairmyres Hospital; and Karen Stirling, charge nurse, intensive care, Hairmyres.

Moira Gray, practice development practitioner and midwife supervisor at Wishaw General, said: “I’d like to say ‘well done’ to all the graduates who worked extremely hard to gain this award.

“The award is a great achievement for both the participants and also for NHS Lanarkshire.”