New Community Respiratory Team launched in Grampian
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A new Community Respiratory Team is now in post at NHS Grampian to support people in the area living with lung disease.
The team comprises Dr Fiona Musgrove; Dawn Suggs, advanced nurse practitioner; and two assistant practitioners, Kerry Irvine and Nicola Harvey-Squibbs.
Funding to support the recruitment of the specialist team was provided by Scotland’s largest charity assisting people living with chest conditions, Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS).
The CHSS Community Respiratory Team will help those living with lung disease across Grampian to manage their conditions and keep well at home, helping to prevent re-admissions to hospital.
The team will improve community care for people living with chest conditions in these areas and better integrate third sector support with NHS services to help alleviate pressures.
Funding for the specialist team is part of a package from Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland worth more than £300,000 to support partnership projects with health boards across Scotland aimed at reducing NHS pressures and improving lung disease care.
Jane-Claire Judson, chief executive at Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, said: "We are delighted that the CHSS Community Respiratory Team is now in place to support people across Grampian who are living with lung disease.
“This partnership between Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland and NHS Grampian will enable people living with chronic chest conditions to better manage their conditions at home, improving their quality of life and preventing them from returning to hospital.
“Investing in improving links to community care and further integrating our Hospital to Home service with respiratory teams means that we can alleviate pressure on the NHS as well as helping people with the conditions to live their lives to the full.”
Dr Kris McLaughlin, GP and clinical lead for respiratory at NHS Grampian said: “We are excited to have a new community-based service for patient with lung conditions – the CHSS Community Respiratory Team.
"This will be a great benefit to patients with long-term respiratory conditions who will be able to receive additional care and support close to their own home.
“The team will support patients at all stages of illness from newly diagnosed with a condition through to support after a hospital admission and we believe that both patients and their families and carers will all feel more confident in managing their respiratory illness long-term with the input from the team.”
Visit www.chss.org.uk/services to find out more about services delivered by Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland.
