MSPs see NHS Borders staff delivering care and improvement in action

NHS Borders welcomed local MSPs to the Borders General Hospital last week, giving them the opportunity to see staff delivering high-quality care and continuous improvement across a range of services.

The visit included the Stroke Unit, Maternity Services and Theatres, where MSPs met teams and heard about their day to day work, the challenges they face, the progress they have made and their ambitions for how services can continue to improve for patients and families across the Borders.

The visit was designed to provide a different type of conversation with elected representatives by focusing not only on individual issues, but also on the commitment, skill and professionalism NHS Borders staff show every day.

It also reflected NHS Borders commitment, set out in our Clinical Strategy, to be an organisation focused on continuous improvement, learning and innovation so that services are safe, effective and sustainable for the future.

Following the positive response from MSPs, NHS Borders is planning a further visit in October focused on general practice and primary and community care, with a separate visit to mental health and learning disabilities services also expected to take place.

Chair of NHS Borders, Fiona Sandford said: “We were pleased to welcome our local MSPs to Borders General Hospital and to give them the opportunity to meet some of the dedicated colleagues who provide care for people across the Borders every day. Our staff work incredibly hard, often in challenging circumstances, and it is important that people see the pride, commitment and ambition they bring to their roles.

“As an improvement organisation, we are focused on learning, listening and continuing to make services better for our patients, our communities and our staff. We look forward to welcoming MSPs again in the near future. ”

Consultant Anaesthetist at NHS Borders, Imogen Hayward added: “This visit provided a chance for us to meet with local MSPs and have discussions about the challenges we face, improvements we have made and the work we continue to do to develop our services. Being able to show how caring and effective our teams are is something I am really proud of.  Conversations like these help build a greater understanding of our Clinical Strategy and our focus on making the best use of resources to meet the needs of people across the Borders.”