BMA 24/7 Helpline – call 0330 123 1245
Practitioner Health Programme - text NHSPH to 85258
Samaritans - call 116 223.
Welcome to the Right Decision Service (RDS) newsletter for September 2024.
This business case has now been endorsed by the HIS Board and will shortly be submitted to Scottish Government.
To balance increasing demand with available capacity and financial resource, the RDS team and Tactuum are now working together to implement closer management of support tickets. As a key part of this, we want to ensure clear, timely and consistent communication with yourselves as requesters.
Editors will now start seeing new messages come through in response to support ticket requests which reflect this tightening up and improvement of our processes.
Key points to note are:
2.1 Issues confirmed by the RDS and Tactuum teams as meeting the critical/urgent and high priority criteria will continue to be prioritised and dealt with immediately.
Critical/urgent issues are defined as:
Example – RDS website outage.
Please remember to email ann.wales3@nhs.scot and his.decisionsupport@nhs.scot with any critical/urgent issues in addition to raising a support ticket.
High priority issues are defined as:
Example – Build to app not working.
2.2 Support requests that are outwith the warranty period of 12 weeks since the software was originally developed will not be automatically addressed by Tactuum. The RDS team will consider these requests for costed development work and will obtain estimate of effort and cost from Tactuum for priority issues.
2.3 Support tickets for technical issues that are not classified as bugs will not be automatically addressed by Tactuum. The definition of a bug is ‘a defect in the software that is at variance with documented user requirements.’ Issues that are not bugs will also be considered for costed development work.
The majority of issues currently in support tickets fall into category 2 or 3 above, or both.
2.4 Non-urgent requests that require a deployment (i.e a new release of RDS) will normally be factored into the next scheduled release (currently end of Nov 2024 and end of Feb 2025) unless by special agreement with the RDS team.
Please note that we plan to move in the new year to a new system whereby requests all come to an RDS support portal in the first instance and are triaged from there to Tactuum when appropriate.
We will be organising a webinar in a few weeks’ time to take you through the details of the current support processes and criteria.
The next scheduled RDS deployment will take place at the end of November 2024. We are reviewing all outstanding support tickets and feature requests along with estimates of effort and cost to determine which items will be included in this deployment.
We will update you on this in the next newsletter and in the planned webinar about support ticket processes.
Many thanks to those of you who attended our recent webinar on the contingency arrangements being put in place to prevent future RDS outages as far as possible and minimise impact if they do occur. Please contact ann.wales3@nhs.scot if you would like a copy of the slides from this session.
The NES clinical knowledge pathway (CKP) publisher is now retired and the majority of pathways supported by this tool have been transferred to the RDS. Examples include:
NHS Lothian musculoskeletal pathways
NHS Fife rehabilitation musculoskeletal pathways
NHS Tayside paediatric pathways
Include:
Focus on frailty (from HIS Frailty improvement programme)
NHS GGC Money advice and support
If you would like to promote one of your new toolkits through this newsletter, please contact ann.wales3@nhs.scot
To go live imminently:
We have recently analysed the results of a survey of users of the Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines toolkit. Key findings from 61 respondents include:
Key strengths identified included:
Users highlighted key areas for improvement in terms of navigation and search functionality. The survey was very valuable in enabling us to uncover the specific issues affecting the user experience. Many of these can be addressed through content management approaches. The issues identified with search results echo other user feedback, and we are costing improvements with a view to implementation in the next RDS deployment.
This decision support software, sponsored by Scottish Government Effective Prescribing and Therapeutics Division, is now available for all primary care clinicians across NHS Tayside. Board-wide implementation is also planned for NHS Lothian, and NHS GGC, NHS Ayrshire and Arran and NHS Dumfries and Galloway have initial pilots in progress. The University of Dundee has been commissioned to evaluate impact of this decision support software on prescribing practice.
Ten bite-size (5 mins or less) video tutorials for RDS editors are now available in the “Resources for providers of RDS tools” section of the RDS. These cover core functionality including Save and preview, content page and media management, password management and much more.
10. Training sessions for new editors (also serve as refresher sessions for existing editors) will take place on the following dates:
To book a place, please contact Olivia.graham@nhs.scot, providing your name, organisation, job role, and level of experience with RDS editing (none, a little, moderate, extensive.)
If you have any questions about the content of this newsletter, please contact his.decisionsupport@nhs.scot
With kind regards
Right Decision Service team
Healthcare Improvement Scotland
GPs are under enormous pressure, which can take a toll on their own health and wellbeing.
You will care for thousands of patients over your career, but how often do you take time to care for you?
As a doctor you might forget, or be too busy to remember, how important your own health and wellbeing is. the New Economics Foundation (NEF) has set out five activities we should all do to cultivate wellbeing in ourselves and in others.
1. Connect with people
Make time for family and friends, and time for you to feel supported by them. Discuss things with your colleagues, not just your patients. Get to know your neighbours and be part of your local community. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day.
Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Notice the seasons change and everyday sights and sounds, perhaps on your way to work or when connecting with friends. Be mindful. Try meditation.
Learning new things can be enjoyable and improve your confidence. Embrace new experiences. Try something new and look for new opportunities.
Discover a physical activity you enjoy and that suits you. Perhaps you can make time for a walk or run. Regular physical activity is associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety. Exercise is essential for slowing age-related cognitive decline.
Look out, as well as in. Do something nice for a friend or stranger. Even when you are a busy GP, this can be as simple as saying thank you. If you feel that you have more time to give, you might want to join a community group or volunteer your time. When you see yourself as part for the wider community and feel connected you create happiness in yourself and in others.
If you are struggling the contacts provided below may be helpful.
BMA 24/7 Helpline – call 0330 123 1245
Practitioner Health Programme - text NHSPH to 85258
Samaritans - call 116 223.
RCGP website: The GP lifestyle - wellbeing in general practice – RCGP online course offering advice on stress management, alcohol, nutrition, exercise and substance misuse.
The GMC website has advice for doctors with health concerns.
The help me, I’m a doctor site brings together five independent charities that support doctors when they need confidential financial assistance. They can provide support to help doctors in genuine financial need get their lives and careers back on track.
NHS Practitioner Health Programme
The NHS Practitioner Health Programme is an award winning, free and confidential NHS service for doctors and dentists with issues relating to a mental or physical health concern or addiction problem, especially when it might affect their work.
Doctors' Support Network (DSN)
DSN is a peer support group for doctors with mental health problems.
A healthcare professional who has experienced a significant personal or professional impact as a result of a patient safety incident can be referred to as a second victim. This web-based resource provides guidance and tools to support individuals (and their managers) who have experience of being involved in such incidents.
Confidential emotional support 24 hours a day samaritans.org
SDT provide a 24 hour confidential telephone helpline for doctors with drug and alcohol problems.
Staff Wellbeing Room – situated within the Coffee Lounge. Tea/coffee/biscuits are available and the area is accessible 24/7. Although not manned, all contact numbers for support are available if required.
Staff Wellbeing Room – situated in the Seminar Room. A self-sustaining area with donations of tea/coffee/biscuits from staff at EACH. Although not manned, all contact numbers for support are available if required.
Staff Quiet Room – situated within the Quiet Room. A self-sustaining area with donations of tea/coffee/biscuits from the staff in Girvan. Although not manned, all contact numbers for support are available if required.
Staff Wellbeing Area – available for all staff within the hospital with provisions provided by the staff and community donations. Although not manned, all contact numbers are available if required.
Mobile: 07824 596511
Email: StaffCare@aapct.scot.nhs.uk
Email: MedicalPeerSupport@aapct.scot.nhs.uk
Email: aa.clinicaltraineepeersupportteam3@aapct.scot.nhs.uk
Clinical_traineepeersupportteam@aapct.scot.nhs.uk
Email: Clinical_StaffWellbeingPsychologyServices_COVID19@aapct.scot.nhs.uk
Monday to Friday 9-5pm – contact through switchboard or (if non-urgent) leave a voicemail on 01563 825988
Tel number: 01294 323564
Email: NorthStaffWell-Being@aapct.scot.nhs.uk
for information or to make an appointment:
Tel number: 01563 825611
Email: aa-uhb.betterhealthhub@aapct.scot.nhs.uk
Telephone helpline 24/7: 0800 111 4191
Website: www.promis.scot