Latest news with #NHSCharitiesTogether
Glasgow Times
11-05-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow high school pupils learn lifesaving skills
The Young Minds Save Lives programme, run by the Scottish Ambulance Service and funded by NHS Charities Together, uses virtual reality (VR) and educational escape rooms to teach students how to respond to medical emergencies. Former STV presenter to compete in international beauty competition The pilot training programme was designed with S3 students from Shawlands Academy and Holyrood Secondary School. It was delivered by local frontline paramedics and covered topics such as the recovery position, recognising strokes, chest pain and heart attacks, drug and alcohol harm, and street first aid including excessive bleeding from penetrating wounds. An evaluation by the University of Glasgow reported impressive results from this initial phase. These included a 150 per cent increase in awareness of how to put someone in the recovery position, a 49 per cent increase in confidence in providing first aid to a penetrating wound, and a 30 per cent increase in confidence about responding to emergencies that might involve drugs and/or alcohol. Figures also showed that there was a 44 per cent increase in confidence around responding to an emergency that might involve a heart attack, a 47 per cent increase in confidence when performing CPR, a 97 per cent increase in knowledge of when to use a defibrillator, and a 64 per cent increase in confidence in using a defibrillator. Arran Lambie, S3 student at Holyrood Secondary School, said: "I really enjoyed the Young Minds Save Lives programme as it was really interactive and we got to use mannequins and VR headsets. "We also got to take part in an escape room where we solved mysteries using the information we'd learned and we had to work as a team. "It was a really good way to keep the knowledge in our heads and make it something that we'll remember forever." Read more: Politicians hit back after calls for them to 'pull their finger out' over closure Michael Dickson, chief executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: "We are delighted with the evaluation results and the brilliant feedback we've had from the schools, pupils and their families saying that the Young Minds Save Lives programme has been fun, engaging, informative and inspiring. 'This programme shows the power of collaborative work and what can be achieved by creating strong links with schools to design and deliver new and innovative ways of teaching young people vital live-saving skills. "The next step is now to secure ongoing investment which will enable us to roll the initiative out across the country. "We can then train more young people in vital skills and preventative healthcare areas, all tailored to suit them and their local community's needs." More information about how to support the Young Minds Save Lives initiative can be obtained by emailing:
Glasgow Times
10-05-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow teens learn first aid through escape rooms and VR
The Young Minds Save Lives programme, run by the Scottish Ambulance Service and funded by NHS Charities Together, is co-designed with young people and provides them with knowledge and skills on how to respond in a medical emergency and preventative healthcare. It also aims to raise awareness about future careers in health and opportunities for volunteering, while developing skills in when and how to access healthcare. READ MORE: Pop group announce new dates for cancelled Glasgow gig It was piloted with S3 students from Shawlands Academy and Holyrood Secondary School, and has already helped more than 1,200 high school students increase their knowledge and confidence in responding to medical emergencies. An evaluation conducted by the University of Glasgow reported impressive results from the initial pilot phase, including a 150 per cent increase in awareness of how to put someone in the recovery position, a 49 per cent increase in confidence in providing first aid to a penetrating wound, and a 30 per cent increase in confidence about responding to an emergency that might involve drugs and/or alcohol. Arran Lambie, an S3 student at Holyrood Secondary School, said: 'I really enjoyed the Young Minds Save Lives programme as it was really interactive and we got to use mannequins and VR headsets. "We also got to take part in an escape room where we solved mysteries using the information we'd learned and we had to work as a team. READ MORE: American metal band formed in 90s announce exciting Glasgow show "It was a really good way to keep the knowledge in our heads and make it something that we'll remember forever." Michael Dickson, chief executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: "We are delighted with the evaluation results and the brilliant feedback we've had from the schools, pupils and their families saying that the Young Minds Save Lives programme has been fun, engaging, informative and inspiring. "We are currently delivering the programme to an additional three schools in Glasgow - Hollybrook Academy, which supports pupils with additional learning needs, St Margaret Mary's Secondary School and Castlemilk High School – and at the young people's request, we've added a mental health topic which was again co-designed with students to ensure the content addresses what they consider most important. "The next step is now to secure ongoing investment which will enable us to roll the initiative out across the country."
BBC News
27-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
New hospital garden in Boston to provide sanctuary to patients
A new hospital garden aims to provide a sanctuary for patients and staff according to the charity which helped to fund garden has been opened at Pilgrim Hospital, in Boston, after being created by United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS trust previously opened a garden at Lincoln County Hospital last May and also one at Grantham and District Hospital in Goodwin, head of grants at NHS Charities Together, said the garden cost about £50,000 to complete. He said: "We're thrilled to see this wonderful garden open – just in time to see the spring bulbs still blooming."We know that getting outdoors in nature does wonders for both our physical and mental health, but we also know that this can be difficult for hospital patients and hard-working NHS staff."It's great that three hospitals across Lincolnshire, Grantham, Lincoln and Boston, now have green spaces like this, to be enjoyed by patients, staff and visitors alike."The gardens have been jointly funded by NHS Charities Together and the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity, to provide extra support for patients and staff that are not available through NHS budgets. Ben Petts, the charity's manager, added the outdoor spaces can help people have "space alone with your thoughts or precious moments with loved ones".He said: "We all hope we will never need to visit hospital, but if we do – we all appreciate a small area of sanctuary where you can have space alone with your thoughts or precious moments with loved ones."A lot of thought and care has been put into these gardens by our contractors at SPA Landscaping and also by members of the working group."These areas really are going to make a massive difference for our patients, colleagues and visitors."Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
18-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'We lost 50% of our patients' - Birmingham Covid nurse reflects on the pandemic
"There were a lot of staff who lost family members. We lost colleagues within our organisation - and that is something I hope I never have to do again in my working lifetime."The Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust was one of the most affected trusts in the country through the Covid pandemic, at one point operating at 350% of its normal capacity, according to a O'Dwyer, joint clinical lead in critical care services for the organisation, was on the front line throughout, treating patients in intensive O'Dwyer was recently chosen to give her testimony in a special event hosted by NHS Charities Together to mark five years since the start of the pandemic. "I watched staff put on their PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) outside physically shaking. People didn't want to get out of their cars. They'd stop and vomit on the way to work," Ms O'Dwyer said in her to BBC Radio WM, the lead nurse said staff were scared of catching the virus and taking it home to their families."People didn't want to take the virus a lot of our staff moved into hotels and stayed there for months. They [were] dealing with this in isolation," she O'Dwyer also spoke about how people's emotions changed during different waves of the the first wave, she said staff were scared of the unknown, wondering how big of a beast Covid-19 would become."Whereas the second wave, we knew a bit more what to expect," she said."But we lost 50% of our patients. On the worst day I remember we lost six patients in one shift. A lot of the trauma [for] staff came from [this wave]." One of the most traumatic aspects of the pandemic for intensive care staff was the fact that families were not allowed to be in hospital with their critically ill or dying relatives, Ms O'Dwyer said."So the staff became their person," she said."You would have people singing Happy Birthday through an iPad to someone on a ventilator, with the nurse holding the iPad up."Or someone passing away and the family not being able to be there and they're watching their relative die through an iPad."Ms O'Dwyer said many hospital staff were still living with the trauma from the pandemic, pointing out that a wellbeing survey carried out with intensive care staff found "quite dramatic numbers of staff demonstrating signs of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)"."They likened it to army personnel returning from active duty," she said."The day in, day out exposure to the number of people being lost to this awful disease." However, she remembered the support she felt from the wider community."When it was happening I felt very much the community wrapped around us," she said."People were wearing PPE for 12 hours a day, getting pressure damage on their face, their hands were getting sore from the constant washing - and people would send in gifts of hand cream and face cream - and so much food," she said."Children would do drawings and send them in and those were the things that were really touching."Five years on, Ms O'Dwyer said creating collective memories of that period in time was important."Remembering the pandemic helps create shared narrative of it," she said."I think that's important for future generations to understand the challenges of what we went through." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Independent
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Duke and Duchess of Westminster expecting a baby in the summer
A 'delighted' Duke and Duchess of Westminster have announced they are expecting their first child. Billionaire aristocrat Hugh Grosvenor and his wife Olivia, who married last June, are preparing to welcome their baby in the summer. A spokesman for the couple said: 'The duchess is expecting a baby in the summer. 'The couple are delighted with the news and are very much looking forward to starting a family together.' The duke, one of the UK's biggest landowners, is a close friend of both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, and godfather to Prince George and also reportedly to Prince Archie. William acted as an usher at his wedding in Chester Cathedral last year but Harry mutually agreed with the groom he would not attend amid his long-running rift with his brother. Hugh, once considered one of the country's most eligible bachelors, became an instant billionaire when he inherited his title and control of the historic Grosvenor Estate aged 25, following the death of his father from a heart attack in 2016. His property company, Grosvenor Group, owns hundreds of acres of land in Mayfair and Belgravia, as well as major city centre developments such as Liverpool's One shopping centre. In 2020, the duke donated £12.5 million to the UK's Covid-19 relief effort including funds for NHS Charities Together and for medical research and development.
