First Western Isles Dementia Champions graduate

Two NHS Western Isles staff members recently graduated alongside NHS colleagues from across the country, when they became two of Scotland’s first Dementia Champions.

Staff Nurses Ann Mackenzie (Medical 2) and Wendy MacMillan (Clisham) were two out of 93 graduates from across Scotland. Ann Mackenzie attended the ceremony on March 14, in Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh, accompanied by Anne Graham, Senior Charge Nurse, Medical 2, as Wendy was unable to attend. Over 150 people attended the ceremony, with the keynote address being delivered by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, Nicola Sturgeon, MSP.

Congratulating the Champions on their achievement, Nicola Sturgeon said:  “When we published Scotland’s first National Dementia Strategy, we knew that key to its implementation would be a national, strategic approach to developing and upskilling the dementia workforce across all care settings for the first time.

“You are the trailblazers and I know you are already making a difference, influencing cultural and behavioural changes in how care is delivered for people with dementia. The process is underway to identify another 200 staff who will extend the Champion role into other settings as we build capacity in the workforce and make connections across disciplines and, importantly, as part of developing and integrated health and social care workforce.”

The Dementia Champions Programme, taken forward by NHS Education for Scotland and the Scottish Social Services Council, is closely associated with the establishment of Alzheimer Scotland Nurse Specialists/Consultants across all NHS Boards in Scotland. Together, these roles will support NHSBoards to bring about improvements in the experiences and outcomes of care and treatment for people with dementia in acute hospital settings.

NHS Western Isles Chief Executive Gordon Jamieson said: “I would like to congratulate Ann and Wendy for successfully completing this course. This is not only excellent in terms of their personal achievement, but also in terms of how it will impact on local patients. Ann and Wendy have gained valuable skills to ensure that there are real improvements in frontline dementia care in the Western Isles, and will be able to share their learning about dementia with other staff locally.

“As the population in Scotland ages, this is reflected in the increasing use of the acute care setting by people with dementia. Currently up to one in four of all general hospital beds in the UK are occupied by people over 65 years who have dementia. People with dementia who have other health problems are also more likely to be inappropriately admitted to hospital, are more likely to stay longer in hospital, to the detriment of their own wellbeing, and are more likely to be discharged directly to a care home.

“The course successfully completed by the Dementia Champions will help to reverse these trends and will make an effective difference to patient care locally.”

Following completion of this programme, NHS Education for Scotland will continue to support the Champions via regional learning networks.

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