New initiatives in healthcare in Wirral

Sep 17 2008 by Sue McCann, Birkenhead News

AS Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust prepares for its Foundation Awards 2008 tomorrow to celebrate staff excellence, the News looks at initiatives within the health service in Wirral.

IT’S NOT easy to change the habit of a lifetime, but that’s what Joan Crawshaw has done with the help of staff at Arrowe Park Hospital.

The grandmother from Prenton, who has smoked her way through thousands of cigarettes over the past 60 years, finally stubbed out her 20-a-day habit after a short stay in Arrowe Park for a chest infection last August.

Now more than a year later, Joan admits that although the temptations remain as strong as ever, she has not held a single cigarette since hospital staff referred her to a community-based smoking cessation service.

She said: “It’s taken a lot of will power, but I’m pleased that I’ve finally been able to give up smoking.

“Although I’d thought about quitting, it wasn’t until I was in hospital and unable to smoke that I was told about the service and decided to make a real effort to stop.”

Dr Sarah McNulty, specialist registrar in public health at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “With support from the community stop smoking worker, who visited Joan at home and regularly provided nicotine patches, tablets, chewing gum and inhalers, Joan has proved that age really is no barrier to giving up a lifetime habit.”

Referring Joan to the community stop smoking service is an example of the way in which the trust is continuing to improve the health of the local population.

Furthermore, it has developed a new Public Health Strategy, being launched for consultation this month, which sets out its aim to train front-line hospital staff to assess the risk factors for poor health during face-to-face contacts with patients.

Although the trust, which runs Arrowe Park and Clatterbirdge hospitals, is mainly focused on hospital care, it recognises its responsibility to public health and issues affecting the local population such as smoking, alcohol, diet, exercise and poor mental health.

For further information about the strategy, visit the Public Health section of the trust website www.whnt.nhs.uk/cpru/ph/ or contact Dr Sarah McNulty on 678 5111 extension 8686.