Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Professor Sir Gregor Smith visited East Ayrshire Community Hospital recently to hear more about how Realistic Medicine is embedded across NHS Ayrshire & Arran as part of everyday practice.
The visit focused on projects featured in the organisation’s new Realistic Medicine casebook, which highlights excellent work taking place across acute, community, primary care and cross-sector settings. The casebook will be shared widely to support learning and demonstrate what can be achieved when care focuses on what matters most to people.
Dr Crawford McGuffie, Medical Director, said: “East Ayrshire Community Hospital provides a strong example of value-based health and care in action. From redesigned clinical pathways to the thoughtful use of physical space, the hospital demonstrates how person-centred care, collaboration and the wise use of resources go hand in hand.”
During the visit, the Realistic Medicine team showcased a range of innovative projects from across the whole organisation that are reducing harm and waste, supporting shared decision making and improving patient experience. These included transforming inpatient cardiology through the Cardiac Day Unit; developing safer and more sustainable medicine returns from care homes; improving timely results for men following prostate cancer treatment; and embedding psychological expertise earlier in hospital pathways to better support older people.
The visit also highlighted the strength of partnership working across services. Improvements to urgent care through the Orthopaedic Assessment Unit, the role of occupational therapists in bridging gaps between critical care and prison healthcare, and the strengthening of values based conversations about emergency care through the CONnECT course all demonstrated the breadth of work underway.
Importantly, the visit also recognised the human side of Realistic Medicine. The Forget Me Not Memorial Garden on the dementia ward provided a powerful reminder that compassion, dignity and environment matter deeply to patients, families and staff.
Dr Crawford McGuffie added: “This visit reaffirmed our commitment to delivering high quality, person-centred care, underpinned by the principles of Realistic Medicine. “Realistic Medicine is not an add on in NHS Ayrshire & Arran. It is embedded in our people, culture and buildings. I’d like to thank Professor Sir Gregor Smith for coming along to see Realistic Medicine in action. Thanks also to the team for sharing their work and demonstrating how focusing on what matters most delivers better care and better value for our communities.”