Main updates

Formal partnership signed with Fife College

NHS Fife has signed a five-year partnership with Fife College to improve education and training opportunities and enable greater collaboration.

The agreement will provide a platform for collaborative working across a range of initiatives, including healthcare education for current and prospective students, as well as healthcare staff. Both institutions will also work in partnership across a range of other areas, including environmental sustainability and the mutual use of buildings and facilities.

An early project will see Fife College and NHS Fife work to improve learning opportunities for young people living in some of Fife’s most deprived areas. Another focus will be the creation of employment and training initiatives for students, both during and after their studies, including the development of work placements, internships, and modern apprenticeships.

More information is available here.

Nicky Connor to join NHS Tayside as chief executive

Director of health and social care, Nicky Connor, will be leaving her post in July to take up the role of chief executive of NHS Tayside.

Nicky was appointed as director of health and social care and chief officer of the Fife Integration Joint Board in October 2019. Prior to this she was associate director of nursing with NHS Fife. 

Head of strategic performance, planning and commissioning, Fiona McKay, will be acting chief officer of Fife Health and Social Care Partnership, while the post goes out for recruitment. Fiona has worked within the social work service and in the Health and Social Care Partnership for over 30 years in a range of diverse roles, including managing a local community social work centre and working in a contractual role with our third and private sector partners. More information is available here.

Major refurbishment of ENT

A significant refurbishment of the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) department at the Victoria Hospital has been completed. The completion provides a modern and improved environment for both patients and staff, enhancing the overall experience and promoting well-being. Amongst the improvements are:

  • enhanced comfort and light
  • improved drainage and accessibility
  • dedicated patient wellbeing room
  • improved patient flow

During the refurbishment project, the ENT service was temporarily relocated to the tower block in what was previously an orthopaedic ward. More information is available here.

International Recruitment Pastoral Care Quality Award

NHS Fife has received an International Recruitment Pastoral Care Quality Award from the Scottish Government.

The award has been given in recognition of our commitment to providing high-quality pastoral care to internationally recruited staff during both the recruitment processes and their employment.

NHS Fife became the first in Scotland to welcome international recruits into our workforce as part of a partnership with Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Recruits are offered a comprehensive package of support as part of the induction programme, including access to nursing accommodation, orientation tours, and pastoral care. The induction programme has been designed to ensure a smooth transition into working with NHS Fife and a successful integration into life in Scotland. More information is available here.

Online referral management extended to more services

Patients are now receiving a text or email about their referrals from an increased number of services.

Those with a registered mobile number or email address are being contacted about how they can manage their referrals through our secure online portal - Patient Hub. This is now being used by services and specialties including:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Respiratory
  • Cardiology
  • ENT
  • Ophthalmology
  • Oral and maxillofacial surgery
  • Gynaecology
  • Urology
  • General surgery
  • Orthopaedics

Patients can opt out of communications through Patient Hub or by contacting their specialty directly. More information is available here.

NHS Fife doctor appointed to Scotland national rugby team

Dr Jonathan Hanson has been appointed team doctor to the Scotland international rugby team.

Dr Hanson is a consultant physician in sports and emergency medicine and will start his new role in the summer tour to north and south America next month. Dr Hanson is the current team doctor for Glasgow Warriors, having held that role for over seven years. He was also a team doctor for the England international football team in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia looking principally after head injury, as well as having been to three Olympic games with Team GB.

For the 2023 season, he worked in Formula 1 looking after drivers and pit crew at races across the world and has also been chair of the Scottish Government Concussion Advisory Group since 2016.

Local SARCS staff meet Queen at Buckingham Palace

NHS Fife was represented when those delivering our local Sexual Assault Response Co-ordination Service (SARCS) met Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace earlier this month.

SARCS is a dedicated national service for people who have experienced recent rape or sexual assault that can provide support in the days after a rape or sexual assault. More information on the SARCS service is available here.

Shared learning through visit of Icelandic pharmacy technicians

NHS Fife was one of three health boards to host pharmacy technicians from Iceland earlier this month. Guðlaug Edda Siggeirsdóttir and Jakobína Ingibergsdóttir visited our hospital pharmacy team to exchange their knowledge and insights on practice.

Local pharmacy representatives took the opportunity to share the journey that the profession has undergone in Fife and our plans for the future. Teams also learned more detail about how pharmacy practice is evolving in Iceland.

People’s Piano rehomed

Following an appeal to rehome the People’s Piano, which was located near the front entrance to the Victoria Hospital, we have found a new home for the baby grand that was donated to us in 2019.

Following a number of enquiries, the Fife College Student’s Association will take delivery of the piano. It was used extensively before the pandemic, but more recently it regularly needed retuning due to where it sat and some minor acts of vandalism.

NHS Fife Board

Board papers: papers from the latest meeting of the NHS Fife Board on 26 March can be viewed here. The next meeting will take place on 28 May 2024.

NHS Performs

NHS Performs brings together a range of information on how NHS Fife is performing, including A&E performance, cancelled operations, delayed discharges, and diagnostic waiting times. The latest information can be viewed here.

Workforce information

NHS Education for Scotland publishes a quarterly update on workforce related information, including the number of staff directly employed by NHS Fife and the number of vacant posts for nursing and midwifery staff, allied health professions, and medical and dental consultants.

The interactive dashboard also outlines trends over time and references other useful information such as sickness absence rates, staff age profile, and spend on agency and bank. The latest publication can be viewed here.