Staff can hardly have failed to notice that NHS Forth Valley has been welcoming a large number of overseas visitors. In fact we have become something of a global magnet attracting delegations from as far afield as New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Zambia.
Two senior staff from the Veneto region of Italy – Director of Planning, Dr Simone Tasso, and Director of Nursing, Monica Cecchin recently visited Forth Valley to look at the role of the advanced nurse practitioner. They also met the Programme Director for the University of Stirling to examine academic programmes which support this role.
Senior leaders from across the Commonwealth also headed to Forth Valley Royal Hospital at the end of March 2014 as part of a UK study tour. The CSC Leaders tour included delegates from as far afield as Papua New Guinea, Trinidad and Tobago and Zambia. During the visit to Forth Valley Royal Hospital, which focussed on the use of technology, delegates visited the Scottish Clinical Simulation Centre where two volunteers were invited to take part in a training scenario to help an injured ‘man’ who required CPR. They also visited the basement corridors underneath the hospital to meet the fleet of delivery robots which transport food and supplies to and from the wards.
This was closely followed by a masterclass of l8 front-line clinicians and managers from New Zealand. They heard NHS Forth Valley Chief Executive Jane Grant explain the Forth Valley integrated healthcare strategy and were also briefed on the successful Scottish Patient Safety Programme. Touring Forth Valley Royal Hospital they saw the pharmacy robots in actions, and visited the paediatric, cardiology and frailty units. They also visited Clackmannanshire Community Healthcare Centre to find out more about the wide range of services being delivered in the community.
