caring Communication

General
News
new directory of services
for sligo and leitrim
A new website providing official listings of
over 100 services for children, young people
and families in Sligo and Leitrim was launched
recently.
The local online Directory of Services, www.
sligoleitrimdirectory.ie, includes information
on health, mental health, education, disability,
youth, childcare and other services.
The website was developed by the Youth
Mental Health Initiative in conjunction the
Sligo Leitrim Children and Young People’s
Services Committee (CYPSC) and is funded by
a variety of agenies.
The website hosts information on services
relevant to children from pre-birth to young
adults (18-24 years). The target audience for
this website is: Service providers (eg schools,
youth services, health services, statutory
agencies, voluntary groups, etc), adults working
with children, young people and families,
parents / guardians / carers and young people
The North Connaught Youth and Community
Service (NCYCS) were designated as the lead
agency in relation to the development of the
website and are responsible for operating
and maintaining it. There were a number of
Rosaleen O’Grady (Cathaoirleach, Sligo County Council), Frank Curran (Co-Chairperson, Sligo Leitrim
Children and Young People’s Services Committee), Anne Brennan (Youth Information Officer, North Connaught
Youth & Community Service), John Hayes, (Chief Officer, HSE CHO 1), Mark O’Callaghan (Chairper-
other agencies involved in the development
of the site including the HSE, Mayo, Sligo and
Lei trim Education and Training Board (ETB),
Meitheal, Sligo Leitrim Children and Young
People’s Services Committee, Sligo Social
Services Council Ltd and Tusla, Child and
Family Agency.
Speaking at the launch the MC Grace Filan,
Comhairle na nóg member said, “I think that
Sligo Leitrim Directory is the bringing together
of many different resources and has resulted
in this great website. There are not many
places that really take young people’s ideas
and voices into account. “As a Comhairle na
nóg Sligo member, I am so proud of all the
work that has been put into this website. It’s so
reaffirming to see that young people’s opinions
and ideas are taken into account.”
UL Hospitals Group launches poster campaign to
promote Local Injury Units in the Midwest
UL Hospitals Group has this week launched a new poster campaign to raise
awareness about the services provided by its Local Injury Units (LIUs) in Ennis,
Nenagh and St John’s Hospitals.
LIUs are locally based services treating minor injuries in patients from the age
of 5 years upwards. They are a safe alternative to the Emergency Department
(ED) for a number of injuries and conditions.
The new posters, which have been mailed out to GPs, Primary Schools and
Sports Clubs, depict commonly occurring injuries and highlight the most
appropriate place for the treatment of those injuries. They are localised to each
LIU and they all contain a simple message, ‘Go to your nearest LIU with a minor
injury and go to your ED in an emergency’.
Speaking about the campaign, Professor Declan Lyons, Clinical Director,
Medicine Directorate at the UL Hospitals Group, said, “The reason we have
chosen these three groups specifically is because GPs play a significant role in
the referral of patients to the ED.
“Throughout winter, ED presentations tend to be higher than the rest of the
year so to alleviate this pressure, we are encouraging GPs to refer patients,
young and old, with minor injuries to their local LIU; we also see a significant
number of minor sports injuries in our ED, many of these can be treated in the
LIUs so we would encourage all sports clubs and those involved in organised
sports to utilise the LIUs; any patient over the age of five can be treated in an
LIU with a minor injury, so we are seeking to highlight with schools and parents
that any falls, breaks or sprains in the school yard will be seen and treated more
quickly in the LIUs this year.
“Patients coming to the LIU are generally seen, treated and discharged
within an hour of arrival, they can either self refer or get a GP referral. There
are times when patients do need to go to the ED in UHL, such as when they
are experiencing chest pain, abdominal pain or after a serious head injury.
In those situations patients should always attend the ED. Now that there is
an alternative for minor injuries, we would encourage patients to consider
whether they could more appropriately travel to their nearest LIU.” LIU
activity across the UL Hospitals Group has been consistently growing and now
accounts for 32pc of all the groups Emergency presentations.
The LIUs come under the clinical governance of a consultant in emergency
medicine and are at all times staffed by a senior clinical decision maker,
qualified in emergency care.
At the LIU, clinicians will assess the patient’s injury, request x-ray or other
diagnostic interventions, prescribe analgesia or tetanus, suture wounds and
provide discharge advice, all under the clinical governance of a consultant in
Emergency Medicine. Emergency Medicine RANPs (Registered Advanced
Nurse Practitioners) rotate between the LIUs and the ED at University Hospital
Limerick (UHL). Protocols are in place for the transfer of patients to UHL, who
clinical staff have decided are too unwell to be treated in the LIUs or whose
condition falls outside the criteria for care in the LIU.
All patients should, in the first instance, consider whether they can be
more appropriately treated by their GP or out-of-hours GP service such as
Shannondoc before presenting at either an LIU or the Emergency Department.
For schools, sports clubs or GPs surgeries who wish to receive copies of the
posters, please contact your LIU in Nenagh Ennis or St John’s. Posters can also
be downloaded from the UL Hospitals website, www.ulh.ie or by contacting
the Communications Department at UL Hospitals on ulhgcommunications@
hse.ie.
56 | health matters | spring 2016