Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Spreading the Joy as new hospice chief executive
St Andrew’s Hospice has appointed a new chief executive.
Joy Farquharson has taken over the important role from Bruce High, who now begins his well earned retirement.
Bruce joined the Airdrie hospice as director of clinical services in 2013 and was promoted to the chief executive post two years later.
He was responsible for overseeing the facility during one of the biggest projects in its history – the £9 million refurbishment of its premises at Henderson Street in 2017/18.
Stephen Giusti, chair of the board of trustees, said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to Bruce for his sound leadership of St Andrew’s Hospice over the past six years.
“The refurbishment project was complex and difficult and Bruce ably led the team throughout that period.
“The board wish Bruce a long, healthy and happy retirement.”
Bruce added: “It has been an honour to have been associated with St Andrew’s for the past eight years.
“The support the hospice enjoys from the people of Lanarkshire is both humbling and impressive.
“Without that support, the hospice would neither have been able to embark upon its recent capital project, nor weather the pandemic storm that has so severely restricted its ability to fundraise.
“I retire in the knowledge that the hospice
is in safe hands and will continue to provide the excellent service it always has.”
Joy Farquharson has now taken over responsibility for the management of the hospice, working alongside the board of trustees and the dedicated staff.
Joy has been deputy CEO, working alongside Bruce for the past four years, having joined the hospice in 2014 with specific interests in developing the services offered to patients living at home with specialist palliative care needs.
She was responsible for securing the funding for, and the development, of the Hospice’s Compassionate Lanarkshire (CLAN) project in conjunction with Kilbryde and Strathcarron hospices.
Joy said: “It is a privilege and an honour to be taking up the role as chief executive of St Andrew’s Hospice.
“It is a much loved and supported organisation and although times are challenging just now as we deal with the difficulties that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought, I am confident that the people, communities and businesses of Lanarkshire will continue to support the hospice as we work to get all of our services back to normal as soon as possible.
“Our staff and volunteers have shown amazing commitment and resilience during the past 11 months and I would like to thank them; they make St Andrew’s what it is today.
“On behalf of everyone at the hospice, we wish Bruce all the best for the future and thank him for all of his hard work and dedication.”
Patients suffering with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in Monklands will now have access to a new treatment
Ozanimod, whose brand name is Zeposia, has been approved for use on the NHS in Scotland – the first UK nation where it will be available.
The country has one of the highest rates of the condition in the world with well over 15,000 people living with MS.
Ozanimod has been shown to reduce relapses in people with relapsing MS and, as an oral treatment, offers many people with the condition another alternative to injected therapies.
Decisions on which treatments to take are determined by a variety of factors including efficacy, the method and frequency of administration, and lifestyle factors so increased choice is highly valued by people living with MS.
Ozanimod has been shown in trials to decrease the number of relapses people experience by 38 per cent when compared to beta interferon, an already available treatment
It joins 14 others available on NHS Scotland.
A little over two decades ago there were no such treatments available.
MS is a life-long, progressive neurological condition affecting the central nervous system.
In MS, the immune system attacks the brain or spinal cord, resulting in damage to the protective coating around the nerve fibres.
This damage means that electrical signals that are passed along the nerves to stimulate the muscles are not transmitted properly. This can lead to muscle weakness, stiffness and difficulty walking.
The latest treatment has been welcomed by the MS Society Scotland, with director Morna Simpkins saying: “It’s very welcome that ozanimod has been approved for use on the NHS in Scotland.
“MS is relentless, painful, and disabling, and this treatment increases the options for people to manage their condition and help prevent symptoms.
“Our community’s experiences tell us just how big a difference having different treatments available can make.
“We hope that appraisal bodies in other parts of the UK follow suit as soon as possible, so everyone with MS can access Ozanimod if it is the right option for them.
“We have never been closer to stopping MS, and this is just the latest in a number of new treatments which have been made available in the past few years for the 15,000 people living with MS in Scotland.”
The MS Society has a free helpline on 0808 800 8000.
A charity is calling on students living in Monklands to help inform recommendations for better mental health support at universities and colleges.
Believed to be the largest ever study of student mental health in Scotland, it is hoped that more than 40,000 students will get involved in the two-year Thriving Learners project by Mental Health Foundation Scotland
In this first phase of study, students at the 19 Scottish universities are invited to share their views in an online survey and help drive positive change in the provision of mental health prevention and support for students across the country.
A survey will be available for college students, including those at New College Lanarkshire, in the next stage of the project.
Julie Cameron, associate director at Mental Health Foundation Scotland, said: “We’re asking university students all over Scotland to get involved in our Thriving Learners project.
“We know that in the past year the pandemic has had a huge impact on student wellbeing but even before that there were challenges, and also opportunities to improve student mental health and the support available.
“We’re eager to hear from students in Monklands about their experiences, both positive and negative.
“We want to learn from their knowledge and ideas about what works and what’s needed to prevent and support mental health problems at university.
“It’s fantastic that all 19 universities in Scotland are involved.
“This is a real opportunity for us to better understand and revolutionise mental health support for all students within our universities.”
It is anticipated that the results of the university study survey and subsequent recommendations for mental health support within universities will be available later this year.
Universities Scotland, Colleges Scotland is a partner in the project along with funders The Robertson Trust.
Participants will be offered the chance to be entered into a prize draw, with three students at each university winning a share of £200.
To find out more about Thriving Learners and participate in the survey, visit www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ scotland/supporting-students-thrive or follow @MHFSCOT #Thrivinglearners on Twitter.