Your health

Do you know what an Anatomical Pathology Technologist does? We’ll give you a hint – they work in our hospital mortuaries!

Whilst it may not be the career everyone imagines when they are younger, it can be a hugely rewarding and privileged role to have. This session allowed us to hear from someone with first-hand experience about what it is really like to work in a mortuary.

Conversations about cardiopulmonary resuscitation can be tricky. From the mis-information that circulates, to the strength of emotion it can produce, we need a workforce which understands the intricacy of the policy and how to broach the subject in a sensitive way. 

NHSGGC recently updated their DNACPR policy to clarify who should have these conversations, when they should occur and how to document them. Come along and listen to the team which have been leading this piece of work to tell you about their intentions and also the implication of this update – a must watch for all our staff!

This session is in partnership with the Realistic Medicine Team.

You can watch this on the Grand Rounds Sharepoint site Please note there may be restricted access to this video.

We partnered with Pushing Up The Daises and Caledonia Funeral Aid to a host session which aimed to shine a light on how people can attend to their own wellbeing following the death of a significant person, especially one they may have cared for. During the event we discussed

• ideas for helping you to start your grieving process in a way that best serves you and the people around you,
• the pros and cons of being actively involved yourself with arrangements for burial or cremation and also perhaps the person’s body,
• practical information about the Funeral Support Payment which help people with certain benefits and tax credits to pay for a funeral,
• the laws around death and funerals, and
• why your choices are really important to help your grieving and for your long term well-being.

Whether it is planning a funeral, or ensuring that people know your wishes and preferences when it comes to end of life care, having people and tools to help your feel empowered is vital. For members of the Queer community there can be added anxiety about some of these aspects such as what happens with legal paperwork, and how to ensure that the people you want to be involved in care and planning can be. 

This panel discussion discussed some of these questions and provided a space to discuss important topics including how we can create inclusive services which embrace and celebrate people’s identities.

Have you ever visited a hospice? Would it be somewhere you’d be afraid to go?

For many people the word “hospice” is associated with end of life care and death, however the truth is a little different. In this session we heard about all the amazing things hospices do to support people and those who matter to them, recognising that hospices are places of hope and warmth.

When you think about palliative care, what is the first thing that comes to mind? “Terminal illness”? “End of life”? “Comfort Care”? Whilst all these things are true, palliative care is so much more than this.

During this panel discussion, people could ask us anything – from “how did you get into this field?” to “what does a “good death” look like?” – the floor was yours!

With the average cost of a funeral in Scotland being over £4000*, the financial burden of death and dying can be overwhelming. Caledonia Funeral Aid aim to support people navigating this difficult time by offering advice, as well as practical and emotional support. 

During this session we discussed some of the help that is available such as the Funeral Support Payment as well as thinking about creative ways we can honour and celebrate those who have died. There was also an opportunity to ask questions to our expert.

*Source: SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2024

We were delighted to be presenting at NHSGGC Grand Rounds on the topic of spiritual care considerations at the end of life. We are lucky to live in a multi-cultural country, with people coming from all walks of life and bringing their own beliefs and views with them. However sometimes it can be difficult to remember all the different things that we can do to support someone, especially as they approach death.

During this session, colleagues from the spiritual care team explored some of the common, yet simple things we can do as staff to support patients as well as their friends and family, and also highlight some of the resources available to support staff deliver this person-centred care. 

You can watch this on the Grand Rounds Stream Channel. Please note there may be restricted access to this video.

This is a placeholder tab content. It is important to have the necessary information in the block, but at this stage, it is just a placeholder to help you visualise how the content is displayed. Feel free to edit this with your actual content.Dying is a normal process, but these days the process is often surrounded in mystery. During this sessions we learned more about what actually happens as someone approaches the end of their life and had an opportunity to talk to some experts.

Whilst some deaths can be sudden and unexpected, most follow a period of illness which could last months or even years. During this time everyone can experience a wealth of emotions including anticipatory grief as we realise that a loss is coming. 

This panel discussion explores anticipatory grief from various points of view including carers of those living with Dementia and parents who have a child with a life-limiting condition.  There was also an opportunity to ask questions to our panel of experts who have backgrounds in various parts of this journey.

All of us will experience bereavements throughout our lives, so it is very likely that some of these events may happen whilst you are working. Whether it is a sudden loss, or illness which develop over a longer time, trying to juggle work and personal life can be a challenge.

It can also be difficult for colleagues who don’t know what to say or do when someone is dealing with these issues, or returning after the death of someone close.

During this session we explored some of the things we can do to support each other in the workplace including things we can say, places we can signpost to and some of the policies organisations have to support their staff during these incredibly difficult times.

Stories From 88 Days on a Tandem Around the British Coastline

In January 2022, Xani lost his sister, Alice, to suicide. Since then he and his family have been navigating their own grief journey, supported by a number of different charities including SOBS (Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide).

In the summer of 2023, Xani decided to embark on a mammoth cycling expedition as a tribute to Alice and a way to reach out to others who have been affected by suicide, whilst also raising money for some great organisations. Over 88 days he covered over 3500 miles on a tandem around the British coastline, each day joined by a new person affected by suicide. Together as they pedalled, they shared the story of their experience and the wisdom they had gained. Not only this, he has also managed to raise over £36,000 for both SOBS and PAPYRUS.

From his time on the tandem, Xani has some incredible memories but has also gained a wealth of knowledge about the impact of grief and the different ways people begin to rebuild their lives after tragedy. During this session Xani shared his own story and reflections – from the importance of conversations to meaningful ways to honour those who have died.

Grief is natural and something all of us will likely experience at some point. During this session we looked at some of the different models that people have used to describe the grief process and also bust some myths people might have about what is “normal”. 

This session is in partnership with the Beatson Cancer Charity.

For many people pets are family and so it is only natural to grieve their loss. Wendy Andrew founded the Scottish Pet Bereavement Counselling Service to help others recover from the death of animal companions. 

During this session we talked about everything from the wealth of emotion that accompanies a decision to euthanise a pet, to speaking to children about the death of a pet. We discussed some of the common feelings that people may experience and highlight different places where support is available. There was also an opportunity to ask questions.

This session was delivered in partnership with the Scottish Pet Bereavement Counselling Service.

Everyday people are left with the grief and trauma that often accompanies the loss of a pregnancy or baby shortly after birth. Whilst everyone’s situations are unique, as a society we can do much more to support one another in these difficult times, and that often begin with having a conversation.

During this session we discussed some of the common feelings that people may experience and highlight different places where support is available. There was also an opportunity to ask questions to our panel of experts who have backgrounds in various parts of this bereavement journey.

This session is delivered in partnership with Sands and Antenatal Results and Choices (ARC).

An opportunity for staff to reflect on loss, grief and bereavement

Loss, grief, and bereavement are universal emotions.  Whilst death and dying is a natural part of life, throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic many more people have been touched by experiences which may have triggered feelings associated with loss and change. 

To give staff an opportunity to reflect on both our collective and individual experiences, a new informal online event was created.  The intention was to create a space for staff to reflect and recharge.  There was no active participation necessary, rather staff are encouraged to listen and reflect on the various contemplative pieces (sessions will also have subtitles).   

Staff from across all parts of health and social care were encouraged to attend, including our colleagues in Care Homes, Primary Care and Third Sector.  

You can read our Summary Report for the summer session.

You can also access our Season of Change Summer Session – Resource List

Summer Session:

Autumn Session:

Anticipatory Care Planning has benefits for everyone. It empowers people to tell us what really matters; it gives friends and family an opportunity to talk open and honestly; and it helps professionals to work with everyone to create the best care and treatment plans possible. During the session we looked at tools and resources we use across NHSGGC to help promote future planning, and how our systems work together to share information.

ACP is everyone’s business, so make sure you know your role in the conversation.

Please be aware that the terms “Anticipaotry Care Planning” may be ued in thiss recording. This is the previous term for “Future Care Planning”.

How can we help our on-call teams to do the right thing in the middle of the night – when faced with a deteriorating patient that they have never met? Sometimes intervening may be of no benefit or could cause distress but making that judgement can be very difficult. It is possible that there is a plan but accessing it may be a challenge.

In this session we discussed the plans that may be available, how to find them, how to improve them and how to initiate them and have the conversation.

Please be aware that the terms “Anticipaotry Care Planning” may be ued in thiss recording. This is the previous term for “Future Care Planning”.

The legal parts of future planning can often be confusing, with lots of people not quite sure where to start. This session explored how to get started with Power or Attorney and making a Will, and why both of these things are so important.

We have split the recording into two parts.

What do you want to happen to your body after you die? For most of us, this question makes us think about funeral, burials, cremations. But what about donating your body to help the next generation of students and researchers understand the inner workings of the human body?

During this session we heard from colleagues at the University of Glasgow to learn all about the process that takes place when someone decides to go down this road.

This is in partnership with the University of Glasgow.

Did you know that there are around 500 people each year waiting on a transplant, but only about 1% of people die in the rare circumstances where organ and tissue donation may be able to go ahead? This means that every opportunity for donation is very precious!

Hear from the experts working in NHSGGC who are coordinating this life-saving treatment. We bust myths surrounding the process, and hear just what difference an organ transplant can make to someone and the people they love. 

This session was in partnership with the NHSGGC Organ Donation Team.

These recordings are bite sized learning opportunities for staff which focus on a specific topic to provide an overview. They usually last between 30 minutes – 1 hour.

RecordedTopics

• Future Care Plan Clinical Portal Walk Through
• Future Care Planning Introduction
• Rockwood Clinical Frailty Score
• Power of Attorney
• Recoding Future Care Planning on EMIS
• Recording Future Care Planning on CNIS

You can find more information on our training hub pages.

When it comes to planning for the future, do you even know where to start? During this informal information session we gave you some ideas of things to think about and tools to help you plan, as well as telling you how this information can be shared with others so that everyone is in the know.

When you or someone you care about becomes ill, life can become very stressful. That is why we think it is so important for people to talk to each other and make plans before this happens.

As part of our Plan More, Stress Less Toolkit, is for anyone interested in getting started with planning ahead. In this session we talk about what paperwork we can complete before a crisis arises, what actually happens when someone goes into hospital and how we can all work together to plan for a safe and timely discharge.

“What Matters to You?” Day is an international initiative celebrated on or around June 6 that aims to foster meaningful conversations between patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers.

You can find more information on the initiative and recording of past seminars on our What Matters To You webpages.

What Matters To You Day 2025 – Event Flyer

What Matters to You Day 2025 – The Evaluation

This session looks at the legal duties of staff working in acute, community and/or primary care. In particular we discuss how staff can encourage carers to recognise their role, how to refer to support services and the legal duty staff have to involve carers in discharge planning. We also mention some of the systems which help us record information about any known carers and share this with other services.

When someone moves into a residential or nursing home, it is important that friends and family are still able to be fully involved in their lives. This may include visiting and spending time together either in this new setting, or elsewhere. It is important that friends and family are still supported in their caring role, even if it may look a little different. As everyone adjusts to this “new normal”, there are lots of conversations and pieces of information which can be helpful so that everyone understands what is happening and can share their own views. 

Carers Week occurs at the start of June each year, aiming to raise awareness of the challenges experienced by unpaid carers and host events that may be of interest and benefit to carers.

Carers Week 2022 Summary Report

Carers Week 2022 – Resource List

Carers Week 2023 Programme

Carers Week 2024 Programme

Carers Week 2024 – Resource List

Carers Week 2025 Programme

Carers Rights Day occurs at the end of November each year, aiming to increase awareness of the rights of unpaid carers.

Carers Rights Day 2022 – Event Flyers

Hate crimes are crimes that are motivated by prejudice of some kind. These are crimes where the victim is targeted because they are a member of a particular social group or have a particular characteristic, which the perpetrator has negative views or beliefs about.

In Scotland the law recognises crimes motivated by prejudice based on

• Age
• Race (including nationality, ethnicity and skin colour)
• Religion
• Sexual Orientation
• Disability, including physical disability, learning disability and mental health difficulty
• Transgender Identity
• Variations in Sex Characteristics

No you don’t.  Hate Crimes can be reported anonymously.  This may mean Police are restricted in the action they can take, but just reporting a perceived offense will allow Police to target resources to a particular area so you may see things like an increased police presence. If you are working with a patient or client who does not want to give name but wants you to support them to report it you can assure them of their anonymity.

Yes you can.  An online hate crime report is available at: https://www.scotland.police.uk/secureforms/hate-crime/

The form can be used by anyone how is the victim of hate crime, has witnessed a hate crime or is reporting the crime on behalf of someone else.

Yes they will.  Hate crimes are serious incidents and Police will respond appropriately.

No you don’t.  You can report it online at: https://www.scotland.police.uk/secureforms/hate-crime/ or use any one of the many 3rd Party Reporting Centres in the Glasgow area.  You can find your nearest 3rd Party reporting centre here: http://www.hatecrimescotland.org/report-it/centres/

Yes you can.  If an incident is happening there and then, you need to call 999 and report it immediately to the police, but if it happened in the past you can still call 101 – the police non-emergency number and report it or go online and complete the hate crime reporting form.

It is not your responsibility to prove that a hate crime has occurred. It is the job of the police to gather evidence from a range of sources during their investigation of an incident. This includes CCTV footage, witness statements and forensic evidence.

The Lord Advocate has told the police that an incident must be investigated as a hate crime if it is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be aggravated by prejudice.

This means that your perceptions are important. When you report a hate crime, tell the police that you believe it was motivated by prejudice and why you think that is the case. This could be about the language used at the time, things you have heard the suspects say in the past or that certain groups are being singled out in your street / building, etc.

The Scottish Government Working Group on Hate Crime gives 3 reasons for having hate crime legislation.

1. Research consistently shows that some social groups are proportionately more often victims of harassment and crime and that much of this is motivated by prejudice against those groups
2. Hate crimes can cause more psychological damage to a victim than crimes that are not motivated by hatred, because the victim’s core identity is being attacked. This personalises the crime and can cause the victim a greater amount of distress.

3. Hate crime is socially divisive. Such crimes need to be particularly condemned in order to avoid a situation in which the relevant group feels victimised as a group, with members in constant fear of attack. Prejudice against groups can lead to a number of consequences, ranging from fear of crime and inability to participate in normal social activities to paranoia and vigilantism

Hate crime has no place within our NHS. Our LGBTQ+ staff forum is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all staff feel safe, valued, and respected. Any form of discrimination or prejudice is not acceptable and we are pleased to support the organisation taking a zero tolerance approach to hate crime. Let’s work together to create a healthcare system that truly reflects the diversity of our communities and where everyone can thrive.

Nobody comes to work to face abuse because of who they are, what religion they follow, who they choose to love. I’m proud that we all stand together to stop hate. That’s the only way to eliminate it – give it no place to hide and grow.

It’s really important that people understand what a hate crime is so that when they see or hear it they can call it out and challenge it. We have the systems in place in NHSGGC to deal quickly with the perpetrators of hate crime so we can all step up and make a difference.

It is vital that every member of staff feels confident and supported to speak up against discrimination in all its forms. By working together, we can build a workplace where diversity is respected, and everyone is treated with dignity. Our BME Staff network is here to listen, share experiences, and ensure concerns are addressed promptly, so that every voice is heard, and everyone can thrive.

Many hate crimes go unreported due to fear, mistrust or not recognising that a crime has been committed. If we witness or experience an incident that we believe is motivated by prejudice then it is vital that we report it as a hate crime. This will ultimately help create a safer workplace and build stronger communities for us all.

We all need to stand up to Hate Crime when we see or hear it. If left unchallenged it can take hold and undermine the great community we’re all part of. Our NHSGGC family is 42,000 strong. We can use that strength to make sure hate has no place in our workplace.