Social Work Service

The Social Work Service provides help, advice, information and services to people with illnesses, disabilities and their carers. They can help you get access to those services, some of which are provided by the department. Social Workers work from various offices throughout the area but your local office will be able to give you the necessary contact number.

Care Managers

Care Managers are employed by the Social Work Service. They usually have a qualification in Social Work, General Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing or Occupational Therapy. They have experience working with people who have health problems.

The Care Manager will discuss with you what support you feel you need and he or she will make arrangements to provide appropriate services. You can ask for an assessment by a Care Manager.

For more information about Care Management you can contact a Care Manager directly (See your area for further details) or you can ask your G.P., Health Visitor or District Nurse to make a referral directly to the Community Care Team on your behalf.

Community Occupational Therapists

Community Occupational Therapists (O.T’s) are employed by the Social Work Service. They aim to improve the quality of life experienced by people with an illness or disability, by helping them achieve maximum independence. They can give advice about the range of specialist equipment available and about the types of adaptations that can be provided. Advice available ranges from products that assist with bathing, getting in/out of bed, and hand rails and ramps.

Community Pharmaceutical Service

Pharmaceutical Services within the National Health Service are provided by Community pharmacists under contract to Grampian Health Board. In more remote areas there is no community pharmacy, local GP’s provide dispensing services for their patients. Pharmaceutical services for hospital inpatients, outpatients and patients on discharge from hospital are provided by the hospital pharmacy.

Cancer Nurse Specialists

Cancer nurse specialists are nurses who have undertaken further training and have chosen to utilise their advanced skills in the care of patients with cancer, or one particular aspect or type of cancer.

As such, they are able to provide direct cancer support and specialist advice to patients and their families.

They will also have a role as professional advisers and work with other cancer service providers to develop and deliver care to ensure that it meets with individual patient need.

Based at hospitals, they visit patients whilst they are in hospital, or arrange to contact them during out-patient appointments.  Alternatively, patients and their relatives or carers can also contact them via telephone for advice or to discuss particular aspects of the patient's care.

Dietitians

Dietitians are available in hospital and community settings.  They can suggest suitable foods to eat, as well as information about nutritious foods and supplements.  They are able to advise prescription of supplements where appropriate and can also advise on how to cope with eating difficulties.

District Nurse

District Nurses are qualified nurses who undertake further training to enable them to nurse patients in their own homes. They offer expert and specialist nursing care and advice to acute, chronic and terminally ill patients of all age groups. The object of nursing input is to assess individual and family needs and to mobilise help and support where necessary. They work closely with other professionals to enable them to get the best possible care to you or your relative.

Health Visitor

Health Visitors are registered nurses who undertake additional training. They are involved with the promotion of health and the prevention of illness. Their purpose is to establish relationships through which they can provide information about “promotion of health” at any age. They aim at preventing ill health by identifying, where possible, health problems before they become serious or chronic. They can liaise with or refer people to other health professionals, as necessary.

MacMillan Nursing Service

MacMillan nurses are specialists in cancer and palliative care working in a variety of roles in hospitals and in the community. They use their skills in emotional support and also pain and symptom control to help people with cancer, and their families.

MacMillan nurses are part of a multi-disciplinary team, working along with doctors, nurses, O.T.’s social workers and others whose role it is to provide the best and most up-to-date care for people with cancer and their families at every stage of their illness – from diagnosis onwards.

Marie Curie Nursing Service

The Marie Curie nurse, for people with cancer, can visit regularly two to three times a week, day or night, over a period of time not exceeding six months. The service is presently mainly used overnight for periods of approximately 8 hours at a time to allow the carer a good night’s sleep. This service can be obtained by contacting your District Nurse.

NHS 24

NHS 24 is a 24hr telephone health advice and information service that is now available in Grampian. The service is provided by highly experienced and qualified nurses. NHS 24 also provides a health information service, should you be looking for information on medical conditions.

Physiotherapy Service

Physiotherapists have a detailed knowledge of body mechanics. They deal with disturbances and pain of movement and posture, bone and muscle injuries, stiffness and weakness, and all aspects of rehabilitation.

The aim of the Physiotherapy Service is to assess, diagnose and treat all ages of patients, with a wide variety of conditions.

If a person requires help and advice from a physiotherapist the best route is by referral through their doctor, and Physiotherapist assessment/treatment will be arranged at home, at the clinic or at the hospital out-patient department, whichever is most convenient to the person.