Can you believe that Christmas is upon us again!  I do hope it will be a good one for you all.  I know many of my colleagues at both our hospital and hotel will be working throughout the festive period doing what they always do, providing excellent, warm and lovely services to our patients and customers.  My warmest wishes to all our staff and a big thank for their dedication, particularly at this time of year.

I know that at this time of year many of us reflect on the previous 12 months, and I make no apologies for doing so in this blog.

I was delighted when in April this year I was appointed as Chair of the Golden Jubilee, a role I am committed to and enjoying very much.  As we approach the end of the year I continue to feel that privilege.  On my appointment, I made a commitment to get out and about meeting staff, patients, colleagues and supporters of our organisation.

Since then, I’ve have never failed to be impressed by the skill, commitment and dedication of staff to provide the best possible care for our patients, their families and our conference hotel customers, ensuring a positive experience for all.  It’s my pleasure to receive many compliments directly from people who have benefited from the care and treatment received here, although I’m equally receptive to hearing where we can improve too!

I’m sure you will be glad to hear that most of the reports I get are great.  I’m also sure you will know there is no such thing as a quiet year for the Golden Jubilee.  This year has been no exception. Thanks to the hard work of everyone there have been considerable successes.

Our expansion plans are going forward at a pace and we aim to start building work early in the New Year on our new integrated cataract centre.  Our Hotel has won numerous awards and accolades, including the big one - Conference Hotel of the Year at the Scottish Hotel Awards. The hotel increasingly supports patient accommodation, providing a great service for patients and their families travelling to the Golden Jubilee National Hospital for treatment.

The Golden Jubilee Research Institute continues to go from strength to strength and is making a real difference to patients across Scotland. This year we implanted Scotland’s first cardioMEMS device which remotely monitors heart failure patients, reducing the need for hospital stays. We also implemented a pioneering new digital system for recording patients’ vital signs, meaning we can escalate care quicker for deteriorating or at risk patients.

We also said goodbye to our Chief Executive Jill Young after 14 years. She leaves us with a lasting health legacy of her vision and hard work making the Golden Jubilee what it is today.  This means that going forward thousands of patients will benefit from increased access to diagnostic and surgical procedures in the years to come.

Looking forward to 2019, it is once again going to be an exciting and challenging time for the Golden Jubilee. At the forefront of our minds is our expansion and additional activity as part of the Scottish Government’s Waiting Times Improvement Plan and Elective Centres Programme across Scotland.

There are also a huge range of projects that our individual departments undertake that help us continually improve our services, some big, some small.  Regardless, patients and customers are always at the heart of any progress that we make and I have no doubt our staff efforts will make for another successful year. 

I hope 2019 will be a good year for you all.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year.

Susan

News Archive