NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) says it is improving care for people in some of Scotland’s most deprived communities – having converted a bus into a specialist clinic and taking it to their doorstep.
In June the Health Board will launch a new Mobile Clinical Unit providing diabetes care for children and adults, gastroenterology, and other community-based services, in what could become the model for a range of services across NHSGGC, and even nationwide. The former First Glasgow single-decker has been kitted out in NHSGGC livery, and contains a clinical area, waiting area, kitchen, and staff communal area. It boasts a flat-screen TV, WiFi, and ambient strip lighting to provide a welcoming, comfortable area in which to provide care, and toys to keep young patients relaxed and entertained.
Rajeeb Rashid, Consultant Paediatric diabetologist with NHSGGC, part of the team which designed and commissioned it, said: “We’re very proud of this initiative. The mobile paediatric diabetes clinic will be one of the UK’s first. For people living in areas of high deprivation, the prospect of taking a loved one to a hospital appointment is daunting – not least due to the cost of, for example, taking time off work and paying for travel to and from the hospital. The bus helps remove barriers to care, and reduces health inequalities, while for NHSGGC it reduces the number of non-attendances at appointments and allows us to see more patients more cost-effectively. It’s also a sustainable model that helps meet NHSGGC’s environmental goals.”
Once up and running, the bus will be on the road every day, setting up at health centres and other public spaces, and potentially at public events. If successful, the teams involved will look to secure ongoing support to make this approach part of a routine care model.
