Complimentary Therapy on Haemodialysis Programme SRFT Update
Hi again – well – the first full week back after Christmas and I was buzzing with ideas and wanted to get stuck in. We interviewed our first couple of Volunteers and had positive outcomes. Hopefully, after being processed by the Volunteer Co-ordinators Team, they will be able to start very soon!
I had my first meet and greets at Rochdale and Oldham. These two Units are owned by Fresenius Medical Care Renal Services Limited. Oldham is a new build and has been built for purpose. These two units I will twin together when training volunteers for simplicity. Both Managers were very welcoming and listened enthusiastically to different ideas and plans that I had.
I ordered the Essential oils this week and waited anxiously for them to be delivered. Once the oils are delivered, I can blend and bottle them so that each renal unit has ten bottles of a relaxing blend to use on patients.
I have completed the Complementary Therapy Induction Pack, which has everything in it a volunteer will need know about giving Massage and Therapies. Then we had another meeting with Lead Consultant Janet Hegarty and discussed the clinical safety aspect that needs to be put in place for volunteers to be made aware of when giving treatments.
Second week in the New Year brought a meeting with an old Lecturer and friend who gave me some ideas on how to go about arranging students from local colleges to be able to do their work experience with us.
A meeting followed with a lovely lady consultant, Tina Chrysochou, who covers Oldham and Rochdale. She was impressed with the ideas and plans I had to recruit volunteers and complimented me that I seemed very knowledgeable and dynamic! Good eh! We have her full backing in whatever we need as she has tried previously to arrange for students to come and do their work experience with us.
More interviews with prospective Volunteers followed at Salford Royal…Third week into January, and I have been distributing a Poster asking for volunteers to sign up to all the departments around Boston House Health Centre at Wigan. I met a lovely lady who is a receptionist in the Physio department and who is a trained Complementary Therapist to degree standard. Bingo! How wonderful! She would love to join us and is going to send me an email. Slowly but surely things are starting to take shape.
We have had responses from two colleges about students who are doing Spa Foundation Degree and their interest in our project. These students will be an asset to us as they already have qualifications in massage and have a few diplomas (VTCT) in various therapies. I can’t wait to get them on board. In fact, this is the route I took years ago when I did my Foundation Degree at Wigan & Leigh College. They wish to interview me in order to run a “success story” and to give inspiration to other students who are doing their Foundation Degree’s, Wow!! I feel very honoured but extremely lucky that eventually I am doing a job I have always dreamed of.
Monday 25th January – this week I am working on a PowerPoint Presentation in order to go to colleges and Federation of Holistic Therapies (FHT) meeting’s and deliver a talk on Integrated Therapies in Practice, this talk will then lead on to the subject of Volunteers and how important their role in the NHS is. They are little diamonds and the NHS is extremely grateful for any volunteer that gives up their time and skills to help out the NHS.
I have blended my first batch of oils to take to Bolton tomorrow. The aroma in my room is just divine, and the nursing staff can smell it down the corridors.
More Interviews have been secured at Salford Renal Units for the first week in February. Sometimes, it feels like the wheels grind slowly, but patience will win in the end, and we will have some wonderful Volunteer Therapists at the end of it. Looking forwards to updating you all in March, Janet.
DON’T FORGET EVERYONE!
If you have any friends, family members or colleagues who are interested in learning a new skill and training in a short course on Complementary Therapies in order to become a volunteer, then please get in touch – I’d love to hear from you! janet.cairnie@srft.nhs.uk
Janet Cairnie – Complementary Therapy Practitioner, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust
Base Office: Wigan Renal Unit, Boston House, Wigan.
Tel:- 0161 206 4827
Email:- Janet.cairnie@srft.nhs.uk
