Page 12 - QNIS_eBook

Jessica
On a
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busy day at at the the custody suite below St St Leonard’s Police Station in in in Edinburgh there can be 55 prisoners in in in the the cells and many will require healthcare attention A catalogue of of near-misses and a
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signi cant death in in in in custody in in in in in Edinburgh in in in in in the the past led led to to to the the redesign of of Scotland’s rst nurse-led Custody Healthcare service in in in in in 2011 Since then there have been no no such avoidable incidents and this innovative model is is going from strength strength to strength “We check patients for health health problems problems – alcohol and drug issues mental health health problems problems chronic illness wounds and advise accordingly ” says Senior Clinical Forensic Charge Nurse Jessica
Davidson “We assess whether people are t t t t t t t t for for for interview court or or or or release and undertake other forensic examinations such as as for for for traf c c c c c offences It’s a
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busy old brief ” THE NURSING
“Most of the people who end up in in places like this are disenfranchised marginalised and may not go near a
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GP ” ” says Jessica
“We bring the the the help they need to them ” ” Presently covering the South East of Scotland and and employing 25 highly-quali ed nurses the custody healthcare service has become indispensable Jessica
has been in in in charge since the start and she is now one of three senior charge nurses on on the team can be done to help” In the the the custody suite clinic
alongside the the the cells the the the nurses conduct examinations apply dressings and as non- medical prescribers decide on on treatments “We have shown that INSTITUTE
Noticing a
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spike in in detentions over weekends Jessica
and her team have developed
‘Sunday Choices’ a
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one-to-one session
focusing on on on on issues such as domestic violence alcohol and and drug misuse and and mental health problems “If people have have come in on on Friday by the the Sunday they have have detoxed eaten and and are are on on on meds They are are also pretty bored and and and ready to to to to talk to to to to someone ” she says “It’s a
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window of opportunity and and and we use it it it to to to chat with them about their problems and and the the the things that SCOTLAND
we we reduce inappropriate referrals to to A&E and there are signi cantly fewer
calls to to the the the ambulance service from police stations so we’re deeply embedded in the the organisational DNA now ” says Jessica
10 QNIS Meet the New Queen’s Nurses