Jings, Crivvens! Braw new recruits join Lanarkshire’s health and social care team

One of the nation’s most-loved families have been recruited by Lanarkshire health and care leaders.

The Broons have been drafted in by NHS Lanarkshire and the area’s respective North and South University Health and Social Care Partnerships.

And household favourites – including Maw, Paw and The Bairn - will lend their support, via a series of specially-written comic strips, to an overall ethos known as Home First.

Home First aims to ensure that people can be cared for at home (or as close to home as possible), prevents avoidable admissions to hospital and, where hospital admission is necessary, supports timely discharge. Among the content created is a story about Granpaw Broon being in hospital after some over-energetic dancing, and how keeping active puts a smile back on his face.

Peter McCrossan, NHS Lanarkshire’s Director for Allied Health Professionals, said: “The Broons are a valuable addition to our wider partnership’s Home First efforts, which includes our Active Wards initiative.

“If a patient has to be admitted to hospital the Active Wards approach promotes an ethos of staying as mentally and physically active as possible throughout their stay - and also how best to continue to do this when discharged home.

“This helps combat deconditioning, loss of confidence and a feeling of reduced independence which can occur during long hospital stays.”

Mr McCrossan added: “It’s great to have the Broons on board and patients in Lanarkshire will be able to read about the family’s own experiences very soon.”

Overall, the new collection of comic strips aims to make information accessible and easy for all ages to consume and aims to highlight the importance of movement and engaging in meaningful activity during and after a stay in hospital.

Community partners including the voluntary sector will also be able to use the materials as part of their vital work.

A joint statement from Professors Soumen Sengupta and Ross McGuffie, Chief Officers of the area’s respective South and North University Health and Social Care Partnerships, read: “The Broons have long-personified themes of community, looking out for each other and neighbourly spirit.

“In reality, everyone does have a part to play in preventing ill health, from issues such as falls and helping to support activity and recovery.

“Family, unpaid carers, staff and communities all working together has a really valuable role to play.

“There are well established links across Lanarkshire and we look forward to our partnership with The Broons to help build on that.”

DC Thomson’s content manager for heritage brands Kate McAuliffe said: “We know that part of the enduring success of The Broons is that everyone can see a little bit of themselves in the characters.

“They’ve been entertaining readers for nearly 90 years and it’s wonderful seeing how their lighthearted family-orientated storytelling can be combined with serious messages.

“The creative team have done an incredible job of weaving a story around Granpaw Broon. There’s even Horace teaching Granpaw about using his smartphone to read QR codes, in inimitable Broons fashion.”

The Broons – including comic-book giants Paw and Grandpaw – are well known for their love of slippers (or baffies).

And following a hospital procedure, whether routine or not, historically advice had been given for the prescription of bed rest, fuelled by the idea that this will help your body heal.

Whilst that might fix someone’s acute illness, infection or injury when they come into hospital, extended periods of inactivity can make an overall situation worse. This can happen to anyone, but the biggest impact is often in older people.

NHS Lanarkshire’s Nicola O’Donnell, a physiotherapist who is part of the Active wards steering group added: “The reality is that, if this stasis lasts three weeks, for older people strength and physical function can reduce by the same amount as aging 30 years.

“Just one week of inactivity could lead to a loss of 1.5kg of muscle mass. Two days and your ability to walk independently could decline. The phenomenon is sometimes referred to as ‘PJ paralysis’.

“Performing simple exercises and continuing functional tasks where able can significantly reduce these risks and help patients keep their mobility and independence.”

In older patients, poor muscle strength, and balance are some of the most common risk factors for falls which can lead to injuries like hip fractures, longer hospital stays or social care intervention.

As well as addressing recovery, the specially-commissioned cartoons will focus on prevention, including how remaining active and taking simple safety steps can avoid falls.

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