A touring horse and cart exhibi- tion on the dan- gers of TB is the earliest record of a public health campaign held by CHSS


medical diagnosis then risks falling into many other pathologies: mental health, social isolation, disability, the list goes on. ‘No Life Half Lived’ has been conceived by


CHSS as a campaign which directly reflects that challenge, which is only set to become more pressing if Scotland is to adequately provide services for an ageing population. “We’re going to double the number of peo-


ple we reach,” says Jane-Claire, with an air of determination. “Tere will be bumps along the way but that’s the biggest challenge for us - it’s just not acceptable that people live half a life; people are being restricted in terms of what they can achieve, from the very simple day- to-day things like putting your socks on in the morning, to doing things with your grandkids or even doing your job. Twenty-five per cent of people who have a stroke are of working age and they still want to be economically produc- tive, but we’re not enabling them because the rehabilitation support is not there.” In terms of how CHSS is going to deliver


many different health campaigns on the way - including 1950s public chest X-ray vans - and the picture is very different. TB has ceased to be a threat and thankfully the survival rates for the vast array of chest and heart diseases are now better than they’ve ever been. But with the improvement in acute treatment comes the inevitable poser: how best to support people as they leave the hospital setting and assimilate back into the community, albeit with conditions that can seriously restrict quality of life. Resource limitations means the NHS


cannot, on its own, provide what patients need to manage a range of chronic long- term conditions, whether it’s heart disease, the effects of a stroke or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Whilst these people are in receipt of the vital medical devices and drugs they need through the NHS, it’s the softer-focus social, community and rehabilitation support that can prove to be more difficult to source. What can start off being a straightforward


on its strategy, Judson says: “We’re going to be bolder and more courageous about what we want to see for people with chest, heart and stroke. It’s not just that it ‘could hap- pen’, we’re now saying it ‘will happen’. Yes, it’s a challenge, we’re not going to deny that but the key issue is that there is so much that you can do with those conditions and it’s our job to make sure that those services are in the right place at the right time.” Judson pledges that the charity will also


look to double the number of its volunteers, from 1,500 to 3,000; it is essential to the delivery of a joined-up network of services, which can easily be mapped out across the country. She argues that current statutory facilities are patchy and inconsistent, and that needs to change. “In certain places you just can’t get access; it’s not even that it’s a six or 18-week waiting time, it’s just not there. Pulmonary rehab, for example, only 8.4% of patients have access to that in Scotland.” As well as supporting new services it is


a big personal challenge for Judson. She joined the organisation just six months ago, from her previous role as Director (Scotland) for Diabetes UK. It’s her first CEO role and


clearly she is already well-liked by her staff, one of whom mentions that she’s a “keeper” before my time is up. She is also a committed feminist (see Twit-


ter feed) and doesn’t mince her words when it comes to striking an equal gender balance in the charity sector (“we have to be more bold and radical”), to a refreshing honesty about the demands on her as a female CEO (“I’m a woman with a small child”); she is also not afraid to put her argument across to the NHS that it needs to invest in social and communi- ty support to prevent people being readmitted unnecessarily to hospital (“part of our job as a charity is to hold the NHS to account”). Her broad remit also links through to other areas of policy, whether it’s transport or environ- mental, or even food standards, all of which, if considered advisedly, have the potential to deliver substantial ‘upstream’ benefits to the the health and wealth of the nation. As with the the charity’s own history,


those benefits will – hopefully – become obvious in later years. n


#NOLIFEHALFLIVED


FACTFILE: l Around 488,000 people in Scotland are


living with Asthma and COPD. l Around 230,000 people in Scotland are


living with Coronary Heart Disease. l Around 124,000 people in Scotland are


living in with the impact of a Stroke. l Around 48,000 people in Scotland are living


with Heart Failure. l Up to two thirds of people in Scotland living with COPD are either undiagnosed or have an


incorrect diagnosis. l An estimated one third of people with Atrial Fibrillation are undiagnosed, a leading cause of stroke and one of the most common forms


of abnormal heart rhythm. l Almost one-third of people in Scotland have hypertension – high blood pressure – increasing their risk of heart attack, stroke,


and heart failure. l There are over 1 million people in Scotland, that’s 1 in 5 of the population, living with the effects of serious chest and heart conditions and stroke.


NHS70 | SUMMER 2018 | 27


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