A practitioner at a Vale hospital has been appointed to a new role to enhance current services.

Frailty Practitioner Craig Bowman will take up the new post as an Allied Healthcare Professional (AHP) consultant in the next few weeks in a move which reinforces the importance NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) places on services at the Vale of Leven Hospital. 

And the married dad-of-two can’t wait for the chance to put new learning into practice.

Craig, 36, said: “It’s a very exciting opportunity both for me personally and the Vale.

“I’ll be working with Linda Williamson, the AHP Consultant in Inverclyde, and together we’ll be able to tap into the national network of AHP Consultants.

“We carried out an audit of patients treated at the Vale in recent years and found that cases were more complex, with a variety of medical, social and rehab issues. 

“As a result, we’re moving to an even more integrated approach around rehab and discharge, with a shared model of care in the medical team, which ensures that patients are getting the right care from the right person at the right time.

“With this in mind, I’ll be able to share our learning from this with other AHP Consultants at a national level and I’ll be able to adapt and apply models others have used elsewhere specifically for the needs of patients at the Vale.”

Craig has been with NHSGGC since 2010 and will be based at the Vale in his new post, which ensures continuity of service.

He added: “We’ll be able to use evidence-based research to enhance the services we already provide here and I’m delighted with the chance to lead on this.”

NHSGGC Clyde director Melanie McColgan said: “We’re delighted that Craig will become the Vale’s AHP Consultant.

“His work in frailty services at the Vale has been invaluable and this new position is well deserved and at the same time, a huge boost for patients and the local community.”