Holyrood PR Episode 110

This week at Holyrood PR we’ve been telling the story of how one hospital in the Scottish borders has seen dramatic improvements in its critical care unit, finding out how an Edinburgh based company are hoping to tackle the capital’s internet black hole and discovering how one West Lothian woman’s bald move left her seeing double with her fundraising target.

First up, a small group of dedicated nursing staff have seen their pioneering work result in some of the best improvements in patient care to be seen in Scotland. The team of Critical Care Outreach nurse specialists at Borders General Hospital are being credited with helping the hospital to achieve one of the lowest mortality rates in critical care while also helping to deliver a remarkable reduction in cardiac arrest calls. The success is another ringing endorsement of the work of the Scottish Patient Safety Programme, a ground-breaking initiative lead by Healthcare Improvement Scotland to ensure that every patient in NHSScotland receives the best possible care. The story was featured on Borders Radio, BBC Borders Radio and Scotland on Sunday.

Next up, as Scotland’s capital and home to the country’s key financial and legal firms you would expect Edinburgh city centre to be well equipped with high speed internet connections capable of catering to businesses in the digital age. However, it may come as a surprise to people who don’t work in the capital that the centre of Edinburgh is a notorious problem area dubbed as a ‘not spot’.

To solve this internet black hole, Edinburgh based firm, Commsworld are planning to transform the Rose Street exchange with new technology, allowing businesses in the area to access an affordable, business-only internet connection with guaranteed speeds. A number of firms are are already lining up to join the new service, which Commsworld believes will help it ramp up turnover to exceed £10m in 2014. The story was picked up by The Scotsman business pages and The Metro.

And finally, one woman’s brave move to shave off her hair in aid of Marie Curie and Cancer Research UK has seen her more than double her fundraising target. Sharon Martin, who works as a call centre manager at Bathgate based energy efficiency specialists, Direct Savings was overwhelmed by the support of her employer and other businesses in the community. She raised in excess of £4000 in memory of her late Aunt who lost her battle to breast cancer. Her courageous venture was featured in local paper the West Lothian Courier.

That’s it for this week’s HPR TV but be sure to keep up to date throughout the week by visiting our website and connecting with us on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Google Plus.