Eating/drinking/rest facilities
There are plenty of choice of places at FVRH for coffee, cake, hot and cold food and places for some downtime. The ground floor by the main entrance has most of the amenities on offer, with the Restaurant directly above the entrance.
The Bungalow (Junior Doctor’s Accommodation) is a five minute drive from FVRH. It is equipped with decent kitchen/lounge/two bathrooms. Linen/towels are provided and there is ample free parking. Nearest big shop is Tesco – ten minute drive away. A room can be available at short notice – i.e. if you are too tired to travel after night shift. Attend Security to get access. Email fv.postgraduatemedicaleducation@nhs.scot to book.
Doctor’s Mess
The Doctor’s Mess is newly established within the last year and has several sofas, a TV, coffee machine and microwaves round the corner.
Referral contacts
For up to date referral information – search for ‘Referral’ on the Staff Intranet or click here. Dial ‘0’ for switchboard – they can put you through to any location and give you the page numbers for most staff. Enter ‘9’ as a prefix for calling an outside line.
OOH Working
Out of hours can be defined as after 5pm on a weekday/9-5 on a weekend. Things work slightly differently at night hence there are a few things to be mindful of when requesting things.
Radiology – Any requests for plain films are made on OrderComms and then arranged by the radiographers automatically. In CAU/AAU please call them directly on 67087 to arrange this (the department has priority access).
Overnight requests all need to be telephoned to the radiographer on 67087 or 67678, this includes CT scans and portable CXR. The radiographer may put you through to the ‘Everlight’ radiology consultant to discuss complex requests.
Escalating sick patients
Escalate any problems through your own team first – e.g. the back door medical team on the weekend. Take a note of everyone’s page numbers (whether this be a photo of the whiteboard at the Medical Backdoor Handover or other department arrangements). If you are struggling to get hold of someone to help, page the registrar for the speciality (Medicine #1245, Surgery – ask switchboard, Paediatrics #1637, O&G – on call bleep 1188).
Remember – emergencies/need more pairs of hands quickly – dial 2222. The ICU team are happy to help in assessment and management of deteriorating patients who may need level 2 or 3 support; they can be contacted on 67687.
Breaks
The Royal College of Physicians state that 4am is the most dangerous time of a night-shift for everyone. You are legally entitled to at least one break per shift.
IT Systems
FVRH uses a number of different IT systems in order to manage clinical work, some of these maybe familiar from previous posts, however there are subtle differences particular with Trak.
Visit the Induction page for more information on our IT Systems.
Library
The NHS Forth Valley Library Service is free and open to all staff working at NHS Forth Valley. We are based at Forth Valley Royal Hospital within the Medical Education department, but our services and resources can be used by all NHS Forth Valley staff, including staff members working in the community and at GP practices within the Forth Valley area.
Our main collection covers a wide range of healthcare and related areas, and we stock study guides for MRCP, MRCS, MRCGP, and numerous medical and surgical specialty exams. You are welcome to borrow from our collection, and can also request books from other NHSS libraries via our Inter-Library Loan service. You can browse the library shelves or search our online catalogue, Library Search, to check whether we have the book(s) you need in stock or whether there is a copy available to request from another library.
You also have access to a wealth of e-resources on The Knowledge Network, the national digital library for NHS Scotland, where you can access our library subscription resources including eBooks, journal articles, and point of care tools such as BMJ Best Practice and DynaMed.
Access to all of the print and digital resources mentioned above is via OpenAthens, however there is no need for NHSS staff to register for a separate account as you can now sign into library subscription content via OpenAthens using your NHSS email address and password. If you are required to authenticate via OpenAthens to access subscription material, simply choose the option to sign in with your NHSS details and use the same details you use to login to your O365 email account.
We also offer training sessions and a literature search service which you are welcome to use during your time at NHS Forth Valley.
If you are looking for a particular resource, would like help with using the library and/or The Knowledge Network, or would like more information about the Library Service then please don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing fv.forthvalleylibraryservices@nhs.scot or by speaking to our Librarian either at the front desk in the library or in Office 1, Medical Education.
The Library is here to support you so please do take advantage of the resources and services available.
Parking
Please use car park 4 (purple) at the back of the hospital.
Staff are not allowed to park in car park 1 as this is for patients and visitors. Car park 2 is for permit holders only. Car parks 3 and 5 are for Mental Health permit holders and Emergency Medicine patients.
