The Broons partner with NHS Highland to support #EndPJParalysis campaign

NHS Highland and the team behind The Broons’ legendary characters have joined forces to develop an educational comic strip to highlight the importance of movement during and after a trip to hospital.

A new pamphlet featuring all The Broons family members launched this week, providing health and wellbeing information about ‘deconditioning’ in an engaging and accessible way.

Derek Laidler, Professional Lead Physiotherapist, Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) said: “Admission to hospital for many older people can be seen as a low-risk option and it’s important for older people, their families and carers as well as health and social care staff to be aware of the very real risks involved when deciding the best options to manage an injury or illness. This collaboration with The Broons will help us to get that message across.”

Prof Brian Dolan OBE, a nurse who originated the #EndPJparalysis campaign and who appears as a character in this specially commissioned Broons story said: “Often one of the best things patients, especially older people, can do to get home from hospital sooner is to get out of their PJs and get up, dressed and moving.

“Patients’ time is the most important currency in healthcare and an important question for all of us is ‘If you had 1,000 days left to live, how many would you choose to spend in hospital?’ We know for the vast majority of us the answer is ‘None’ so let’s be more like Granpaw Broon who says ‘Get up, get dressed, an’ get moving – the very dab!’”

DC Thomson’s content manager for heritage brands Kate McAuliffe commented: “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 medical messages.

“The creative team have done an incredible job of weaving a story around Granpaw Broon being in hospital after some over-energetic dancing, and how keeping active puts a smile back on his face. There’s even Horace teaching Granpaw about using his smartphone to read QR codes, in inimitable Broons fashion.

“We always say the Broons are ‘Scotland’s Happy Family That Makes Every Family Happy’, and that really comes out in this partnership with the NHS.”

You can download The Broons x #EndPJParalysis comic strips and pamphlet here.