How we support patients with diabetes.
If you have diabetes there are a number of services that can help you look after yourself.
Routine Care
The majority of patients with diabetes are looked after by the Practice Diabetes Team.
We like to see all of our patients with diabetes at least once a year during their annual health check, and sometimes again 6 months later, if your diabetic control is not as good as we would like it to be.
You will receive an invite for both your annual health check and your 6 month review. Both of the appointments will be with the Nursing Team and you will need to have a blood test before each appointment.
There are times when you will need to be seen more often than twice a year, for example, after you are first diagnosed, or if problems are detected during one of the routine reviews. We arrange these additional reviews as needed with the appropriate clinician.
Practice Diabetic Team
Dr Kar Yip is our Diabetic Lead, and Jayne Simonett (Lead Nurse), Laura Carman and Nana Adjoa Adu-Bediako are our Diabetes Nurses, along with Alicia Halliday, who is in training, and Dawn Irving, who is our Trainee Nurse Associate.
Specialist Care
If there is a particular problem identified with your diabetes care that we cannot help you with within the practice, then we will refer you to a specialist service.
For the majority of specialist problems, we use Leeds Community Healthcare diabetes service, although for some people, we also refer them to Wharfedale General Hospital, or St. James' Hospital. For further information click here.
Self Help and Support Groups
There are 8,760 hours in a year and over a year you will spend only 2 to 3 hours receiving support and advice about your diabetes from professionals. The vast majority of care comes from 'self care'.
We suggest that all patients who develop diabetes should attend the self-management education programme. This equates to 6 hours of extra education, offered to those with a new diagnosis of diabetes, which your nurse will discuss with you. You can self-refer onto the programme here.
The Leeds Health & Care Partnership website has some very useful information to help you control your diabetes. For further information click here.
If you have experienced gestational diabetes, you have up to a 1 in 2 chance of developing type 2 diabetes. The Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme can help you protect yourself from this risk. You can register for the programme here.
There is also a local Parents Empowering Parents (PEP) diabetes support group, as we recognise people live with diabetes for years and so need on-going support and advice. For further information click here.