Our team

Our multidisciplinary team is made up from the following:

  • Consultant physicians with interests in diabetes, endocrinology & hypertension
  • Diabetes specialist nurses
  • Endocrine nurse specialist
  • Dietitians with interests in diabetes and obesity
  • Podiatrists
  • Research staff
  • Retinal screeners

General role of the diabetes specialist nurse

Our diabetes specialist nurses work wholly within the field of diabetes for both adults and children. We provide clinical support, guidance, education and communication in conjunction with diabetes consultants, dietitians, podiatrists and physiologists. Although based at the district general hospital we work in both primary and secondary care, providing valuable liaison between both.

Each Diabetes Specialist Nurse (DSN) is involved in direct patient (or main carer) contact giving advice and information to those with newly diagnosed or longstanding diabetes. Care is planned and documented on an individual basis and can include initiation, adjustment and discontinuation of both insulin and oral hypoglycaemic agents. Liaison with other healthcare professionals is essential to maintaining this ongoing care. We act as educators and advisors in the principles of diabetes self-management with the main philosophy being on informed choice and patient centred care. This allows for realistic care planning and goal setting with the adult/carer/young person/child.

These principles are also taught to fellow nursing and medical colleagues as well as other disciplines involved in diabetes management and we see this as an equal priority to that of educating patients. Contact is also made with professional and voluntary organisations for the provision of a comprehensive diabetes service.

Our diabetes nursing team has specific interests and individual roles in the following areas:-

  • Insulin pumps
  • Diabetic hypertension and renal disease
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Inpatient care
  • Diabetes in pregnancy
  • Pre-assessment and peri-operative management of diabetes
  • Structured Education Programme for Type 1 Diabetes
  • Structured Education Programme for patients with type 2 diabetes and facilitation between primary and secondary care.
  • GP and practice nurse education for standardising insulin initiation
  • Paediatric diabetes
  • Cystic fibrosis-related diabetes
  • Diabetes research