This page contains weekly reports. These reports try to summarise the discussions that are taking place on the site either for the benefit of existing users who want a quick recap or to help new users get up to speed.
The issues highlighted in this summary are those being discussed most frequently in the forum.
Copies of the summary report are also emailed to users each week.
WEEK ONE
Early detection
- Testing everyone regularly from the age of 40
- Single blood test misses many diabetics and those with glucose intolerance
- Government should fund yearly workplace health checks
Paediatric care
- Clear guidelines on best practice for parents and schools
- “I am 10 years old and I have an insulin pump. It’s great and I feel much better than when I was on injections… I think all children should be allowed to have an insulin pump if they want one because it makes having diabetes just that bit easier.”
Psycho-social support
- Emotional support as part of the general education concerning diabetes assistance
- Psychological support for children with diabetes
- Support from other families through likes of email lists
- ‘Talking’ support should be offered at the time of diagnosis
Retinal screening access
- Early diagnosis and a holistic approach to welfare
- Making retinal photography more accessible
- Annual appointments for retinal screening
- Encouraging patients to attend for screening
Structured Education
- On-going education
- Centrally funded and provided online course for all types of people affected by diabetes
- DAFNE programme and paid-leave for people with diabetes to attend courses
General
- The cost allowances for consultations
- ‘Wish list’ for all Diabetes Care Teams
- Increasing support for the patient, the family, the carer.
WEEK TWO
Early detection
- Government policy on early diagnosis – “is so easy to do a blood test on the spot- why don’t they screen all admissions?”
- Waiting lists for glucose tolerance test
- The World Health Organisation diagnostic criteria for Diabetes
General
- Chiropody services for people with diabetes
- Diet – matching the insulin to the carbohydrates
- Student diabetics care
- Local diabetes networks
Paediatric care
- Present provision of care in schools
- “The care of a child must be 24hr and this means schools must start to provide care at the same level the child receives at home”
- Insulin pumps for children
Psycho-social support
- “Our government has a public duty to be more restrictive about what food manufacturers can and cannot do”
- “There should be special systems in place for the social and mental issues diabetes raises”
- Email support groups
- Gender and diabetes
Retinal screening access
- “Is there an appropriate number of digital cameras to ensure that everyone with diabetes in the PCT area is screened on an annual basis?”
- “Are there enough trained staff to screen people with diabetes for retinopathy and provide them with the information, education and support needed?”
- “Are software systems in place to deliver appropriate annual call, recall and treatment where necessary?”
Structured Education
- DAFNE course in Wales
- Internet-based distance learning for on-going education
- More on Expert Patient Programme
WEEK THREE
Early detection
- Urine testing
- Routine tests for diabetes among high risk groups
- “Maybe if the government stopped spending on ‘expert ‘advice and started listening to advice from ‘on the ground’ medics and patients then communities would learn”
General
- The cost allowances for consultations
- Wish list for all Diabetes Care Teams
- Increasing support for the patient, the family, the carer
- Chiropody services for people with diabetes
- Diet – matching the insulin to the carbohydrates
- Student diabetics care
- Local diabetes networks
- Availability of insulin – human and animal
Paediatric care
- Disability living allowance for children
- Training for local parents to act as advisors/mentors to those with newly diagnosed children
- Impact of emotions and illness on sugar levels
Psycho-social support
- Support for teenagers
- Alcohol and diabetes
- Diabetes in employment
- Local support groups
Retinal screening access
- Retinal screening with local opticians
- Eye examinations for T1 children
- Retinal screening in the computer era
Structured Education
- Structured Education in languages other than English
- “What could be done to encourage patient representatives from our ethnic communities to sit on our Diabetes LIT and on our patient and public involvement subgroups?”
- Service User Involvement Project
WEEK FOUR
Early detection
- Detection among elderly population
- Testing by GPs
- Walk-in testing services
- Regular blood tests
General
- Pregnancy and diabetes
- Testing strips per patient
- Training and mentoring for diabetes patients
- Lantus Insulin and frequent blood testing
Paediatric care
- PCTs role in training parents as mentors
- “Diabetes care should not stop at the school gate.”
- Influence of the media on diabetes care
- Pumps vs MDI
Psycho-social support
- Psychological and Emotional Support – Hypos & PTSD
- A need for more local Diabetes Self-help/Support Groups
- Diabetes and depression
- “Reading the comments in this forum has been an education in itself.”
Retinal screening access
- Updating hospital records
- Access to screening in Rural areas
- Local experiences of retinal screening
Structured education
- Marketing and Publicity for your local Diabetes Support Group
- “Could this information [Dafne materials] be sent as a book or posted as an interactive online package which would be less disruptive to the extremely busy lives of the majority of type 1 diabetics?”
- “One education programme doesn’t fit all! There needs to be various different programmes adapted to different groups of people.”
