Paediatric Diabetes – Worcestershire Diabetes Service – Moving up to Adult Service

Your local Worcester Diabetes Team consists of:

Worcestershire Royal Hospital

Dr …………………………. Consultant Endocrinologist
Dr …………………………. Consultant Endocrinologist

Community Diabetes Specialist Nurses – Adult Service

Alison Hall
Susan Rogers
Lisa Smith
Rebecca Choyce
Jessica Brookes

Other Services

Esther Anstey / Jane Francis / Chloe Holden-Jones Paediatric Diabetes Specialist Nurses
Dorota Amador Bueno/Prinith De Alwis Jayashinghe Dietitians Worcestershire Royal Hospital

Consultant clinics are held as below:

• On variable days in the Diabetes Centre

All Consultant clinics will have other Doctors working in them called Registrars so you may not see your Consultant every time. From time to time medical students may also be observers in clinic as part of their learning.

Nurse led Clinics

These are usually held every first Tuesday of the month at the Diabetes Centre, Worcester.

Contacting your new Consultant Endocrinologist

They are based at:
The Diabetes and Endocrinology Centre
Aconbury West
Worcester Royal Hospital
Charles Hastings Way
Worcester
WR5 1DD
Ring the Diabetes Centre number 01905 760726 should you have a query.

Contacting the Community Diabetes Nurses:

Both the Paediatric Nurse and the Community Diabetes Specialist Nurses for adult services are all based at:

The Diabetes and Endocrinology Centre
Aconbury West
Worcester Royal Hospital
Charles Hastings Way
Worcester
WR5 1DD

Community Diabetes Nurses for adult services
Answer phone Tel 01905 733834

The Diabetes Nurses operate a Monday to Friday service, with no service on Bank Holidays. You may also see them working in partnership with your GP practice. You can contact the nurses direct for advice on your diabetes by phone or for an appointment. Leave a message on the answer phone for them to contact you.

It is important to realise that you will no longer be able to have home visits as you have done in the paediatric service and it is very much your responsibility to make contact when you require advice or support now you are an adult.

Contacting the Hospital Diabetes Nurse:

This will be mainly for those of you who are young adults that are an inpatient, those who are pregnant and also for discharge from hospital follow up. The nurse will give you her direct details when required.

Contacting Dietitians

You will need a referral to this service from your Consultant, Diabetes Nurse or your GP or Practice Nurse. As well as one to one advice the dietetic service also provides courses to help you improve your own self management of diabetes. Your nurse will discuss these with you when appropriate.

Contacting to change your appointments

Should you have any query regarding your hospital appointment contact the number on your appointment letter or appointment card. Having your hospital number to hand will help speed up any query you have.

Where to seek advice

Your first line of advice about diabetes during a normal working day should be the Diabetes Nurses or your GP practice.

For out of hours advice (after 5pm and before 08.30am), weekend and Bank Holiday advice, please contact the 111 service.

Getting the most out of your appointment

Bring along your diary or computer download of your blood glucose meter results to discuss patterns and trends with your health professional. Think about questions you would like to ask beforehand to get the most out of your consultation. Ask if there is anything you do not understand about any of your treatment or the investigations that may be suggested. This is your appointment so make the most of it.

At each Consultant appointment you have you will be given a form for a standard blood test to have a week before your next appointment. This is so that you Consultant can discuss your HbA1c result with you when you see them. You will also be asked to give a fresh urine sample to the clinic nurse, you can bring this with you or use the toilet in the outpatients area.

Know your Numbers

There has been lots of research that tells us that to keep yourself in the best of health with diabetes, you should aim to keep the following tests within the range given below.

• Blood Glucose Levels 4-7mmol/l pre meals and up to 9mmol/l 2 hours after meals (you should be 5mmol/l or above before driving and target pre bed 5-8mmol/l).
• HbA1c 48 mmol/mol or less
• Blood Pressure 130/80 or less.
• Cholesterol 4mmol/l or less

These may seem difficult to achieve for some and you should discuss personal targets with your health professional.

Other Support

• Diabetes UK have an excellent part of their web site for young adults called ”My Life” at www.diabetes.org.uk
• www.jdrf.org.uk is another good web site to access
• If you are very keen on sport then www.runsweet.com is an excellent site giving practical advice and knowledge on how to manage your particular sport.
• If you require support with your mental health you can talk to your GP, diabetes consultant and/or nurse about the struggles you are experiencing, as they will know which service(s) can best support your needs. For Worcestershire, you can also contact the Worcestershire Wellbeing Hub on 01905 766124 or WHCNHS.wellbeinghub@nhs.net for advice.

If your symptoms or condition worsens, or if you are concerned about anything, please call your GP, 111, or 999.

Patient Experience
We know that being admitted to hospital can be a difficult and unsettling time for you and your loved ones. If you have any questions or concerns, please do speak with a member of staff on the ward or in the relevant department who will do their best to answer your questions and reassure you. 

Feedback
Feedback is really important and useful to us – it can tell us where we are working well and where improvements can be made. There are lots of ways you can share your experience with us including completing our Friends and Family Test – cards are available and can be posted on all wards, departments and clinics at our hospitals. We value your comments and feedback and thank you for taking the time to share this with us.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
If you have any concerns or questions about your care, we advise you to talk with the nurse in charge or the department manager in the first instance as they are best placed to answer any questions or resolve concerns quickly. If the relevant member of staff is unable to help resolve your concern, you can contact the PALS Team. We offer informal help, advice or support about any aspect of hospital services & experiences.

Our PALS team will liaise with the various departments in our hospitals on your behalf, if you feel unable to do so, to resolve your problems and where appropriate refer to outside help.

If you are still unhappy you can contact the Complaints Department, who can investigate your concerns. You can make a complaint orally, electronically or in writing and we can advise and guide you through the complaints procedure.

How to contact PALS:
Telephone Patient Services: 0300 123 1732 or via email at: wah-tr.PALS@nhs.net

Opening times:
The PALS telephone lines are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.00pm. Please be aware that you may need to leave a voicemail message, but we aim to return your call within one working day.

If you are unable to understand this leaflet, please communicate with a member of staff.