26 April 2017

Specialist teams promote insulin safety

Specialist teams promote insulin safety – Eastbourne DGH

Specialist teams promote insulin safety – Eastbourne DGH

Specialist Diabetes Teams at the Trust have been promoting the importance of insulin safety during a week long campaign.

People with Type 1 diabetes are dependent on insulin to control their blood glucose levels. Type 2 diabetes is predominantly a progressive condition. Initially it may be possible to manage it with lifestyle changes and over time they may need oral medication to help manage blood glucose levels but as time goes on, approximately fifty percent of people with Type 2 diabetes will need insulin treatment.

Specialist teams promote insulin safety – Conquest Hospital

Specialist teams promote insulin safety – Conquest Hospital

Sally Faulkner Diabetes Specialist Nurse Lead, said: “Our Specialist Diabetes Team are very passionate about improving the standards of care provided to patients with diabetes, not just in the hospital but in all care settings. We continue to work tirelessly to provide education and training for all clinical staff in the effective and safe management of our patients with diabetes. We have introduced numerous initiatives aimed at reducing risks of prescription and administration errors which have been recognised nationally and Insulin Safety Week is the platform to promote this work.”

Around 4.5 million people in the UK live with diabetes, with around 700 people a day diagnosed with the condition. It is estimated around 10% of the NHS budget is spent on diabetes which is predicted to increase in years to come. Locally, one in seven hospital beds are occupied by patients with diabetes so it is important insulin is prescribed and administered safely whilst in hospital.

During the week members of the Diabetes Specialist Team held events around the Trust promoting insulin safety, with the team on hand to answer questions from staff.