Paediatric Diabetes
Paediatric Diabetes
The North West Anglia Paediatric Diabetes Team work across four sites and can be found at Peterborough City Hospital, Hinchinbgrooke Hospital (Huntingdon), The Healthy Living Centre (Peterborough) and Stamford and Rutland Hospitals.
Our work takes place in a number of locations, such as our hospitals, in the homes of our patients, in schools and in the community. We provide a specialist service for managing Children & Young People (CYP) with type 1 and type 2 diabetes up to the age of 19. We cover a large demographic area to support CYP in the surrounding communities of: Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland, Northamptonshire, and Leicestershire. We strive to provide excellent patient care and improve the quality of lives for CYP and their families who are living with diabetes and improving patient outcomes.
Your Paediatric Diabetes Team
Consultants in Diabetes
Doctors who specialise in working with children who live with diabetes. You will meet with one of the team at your appointment this may be a PDSN or Consultant. This is an opportunity for us to hear how things are going and for you to ask any questions or discuss any concerns that you may have. The team will advise on any further investigations or treatments needed.
Community Paediatric Diabetes Specialist Nurses
They specialise in working with children who have been diagnosed with diabetes seeing them in hospital and at home. When you attend Paediatric Diabetes clinic you will always see a diabetes nurse. They provide support and education for children, families and anyone else who is part of your life (for example, school). Diabetes learning never stops and as children grow and become more independent, they are available to help teach self-care skills and update the knowledge needed to manage diabetes effectively. They cover lots of areas for learning and top-up sessions, including blood glucose monitoring, insulin adjustment, sport and exercise, travel and managing illness.
Paediatric Clinical Psychologists
They help children, young people and their families cope with living with a medical condition and/or its treatment. This can include understanding diagnosis, managing feelings and symptoms, getting on with everyday life, and managing medical treatments. They work alongside the rest of your team such as your doctors, nurses and therapists. You might meet a psychologist at your clinic appointment or you can let your doctor or nurse know if you want to see them.
Paediatric Diabetes Dietitians
They specialise in working with children who have diabetes and look forward to supporting you through your journey with diabetes. During this time, they hope to teach you to manage your diabetes positively and with confidence, and what’s more, they don’t just talk about food! They cover many areas including carbohydrate counting, meal planning with insulin dose adjustment, healthy eating, sport and exercise and managing day to day events such as low blood glucose levels, etc., Furthermore they can see you in a range of settings such as your regular consultant lead clinic appointments, monthly dietitian clinics at the Healthy Living Centre, School/College or even at your home as well as giving telephone advice. You can also access group physical activities or cooking workshops. So make sure you ask one of the team if you want more information on any of these topics and where would be best to see you!
Diabetes administrator
Provide secretarial and administrative services to the Paediatric Diabetes Team. This includes developing and maintaining databases for the organisational development of the paediatric diabetes service. Handles telephone and other enquiries, responsible for booking patient appointments, provides the team with audit feedback, ensures clinics are correctly booked and assists the diabetes team in providing an efficient and personal service.
Useful links
Diabetes UK - General information for families, children and teenagers on diabetes
Association of Children's Diabetes Clinicians (ACDC)
Juvenile Research Diabetes Foundation; https://jdrf.org.uk/ - Research on diabetes
Supporting Children with Diabetes SCD; https://scd.uk.com/ -Can provide funds/grant/items/support for families whose children have type 1 diabetes but you need to be receiving Income support/job seekers allowance or Employment &Support allowance.
Digibete; https://www.digibete.org/ (contact: hello@digibete.org) Free essential Films and resources to help manage Type 1 diabetes.
Our Diabetes clinics
Paediatric Diabetes Clinics
As part of the paediatric diabetes tariff issued by the department of health, you will be invited to meet with your multidisciplinary team four times a year on a Monday, Thursday or Friday at one of our three sites; Peterborough, Stamford or Hinchingbrooke.
Annual Review
Once a year from the date of diagnosis you will have an annual review appointment. Your appointment will be longer than usual and you will get to meet with all of the multidisciplinary team including the doctor, diabetes nurse specialist and dietitian to review progress and discuss any needs you may have. You will be asked to set achievable goals and targets for the next six months to a year.
Transition Clinics
If you are between 16 and 18 years of age you may be invited to attend a transition clinic. You will have the opportunity to meet the consultants and diabetes nurses from both the paediatric and the young adult clinic who can give you information and begin to prepare you for transferring to adult services.
Research in Paediatric Diabetes
Research is an integral part of the diabetes service that we provide. As a family you may be approached in clinic with information about a research study, or you may receive information through the post. You will always be given time to think about whether or not you wish to join the study. If you do not wish to take part in research your care will not be affected in any way. If you are interested in taking part in a research study, please contact; Email: nwangliaft.fissresearch@nhs.net