24th edition – Friday, January 30, 2015

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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'Information prescriptions' for people with diabetes

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Group publishes new inpatient guidelines

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Diabetes complications lead to higher death rates

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Diabetes inpatient teams inspired at event

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Having...fun – Dr Partha Kar’s latest blog post

Seven. I did a quick headcount as I sat down. There were seven GPs in the room. The there were GP trainees, the practice nurses, the practice manager, the community diabetes specialist nurse and finally me. It was the regulation biannual visit to one of our local surgeries...Swan Surgery in Petersfield to be precise...as part of our diabetes model of care. And tell you what? A few hours whizzed by.

It was actually fun...and those hours had everything, chat about patients in whom everything else had been tried, discussion about evidence of new drugs, chatter about the condition of pre-diabetes, review of an audit, talk about the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, suitability for an insulin pump, the services available...and you know what? I go back to again the same word...it was actually fun.

There was light-hearted banter amongst all, there was a GP amongst them who worked for the local CCG who took a few jokes on the chin, we joked about who was the busiest...and we did so over lunch...we talked about patients, we talked about improving care, we talked about the next steps...and in case you missed it...yep, it was fun. To read more, click here.

Millie's Type 1 manifesto calls for 'fairness'

JDRF has this week released a manifesto calling on politicians to give a fairer future to people with Type 1 diabetes as part of its nationwide #CountMeIn campaign.

Millie’s Manifesto – written by the charity’s 12-year-old supporter Millie Hainge – is asking MPs to recognise the impact of living with the condition. To read more, click here.

'Information prescriptions' for people with diabetes

People with diabetes who do not have their condition under control will be given personal action plans from their GP to improve their health from this week.

Under the new scheme, launched by Diabetes UK, the NHS and private providers, if someone is not meeting their targets for blood pressure, cholesterol or blood glucose then an alert will flash up on their GP’s computer advising them that their patient could benefit from an ‘information prescription’. To read more, click here.

Group publishes new inpatient guidelines

Two new diabetes clinical guidelines for hospitals have been published by a leading group of senior clinicians.

The Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care (JBDS-IP) has released:

It now means JBDS-IP has now released nine guidelines since forming in 2008 to "deliver a set of diabetes inpatient guidelines and propose standards of care within secondary care organisations".

JBDS-IP is supported by Diabetes UK, the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists (ABCD) and the Diabetes Inpatient Specialist Nurse (DISN) UK Group. To read more, click here.

Diabetes complications lead to higher death rates

One in five people admitted to hospital for angina, stroke, heart attack and heart failure have diabetes, according to new research.

In 2013 there were 23,986 premature deaths in England and Wales due to diabetes as compared to the general population. Those with Type 1 diabetes were 131 per cent more likely to die in 2013 than their peers without the condition, and those with Type 2 diabetes were 32 per cent more likely to die. To read more, click here.

Diabetes inpatient teams inspired at event

Good practice in diabetes hospital care was celebrated at a national conference held this week.

The ‘4th National Diabetes Inpatient Conference’ took place on Wednesday, January 28, at the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) in London.

It was organised by Dr Gerry Rayman, the Clinical Lead of National Diabetes Inpatient Audit (NaDIA) and the President of the Endocrine and Diabetes section of the RSM. To read more, click here.

DIABETES DIGEST

Regulator issues insulin pump check

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is asking people with a particular insulin pump to check the clock resets to the correct time and date when they change the battery or when the power is interrupted. To read more, click here.

Pregnancy toolkit for women with Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes charity JDRF has launched its new Pregnancy Toolkit. It has useful information for those with the condition planning a pregnancy. To read more, click here.

NICE set to recommend Type 2 diabetes drug empagliflozin

Health watchdog NICE has issued further draft guidance which recommends empagliflozin, marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim, for treating Type 2 diabetes. To read more, click here.

JDRF celebrates another artificial pancreas breakthrough

The artificial pancreas project has reached another major milestone with an Australian youngster becoming the first person to use a new breakthrough device.

Medtronic’s MiniMed 640G System was launched last week having been developed from JDRF-funded research – representing the next crucial progession. To read more, click here.

Controversial diabetes line removed from West End show

Hit West End musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has removed a line saying that "eating chocolate causes diabetes" after a mother's campaign. To read more, click here.

Prime Minister backs calls for more diabetes technology

Prime Minister David Cameron has recognised the need for more diabetes technology to be available on the NHS.

Mr Cameron responded during Prime Minister’s Questions earlier this month to Diabetes UK’s State of the Nation report. To read more, click here.