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NHS Diabetes
calls for improvements to transitional care for young people with
type 1 diabetes
NHS Diabetes are calling for the
"discrepancies" between children and adult type 1 diabetes
services to be addressed, following the release of a new report. The
national diabetes service improvement team is also recommending
standardised and formal diabetes training for every professional
working with children and young people with diabetes. Clinics,
schools, colleges and psychological support were highlighted as
areas which needed additional diabetes support. The conclusions and
recommendations come out of a report outlining areas of improvement
and future recommendations for the care of children and young people
with type 1 diabetes. 'Join Us On Our Journey';
developing a new model of care for children and young people with
type 1 diabetes, Final report for NHS Diabetes, March 2012 is a
report on a 3 year research project, funded and supported by NHS
Diabetes, from the 'Getting Sorted' programme at Leeds Metropolitan
University.
Anna Morton, Director of NHS Diabetes said:- "All too often we
are finding discrepancies between services, particularly in
transitional care. Equity of service is the key issue. We are
working with the National Paediatric Diabetes Network to ensure that
healthcare professionals are supported in improving local services.
All children and young people should receive high-quality, cohesive
care throughout their diabetes journey."
The research outlined key areas of improvement as well as
recommendations, including:-
► A standardised, formalised staff
training programme is in place, with all staff trained in diabetes
care.
► A mainstreamed, standardised structured
education programme is implemented within all diabetes services.
► A standardised, formalised diabetes
management protocol is introduced in primary and secondary schools.
► Every diabetes team has a designated
health psychologist.
► A transition plan is introduced within
all diabetes services, centred on the young person.
► A holistic approach to diabetes care is
adopted and all young people and parents need to be actively
involved.
► A universal record-keeping system is
introduced across all diabetes services.
The ‘Join Us On Our Journey’ research project aims to
develop a model of care that delivers the aspirations of the policy
document called:- 'Making Every Young Person with Diabetes
Matter' and improve the care provision for children and
young people with type 1 diabetes in England.
Children and young people with type 1 diabetes, their families and
professionals, in nine acute trusts throughout the
Yorkshire and the Humber region, participated in talking group
discussions and individual interviews to find out about
their experiences of diabetes care provision.
The final report builds on the findings of the interim report:-
'Join Us On Our Journey'; developing a new model of care
for children and young people with type 1 diabetes, Interim Report
for NHS Diabetes, December 2010.
Dr Nicky Kime, author of the report, said:- "Early findings
showed there were certain areas of a child’s and a young person’s
care pathway which needed to be addressed. In particular, treatment,
communication, psychosocial support, education, school and
transition were found to be the main areas of concern. The final
report builds on these findings and, in addition, further evidence
has emerged from the talking groups and individual interviews that
endorse apparent inconsistencies within and between diabetes
services across the region."
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NICE Identifies
Key Role for Dentists to Help Smokeless Tobacco Cessation
THE National Institute for Health and Clinical
Excellence (NICE) is recommending a key role for dental
professionals in their public health intervention proposals to help
stop the use of smokeless tobacco by people of South Asian Origin.
Dentists, dental nurses and dental hygienists may be asked to play a
leading role as part of new proposals to stop the use of smokeless
tobacco in the UK. The National Institute for Health and Clinical
Excellence (NICE) have published a consultation on their proposals,
which recommends a key intervention and education role for dental
professionals.
NICE is also recommending more training for dental professionals to
help them gain a greater understanding of smokeless tobacco
including terminology, symptoms and approaches to successful
intervention.
Smokeless tobacco is associated with a number of health problems
including nicotine addiction, mouth and oral cancer, periodontal
disease, heart attacks and strokes, problems in pregnancy and
following childbirth and late diagnosis of dental problems as
smokeless tobacco products can often mask pain. Smokeless tobacco is
mainly used by 'people of South Asian origin', which
includes people with ancestral links to Bangladesh, India, Nepal,
Pakistan or Sri Lanka.
The draft guidance recommends that dental professionals take
specific actions including:-
► Asking patients about their smokeless
tobacco use and record the outcome in their patient notes.
► Making users aware of the potential
health risks and advise them to stop, using a brief intervention.
► Referring users who want to quit the
habit to tobacco cessation services that use counsellors trained in
behavioural support.
► Recording the person’s response to any
attempts to encourage or help them to stop using smokeless tobacco
in the patient notes.
Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel
Carter, said:- "Smokeless tobacco is a little known area for
many health professionals in the UK, so the current draft public
health guidance is a positive step to bring greater knowledge and
understanding. The evidence that does exist indicates that South
Asian women; the main users of smokeless tobacco; are approaching 4
times more likely to suffer from mouth cancer. Quite rightly dental
professionals have been identified as major players to help reduce
these risks and prevent the serious health conditions caused by
smokeless tobacco. The British Dental Health Foundation supports
NICE’s draft proposals and encourages all dental professionals to
include the intervention of smokeless tobacco usage as part of their
continuing professional
development."
The
online consultation is
open to comments until 25 April 2012.
Runshaw student Scoops top
regional beauty award
SERA Sullivan, an NVQ Level 2 Beauty Therapy
student from Runshaw Adult College, and Melanie Webber, NVQ Level 3
Hairdressing student won the 2nd place in the Team Bridal Event at
the Annual North West Regional Heats of the Association of
Hairdressers and Therapists (AHT) Competition at Blackpool Winter
Gardens. A group of nine students from the Market Street campus
competed against hundreds of other students from 19 other colleges
from across the region. Sera commented:- "The regional
competition was the most nerve racking thing I’ve ever done but it’s
given me more confidence for the national finals. I’m excited and
nervous, but I’m very competitive, and I want to win!"
Sera and Melanie will represent Runshaw College at the national
competition that will be held at Blackpool Winter Gardens on 12
March 2012. "The next competition is a lot more fierce, we’ll
be competing with colleges from all over the country, including the
London Colleges, so it will be a lot tougher and the standard of
competitors is much higher. But I am sure that Sera will do a
brilliant job." said Sera’s tutor, Louise Bramwell. |
