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NOTE:
unless noted otherwise, all medical/health advice has been given by non-medically qualified personnel. All advice given on this site is designed to support and not replace any advice given by your personal physician. If you have questions or concerns about individual health matters or the management of your diabetes, please consult your diabetes care team.
unless noted otherwise, all medical/health advice has been given by non-medically qualified personnel. All advice given on this site is designed to support and not replace any advice given by your personal physician. If you have questions or concerns about individual health matters or the management of your diabetes, please consult your diabetes care team.
If you know what care you should expect from your healthcare team you will
be in a better position to make the most of them.
Newly diagnosed
If you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes then you should have the following:
Your treatment plan and self-care targets
The healthcare team should be working with you to draw up a treatment plan for your diabetes that suits your lifestyle and your individual needs. This should include:
Advice and care should be available in special circumstances, especially if you are a child, adolescent, an elderly person, or planning to become, or are, pregnant.
If you have problems with your eyes, kidneys, feet, blood vessels, or heart, then you should be able to see specialists quickly.
You should also receive clear information concerning what to do and who to contact in an emergency.
Regular check-ups
Having settled on a suitable treatment plan, you will need to see the diabetes team on a regular basis in order to review your diabetes and your general health. Many people with diabetes attend check-ups every 3 or 6 months. At the very least you should be assessed once a year at your 'annual review'.
It is very important that you attend each appointment that is scheduled for you. Any problems with your diabetes should be dealt with sooner rather than later, so that the risk to your future health is minimised.
At each visit, your healthcare professional should:
At least once a year, the healthcare team should also assess the following:
Quality of care
Good quality diabetes care should:
Newly diagnosed
If you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes then you should have the following:
- A full medical examination by a doctor specialising in diabetes
- Access to a diabetes specialist nurse or practice nurse
- Access to a state registered dietitian
- An explanation of what diabetes is
- An explanation of how your type of diabetes is usually treated, including details of any medication that you may need
- Information concerning the implications of diabetes on your job, driving, insurance, prescription charges etc
- Information about Diabetes UK services and details of your local Diabetes UK branch
Your treatment plan and self-care targets
The healthcare team should be working with you to draw up a treatment plan for your diabetes that suits your lifestyle and your individual needs. This should include:
- Personalised advice on eating - types of food, amounts, and timing of meals
- Advice on physical activity
- Details of your dose and timing of tablets or insulin and how to take them; advice on how to change doses based on your self-monitoring
- Supplies of relevant equipment
- Information about hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose): when and why it may happen and how to deal with it.
- Short-term and long-term treatment goals: your individual target values for blood glucose levels, blood fats, blood pressure, and weight
Advice and care should be available in special circumstances, especially if you are a child, adolescent, an elderly person, or planning to become, or are, pregnant.
If you have problems with your eyes, kidneys, feet, blood vessels, or heart, then you should be able to see specialists quickly.
You should also receive clear information concerning what to do and who to contact in an emergency.
Regular check-ups
Having settled on a suitable treatment plan, you will need to see the diabetes team on a regular basis in order to review your diabetes and your general health. Many people with diabetes attend check-ups every 3 or 6 months. At the very least you should be assessed once a year at your 'annual review'.
It is very important that you attend each appointment that is scheduled for you. Any problems with your diabetes should be dealt with sooner rather than later, so that the risk to your future health is minimised.
At each visit, your healthcare professional should:
- Review your self-monitoring results and current treatment
- Discuss your self-care targets and amend them if necessary
- Discuss any problems or questions that you may have
- Continue diabetes education
At least once a year, the healthcare team should also assess the following:
- Body weight
- Blood pressure
- Blood fats
- Eyes and vision
- Kidney function (blood and urine tests)
- Your feet
- Lifestyle habits - smoking, level of activity
- Eating habits
- Self-monitoring and injection techniques
Quality of care
Good quality diabetes care should:
- Provide you with adequate information and an individualised ongoing education program
- Allow you to take an active part in making decisions about all aspects of your treatment
- Enable you to reach your treatment goals
- Allow you to manage your own diabetes in hospital where possible
- Provide continuity of care (e.g. good communication between hospital and surgery staff in 'shared care')
