- Overview
- Information on Diabetes
- Paediatrics and Diabetes
- Diabetes and Wellbeing (Mental Health)
- Preconception and pregnancy with diabetes
- Information on Eyes and Feet
- Diabetes UK and other support
- Contact us
Type
Adult Services - Diabetes MDTThe countywide Diabetes Multidisciplinary team promotes self-management to avoid acute and long-term complications of diabetes through 1-1 clinic appointments and group education courses taught by diabetes specialist educators. We also offer telephone and email support for people with diabetes and their carers.
We offer locality based clinics for patients who need to be accommodated urgently and for those with type 1 diabetes with highly complex needs, as well as services outside of working hours. Our teams consist of specialist consultants, dietitians, nurses, support workers and diabetes educators. We also work closely with the podiatry team to ensure fast access to diabetes podiatry clinics.
The Diabetes Psychological Wellbeing Service provides psychological assessment and goal orientated interventions to patients who are struggling to cope with or manage their diabetes.
Who is this service for? Pre-diabetic and diabetic adults throughout every stage of their diabetes. Carers are welcome.
How to access this service: Referrals usually come from your care provider, GP, practice nurse or hospital consultant. For help and advice accessing diabetes services in Northamptonshire or to discuss available group education sessions please contact the service using the contact details provided.
Please note: Most of the venues used have disabled access. For any additional needs please contact the Diabetes Team on 01327 708113 or 01536 492121.
Information on Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes
DAFNE (Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating) groups are normally run with 6 - 8 people. DAFNE for adults is a way of managing Type 1 diabetes; giving the necessary skills to estimate each meals carbohydrate content and inject the right dose of Insulin.
The five day training course plus a follow-up session will involve practising carbohydrate estimation and insulin adjustment.
Visit the DAFNE website for more information: www.dafne.uk.com
DAFNE is a structured teaching programme which involves a pre-assessment appointment followed by a 5 day training course. This training is offered either as a 5 day face to face course which runs over 1 week (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) or in response to COVID-19, DAFNE (in conjunction with the Open University) now runs a virtual remote training course. This distance learning course runs once a week over 5 weeks via a secure video link which is a blend of online learning, workbook activities and remote group sessions facilitated by DAFNE educators.
Type 2 diabetes
DESMOND (Diabetes Education and Structured Self-Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed) Type 2 diabetes.
DESMOND has groups of 10 people who have been newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in the last nine months.
DESMOND is a way to learn more about Type 2 diabetes and is a resource to help manage diabetes-related changes. It is a way to meet and share life experiences with others; DESMOND is a group of education programmes designed for people with diabetes.
Face to Face courses have been suspended due to COVID-19, however we are now running Virtual DESMOND remote training course. This course is delivered ‘virtually’ via a secure video link and allows for full interaction with other participants and the DESMOND Educators
There is an option online version of the award winning DESMOND self-management diabetes education, MyDesmond. This is an interactive web-based platform to support same quality but delivered at a pace adjusted to suit your needs.
Structured Education – Diabetes and Carbohydrate Awareness
Aims to improve understanding of Type 2 diabetes. The course uses an interactive approach which enables participants to create a personal self-management plan which covers:
- What is diabetes?
- How medication fits in?
- How to improve your HBa1c
- Principles of healthy eating and carbohydrate awareness
- Five steps of carbohydrate awareness (glycaemic, index, meal pattern, portion sizes, snacking and physical activity)
- Goal setting/ action planning
Structured Education – Living Well and Eating Well
This aims to improve understanding of the long term effects associated with having Type 2 diabetes.
Using an interactive approach allows participants the chance to create a personal self-management plan to reduce their risks. The following is included:
- How to achieve a healthy weight
- How to look after your heart and circulation
- 10 ways to eat well with diabetes
- Cardio-protection
- Goal setting/ Action planning
- First for Wellbeing and how to access this.
Looking After Me and My Diabetes
This is a short course for people with learning disabilities who have diabetes. It involves:
- Participants learn how to make healthier food choices
- Participants learn more about keeping fit
- Participants learn about medication
- You can learn more about health checks for your diabetes
Paediatrics and Diabetes
This service is for managing children and adolescents (young people) with diabetes whose care is different from those for adults. Children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes become more aggressive in identifying goals and negotiating plans with families to meet standards and target HbAC1 levels. Treatment plans are sometimes successful, but often they fall short because of multiple factors. These challenges require deeper exploration to identify sources of barriers to treatment and more effective strategies for motivation and behaviour change.
Factors that contribute to paediatric challenges include normal growth and development, psychological characteristics, health status, family dynamics (including socioeconomic status and cultural considerations), and care outside of the home, such as in the school setting. These components increase the intricacy of caring for paediatric patients in general, and the addition of a chronic condition often further increases the complexity.
Diabetes and Wellbeing (Mental Health)
The Diabetes Psychological Wellbeing Service is a team of psychological practitioners based in the county of Northamptonshire
We offer short-term interventions such as guided self-help and cognitive behavioural therapy to help you reach your goals. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps to manage problems by changing thoughts and behaviour. We offer face to face or telephone support with a psychological practitioner who has a knowledge and understanding of the challenges experienced by people living with diabetes.
You can download information about the service by clicking the on the link here Diabetes Psychological Wellbeing Service patient leaflet 2018 [pdf] 428KB
Preconception and pregnancy with diabetes
Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar (glucose) that develops during pregnancy and usually disappears after giving birth.
It can happen at any stage of pregnancy, but is more common in the second or third trimester.
It happens when your body cannot produce enough insulin – a hormone that helps control blood sugar levels – to meet your extra needs in pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes can cause problems for you and your baby during pregnancy and after birth. But the risks can be reduced if the condition is detected early and well managed.
You can download an information leaflet about gestational diabetes by clicking on the links:
Information on Eyes and Feet
Information on Eyes
The Diabetic Eye Screening Programme provides annual screening to detect diabetic retinopathy for the cohort of diabetic patients aged 12 and above within Northamptonshire. Specialist trained graders view images captured within clinic and the service operates a fast track referral system for patients with sight-threatening retinopathy for treatment within the two local acute hospitals. In addition the service also reports any other eye conditions to the Hospital Eye Services at Kettering General Hospital and Northampton General Hospital.
The Service has 4 fixed sites across the county and within the community our team carry out retinal eye screening checks to establish if they have diabetic retinopathy (damage to the retina of the eye), referring people for treatment where appropriate.
Our team is led by a specialist doctor in ophthalmology and consists of qualified and experienced screeners and grader staff, as well as healthcare. We work closely with hospital eye services in Northamptonshire to ensure that diabetic patients with retinopathy are managed promptly.
Click here to find out more about the diabetic eye team.
Information on Feet
The Diabetic and High Risk Foot Service is a team of highly skilled podiatrists who work closely with specialists in rheumatology, diabetes and vascular surgery.
We provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment for predominantly high risk and diabetic patients who meet the criteria for our service and other high risk foot pathologies who are vulnerable, as well as for children and young people under 18 years of age. We offer advice on ways that people can manage their own foot care, choose footwear and direction to other providers.
Click here to find out more about The Diabetic and High Risk Foot Service
Diabetes UK and other support
Diabetes UK is the leading charity for people living with diabetes in the UK. The website has helpful information; its vision is a world where diabetes can do no harm. You can access the website by clicking the link here: www.diabetes.org.uk/
The Wellingborough Diabetes group is a local support group that meets once a month. It is currently paused due to COVID-19 but will hopefully resume soon. You can access the website by clicking the link here: www.wellingboroughdiabetesgroup.co.uk/
TREND UK leaflets - these can be downloaded by clicking the hyperlinks.
TREND Diabetes: Safe driving and the DVLA
TREND Diabetes: Why do i sometimes feel shaky, dizzy and sweaty? Hypoglycaemia explained
Contact us
Danetre Hospital
H Block
London Road
Daventry
Northants, NN11 4DY
Telephone: 03000 272890
Diabetes Centre
Kettering General Hospital
Rothwell Road
Kettering
Northants, NN16 8UZ
Telephone: 01536 492121