Share your views on Barnsley’s diabetes service to help shape its future
Local people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes are being invited to give their views to help shape the future of the service.
The specialist diabetes service in Barnsley is delivered by Consultants, Specialist Nurses and other healthcare professionals, such as dietitians and podiatrists, employed by the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SWYPFT) and Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. It provides specialist assessment, treatment and management of diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus. The vast majority of day-to-day diabetes care is provided by GPs and practice nurses.
The number of people with diabetes in Barnsley, as in other parts of the UK, has been growing steadily. Currently, 6.4% of local people over 17 years are known to have diabetes, significantly higher than other similar areas and England as a whole (5.5%). But good care of diabetes and related conditions has a very significant positive effect on general health and longevity.
To ensure the service continues to meet the needs of local people, the SWYPFT is asking people who have used diabetes services anywhere in Barnsley over the past year – and carers of people with diabetes – to give their views. These views will be used to develop an improved service throughout the Barnsley area.
The sessions will take place between June and August. People of any age with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes can take part and to help capture the views of young people with diabetes the service is also working with the local Barnardo’s.
Enabling patients, carers and frontline staff to work together will help the Trust draw out personal feelings and experiences of using the diabetes service. This will be done by encouraging and supporting patients and carers to tell their stories, which will then be used to pinpoint existing good practice, as well as areas where improvements can be made.
The Trust’s associate medical director and consultant community diabetologist, Dr Keith Sands, said, "We would like to invite anyone who uses or has recently used any diabetes services in Barnsley to get involved. Patient experience is key to this redesign to ensure that we are providing care that suits everyone’s needs. It is important that we involve as many people as possible and listen to what people want. Local people will be able to help us improve services for now and in the future."
If you’d like to get involved contact the Trust’s Barnsley equality and inclusion development co-ordinator Vikki Padgett on 01226 434757.
Information about current services and how they support individuals is available on the Trust’s website www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk.