Getting diabetes under control

Diabetes UK is recruiting a new group of clinicians to drive change across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The aim is for them to become ‘Clinical Champions’ and help to deliver better care for people with diabetes. TheClinical Services Journal editor Alec Peachey caught up with Dr Karunakaran Vithian (RDE), from Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust; and Beth Stout, Clinical Champions project manager for Diabetes UK.

Q.What attracted you to become a clinical champion?
KV: I first heard about the Clinical Champions programme when I attended the workshop delivered by the first cohort of Champions back in March 2014. I was impressed with the enthusiasm and positive energy that was displayed in that meeting amid all the doom and gloom of working in the NHS. It also made sense that people were working together to solve common problems rather than re-inventing the wheel to try and influence change by themselves. I decided that I too wanted to be part of this movement. I sent off my application and have never looked back since then.

Q. What difference will you be able to make?
KV: I am coming to the end of my tenure within the official Clinical Champions programme. On reflection it has been a period where I’ve had access to the resources that are provided by Diabetes UK and also made new friends. The main strength of this programme is that Champions are encouraged to find out their own priorities and work towards improving patient experience in those domains. Our focus was on establishing our integrated diabetes service - North East Essex Diabetes Service (NEEDS) with an objective of working seamlessly across the primary and secondary care divide. I used the leadership skills and networking opportunities provided by the Clinical Champions programme to help steer NEEDS towards achieving significant improvements in delivery of eight care processes. Prior to NEEDS the number stood at 40% whereas this now stands at 69.5%. We have also increased the numbers of people going through structured education and have introduced the Year of Care Model to north east Essex. We have also reduced variation of diabetes and made representations of this model of care towards the All Party Parliamentary Group on diabetes.