The diabetes service at Poole Hospital has received an award for a scheme that has improved care for young people with diabetes in east Dorset.
The Young People's Diabetes Service (YPDS) triumphed in the ‘Diabetes Team Initiative of the Year, Children, Young People and Emerging Adult’ category in the Quality in Care Diabetes Awards.
The initiative, ‘The Poole Young People’s Diabetes Service – Improving Contact, Improving Care’, ‘delivered some dramatic, remarkable results’ according to the awards’ judges.
A dedicated team has been employed by the service to specifically recognise the needs and to improve care for people aged between 15-23 with diabetes in the region.
The success of the project has seen an improvement in diabetes control in patients in this age group, with the most marked benefits in those aged 20-23.
There has been an improvement in blood glucose control, fewer patients admitted to the hospital with diabetes-related complications and fewer missed hospital appointments since the project’s introduction in 2014.
Jo Dalton, diabetes specialist nurse, explained how and why the initiative has been so successful. “Building flexibility with frequent contact and outreach and designing services that are focused on young people can achieve great results,” said Jo.
“The YPDS has imbedded a culture of continuous improvement – seeing many changes in the first year and sustaining them since then.
“The team’s adaptiveness and swiftness to respond both to success and to failure has been central to the continuing development of the project.
“The innovations mean that young people are offered a breadth of choice from a multidisciplinary team who work closely together to ensure high standards of care.”
The team accepted the award at the awards ceremony in Guildford on 18 October 2018. The judges said: “The judges really loved Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s entry from start to finish. It was simple, answers some very tough questions and most importantly it’s transferrable. The team used their own resources and delivered some dramatic, remarkable results. Thoroughly impressive.”
Barry Duell, general manager for medicine, praised the team on their work to improve outcomes for patients with diabetes.“I’m delighted that the team has been recognised with this award,” he said.
“Everyone in the team has worked so hard and the award is very much well earned.
“Congratulations to all involved as we continue to give our patients the best treatment and service we can.”
The team includes consultants Mike Masding, Adam Nicholls and Antoinette Macaulay as well as Jo Dalton, Jo Hanna, Sarah Cook, Linda Burles and Debbie Bolton.
The YPDS are currently working with Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group and partners at The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals and Dorset County Hospital to share this work across the county.
