World Diabetes Day is a global occasion for people with diabetes, healthcare professionals, advocates, policymakers and the public to unite to raise awareness of and act on diabetes.
This year the theme is education to protect tomorrow so read on as we put the spotlight on our DESMOND Diabetes Service (Diabetes Education for Self-Management of Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed).
Nottingham CityCare’s Desmond Diabetes Service sits within the Nottingham City Diabetes Service (NCDS) offering support, information and education for patients aged 18 years old and over who are registered with a City GP and who have a confirmed diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes (48mmol/mol and over). Insulin and non-insulin courses are available.
The team collectively has well over 50 years of delivering diabetes education and is made up of Educators from the areas of diabetes and cardiac specialist nursing, dietetics, podiatry and South Asian community liaison. The broad range of knowledge and experience is ideal to help patients understand and self-manage their Type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes, as a lifelong condition requires patients to be actively involved in their lifestyle choices to help with blood glucose management and prevent possible future long-term health complications.
Millions of people with diabetes face daily challenges managing their condition at home, work, and school. They must be resilient, organised, and responsible, impacting both their physical and mental well-being. A new global survey conducted by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reveals that 77% of people living with diabetes have experienced anxiety, depression, or another mental health condition because of their diabetes.
The Desmond programme is an opportunity for patients to learn about and discuss their diabetes, what lifestyle changes would be helpful and why, what contradictory information they may have heard and most importantly, how best to try to implement personal goals. For those prescribed insulin the course also improves understanding of how to use it most effectively.
The group face-to-face sessions are informal and whilst a curriculum is followed, the conversations and discussions are guided by what the participants feel is important to them. There are 2 sessions for non-insulin, and 4 sessions for insulin participants. ‘MyDesmond’ is a website available to all referred patients either as an adjunct to the face-to-face sessions or as a stand-alone self-guided education tool.
Desmond aims to be as accessible as possible and is delivered across different city venues. The non-insulin course is also delivered in Urdu/Hindi. A Learning Disability adapted course has been developed with input from the Primary Care Liaison Team and work is currently underway to engage with the Deaf Community.
If you have type 2 diabetes, book yourself onto our education course to help you manage your condition. Courses are available online or in person, and in Hindi or Urdu.
If you want to self-refer via Health and Care Point then simply call 0300 131 0300, Option 4 . Or:
To find out more about the service you visit our Diabetes Education and Self-Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed service page.
#DiabetesLife
Date published: 14 November 2024
