Smoothing the way for young diabetics

A DROP-IN service to help prevent young people with diabetes develop complications in later life has been heralded a great success.

Based in the diabetes centre at the Royal Oldham Hospital, the clinic, for 16-25-year-olds, is celebrating its first anniversary. It is aimed at young people with busy lives who are often unable to attend on a regular basis, and opens in the evenings to fit in with work, college or university commitments.

Reporter Marina Berry found out what it has to offer.

The Young Persons Clinic is a specialist diabetes clinic to help children make the transition to adult services.

The aim is to ensure young people with diabetes can see health professionals easily at a time convenient to them, and if they have any urgent issues or concerns, they can use it as a drop-in clinic.

Gareth Evans was one of the first people to take advantage of the service after it was launched.

The 20-year-old, of Ashworth Court, Shaw, was diagnosed with diabetes when he was 10.

He said: “When I was transferred to adult services I was a bit wary because I had had the same doctor for eight years.”

He admitted: “It was easier then I thought, and the Young Persons’ Clinic is really good.

“I don’t need to go every month, but I get so much help I choose to go every month.

“You are encouraged to talk about everything and anything, and you can get help with any problems you are experiencing.”

It was as a patient at the clinic that Gareth learned about an insulin pump he says has revolutionised his care.

He said: “My diabetes used to be really unstable and I spent a lot of time in hospital.

“I have been a lot better since I started using the pump, and I haven’t seen the inside of a hospital for ages.

“I don’t think I would have got the pump without Linda and the clinic.”

The Young Persons Clinic is run by Dr Deepak Bhatnagar, consultant diabetologist, Linda Adams, diabetes specialist nurse and Dene Hunsdale, diabetes specialist dietician, as well as a diabetes podiatrist.

Dr Bhatnagar hopes that by encouraging regular contact with younger people, complications in later life can be prevented.

He said: “Diabetes can interfere with people’s lives and their relationships and young people in particular may not cope very well.

“The result is that often they end up not looking after themselves.

“However, in our special clinic we can offer them the right support and care to help them adjust to diabetes.

“Each person with diabetes has different needs and in the young persons clinic we can mutually discuss how to improve diabetes control and minimise the impact diabetes has on a young person’s lives.

“For those unable to attend regularly we are happy simply for them to come in for a few minutes to say hello, which is good enough for us.

“We just don’t want them to lose touch with healthcare professionals, it is well known those who do not attend appear to get more diabetes related problems in later life.”

From this month, the child and adult diabetic teams will together to run a transitional clinic for young people aged from 16 to 18. It means children can meet the adult team several times before transferring to the young person’s clinic.

Linda explained the two clinics aimed to stop young people falling out of the system because they were uncomfortable with the transition from children’s to adult services.

She said changing from the same physician after several years of care as a child and being forced to see another doctor could be traumatic.

“We go and meet people in the children’s clinic so it is not too much of a shock when they come to the adult clinic.

“Before this clinic was set-up it was quite hard when people transferred from children’s clinics, and we lost a lot of people in the process.

“Unfortunately, some young people regularly come into hospital with diabetes complications and that is they only time we ever see them,” she said.

There are two types of diabetes, including type one which accounts for up to 15 per cent of cases, and affects around 770 people in Oldham.

It is most common in younger people, and is not linked to lifestyle or diet.

It usually develops quickly over a few weeks and is thought to be triggered by a viral or other infection.

It is controlled by insulin injections, and the condition is managed by adjusting the amount of insulin taken depending on diet and lifestyle.

Cakes and biscuits are not out of bounds as long as they know how to match it with insulin.

Oldham’s diabetes dietician runs a course to give people they information they need to help manage their diabetes around their lifestyle and not the other way round.

Type two diabetes is more common, and develops when the body produces insufficient or ineffective levels of insulin.

It can be managed with diet and exercise, but may also need tablets or insulin.

Risk factors include having a close family member with type two diabetes, a waist measurement of 31.5 inches or more for women, 35 inches or more for Asian men and 37 inches or higher for white and black men.

The risk increases with age.

Symptoms include increased thirst, passing urine more often, especially at night, extreme tiredness, weight loss, blurred vision, genital itching or regular episodes of thrush and slow healing of wounds

The Young Persons Clinic is open to all people with diabetes, and runs on the first Tuesday of each month from 2pm until 7pm.