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Meeting Diabetes Standards

Posted By gangrene

"Meeting Diabetes Standards"

About: Caithness General Hospital / Trauma & orthopaedics Dunbar Hospital / General Medicine

(as the patient),

I have been a type 1 diabetic for 25 years. There are national standards in place for annual assessment of various diabetic complications, including pedal neuropathy. I have not seen a podiatrist for over 2 years now, which was the last time I had my feet professionally checked. I believe the local GP surgery have some kind of care-sharing arrangement but it seems to me that they don't bother sharing the care.

As a qualified senior nurse, I have worked in many areas of the NHS nationally, but have never experienced such an apparent sad lack of care as that I have found in NHS Highland. Fortunately, I am able to manage my own diabetes, but I am very anxious about patients who are not.

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Responses

Response from Maimie Thompson, Head of Public Relations and Engagement, Chief Executive's Office, NHS Highland 10 years ago
Maimie Thompson
Head of Public Relations and Engagement, Chief Executive's Office,
NHS Highland

Submitted on 27/02/2014 at 18:18
Published on Care Opinion at 20:28

picture of Maimie Thompson

Dear gangrene

Thank you so much for your posting. It is great to hear that you are able to manage your own diabetes but at the same time looking out for others. I raised your query with Sandra Jones, who is our podiatry diabetes co-ordinator for NHS Highland, and who happens to be based in Caithness. Sandra's feed-back was that not all patients with diabetes require to have their feet screened by a podiatrist. BUT anyone with concerns should ask staff their GP practice to have their feet screened and if required a referral would be made to a podiatrist.

NHS Highland also runs a self-referral system; patients can get forms from their GP practice or from local podiatry office. For Caithness this would be Wick Medical Centre and Thurso Community Health Centre.

I hope this helps but if you require any further information at all or feel we need to do more raise awareness about how to access the service do please get back to me on 01463 704722 maimie.thompson@nhs.net

I do hope this helps to reassure you that the local care and support is available.

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