Diabetes Resources

Here, Callum Metcalfe-O’Shea, advanced nurse practitioner diabetes specialist and co-chair for the Norfolk Health Professionals Diabetes Forum, provides the last part in the diabetes digest series with an outlook on the future of care provision for diabetes in primary care settings. This article explores the current data on diabetes, acknowledging the change in future therapies and the role of diabetes technology in advancing care. The role of the GPN is also examined to highlight the need to recognise their involvement in supporting high quality care.

Diabetes care in general practice is facing increased pressure to improve access for and engagement from patients to reduce long-term problems associated with poor diabetes control. Digital diabetes methods aim to bridge the gap between patient engagement and poor service delivery by improving flexibility for patients to access suitable care. Digital methods include both video and SMS services to allow patients to undertake consultations or reviews in a variety of settings. This article provides general practice nurses (GPNs) with the foundations of how digital diabetes care can be established in practice in relation to initiating and managing both oral and injectable therapy. Indeed, digital health care is the way forward for managing issues of limited staff and lack of appointments, while improving patient engagement across the board.

Deprescribing and treatment alternatives in type 2 diabetes care can prove difficult in current practice due to increased patient demand and complexity. Both independent nurse prescribers and non-prescribers are often at the forefront in deciding treatment for patients with diabetes, and while guidance is available on how to initiate therapy, there is little on how and when to consider alternatives or even deprescribing. This article provides practice points and questions that general practice nurses (GPNs) can consider in the consultation process. Clinical judgement should be used throughout the process and individualised care is crucial to reducing, stopping or changing medication successfully for patients with diabetes. Through utilising the evidence, GPNs can initiate appropriate changes to patient treatment plans to optimise and promote standards of care.

Why reading can support patients' health and wellbeing.

The number of people in the UK living with long-term health conditions is rising, increasing the pressure on primary care services and staff as well as impacting on the quality of life of those affected. Primary care professionals, such as general practice nurses (GPNs), are responsible for a huge amount of the day-to-day care and management planning for these patients. Providing quality-assured information and support is an important part of this role, as is helping people to develop the right skills and knowledge to support self-care and self-management. 

National charity, The Reading Agency, works in partnership with public libraries to provide Reading Well Books on Prescription, i.e. carefully curated book lists of qualityassured health information and support, to help people to understand and manage a range of health conditions. This includes a new strand, launched in July 2017, which supports those living with long-term conditions, such as arthritis, bowel conditions, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Welcome to GPN’s ‘insight’ learning zone feature. By reading the article in each issue, you can learn about key principles of subjects that are vital to your role as a general practice nurse. Having read the article, evaluate your knowledge on this topic by answering the 10 questions in the e-learning unit; all answers can be found in the article. If you answer the questions correctly, you can download your certificate which can be used in your continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio as evidence of continued learning and contribute to your revalidation portfolio.

Four million — or one in 16 — adults in the UK have diabetes (whether or not they are aware of it), and this figure is predicted to increase to an estimated five million by 2025 (Diabetes UK, 2015). The majority have type 2 diabetes and the focus of this article will be on the role of general practice nurses (GPNs) in managing type 2 diabetes, although an overview of pre-diabetes, type 1 diabetes, gestational and steroid-induced diabetes will be provided. The author will also discuss the best current dietary advice that GPNs can provide for patients so that they can manage their own diabetes, as well as looking at the support available for GPNs to facilitate self-care in their day-to-day practice.

Diabetes education is key to avoid diabetes-related complications.

Katherine Calder gives her views on how general practice nurses can help patients to better manage their diabetes.

How many people with diabetes do you see in your practice every week? With 3.9 million people now living with diabetes in the UK (Health and Social Care Information Centre [HSCIC], 2014), and this number rising all the time, it’s likely that more and more of your patients have diabetes.

The number of people living with diabetes is going up and up and shows no sign of slowing down. There are now 3.9 million people living with the condition (Health and Social Care Information Centre [HSCIC], 2014) and, if nothing changes, this number is projected to rise to five million by 2025 (figures based on Association of Health Professions in Ophthalmology [AHPO] diabetes prevalence model — http://bit. ly/aphodiabetes). A growing number of people with diabetes are experiencing devastating complications, leading to premature deaths and unsustainable costs to the NHS.