Service Update and News
July 2020
Community Diabetes Clinics – running again!
Since the end of March, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of our consultations have been conducted on the telephone.
From July we are offering face-to-face appointments again at our four community locations. However, current social distancing guidance means that the number of face-to-face appointments we can offer is limited.
To compensate we have introduced a new way of working where patients attend a 30-minute pre-assessment with a healthcare assistant for blood tests and physical checks and then are offered a virtual (telephone or video) consultation one week later.
On our referral form, there is a new tick-box to say whether your patient is suitable for virtual review. Referrals should be made on ERS.
Desmond structured education programme
Since March we have been unable to run Desmond groups due to COVID-19.
The National Desmond Team have now developed a replacement course which is delivered by two facilitators live on a video platform with a virtual group of 10 patients.
There are presently around 300 people on the waiting list to attend Desmond in Lambeth. We appreciate that not everyone will be able to access or use virtual technology but hope that many will be able to do so. Our admin team will be supporting patients to access the platform by calling them in the days before the session and guiding them through the process if needed.
The new virtual Desmond courses will begin in August.
Please continue to refer to Desmond using the Book and Learn:
www.diabetesbooking.co.uk
Our hope is that some form of face-to-face Desmond sessions will be offered in the future, so even if a patient cannot access the virtual sessions please refer and they will be added to a waiting list by Book and Learn.
Injectable therapies
Previously many of our patients who need to start injectable therapies (insulin or GLP-1 analogues) were invited to attend a group start session.
Due to COVID-19, we are unable to offer these groups.
We are now running 1:1 injectable start appointments every afternoon where patients are seen by a Diabetes Specialist Nurse individually.
GLP1 prescribing – what’s new?
Previously we have prescribed GLP-1 analogues for the first three months and after this time sent a Transfer of Prescribing form to GPs requesting they take overprescribing. Due to COVID-19 the South East (SE) London Area Prescribing Committee have agreed that we no longer need to send a transfer of prescribed form. Instead, you will be sent an information sheet with all the key information that you need to continue prescribing.
Earlier this year a new once-weekly GLP1 therapy semaglutide (Ozempic®) was approved for prescribing in SE London. This accompanies weekly dulaglutide (Trulicity®) and daily liraglutide (Victoza®) on our SE London formulary.
For full information on prescribing GLP-1 analogues, please see the GLP-1 analogue pathway and the GLP-1 analogue information sheet
Diabetes Learning Event
Due to COVID-19 our Learning Event in March was cancelled.
HOLD THE DATE!
We will be organizing a learning event to be held on 8th October 2020 2pm – 4pm.
We will be broadcasting from The Foundry in Oval but delegates will be able to join the event virtually.
Confirmed speakers:
Dr Janaka Karralleidde, Consultant Diabetologist GSTT:
What’s new in diabetic kidney disease management
Dr Barbara McGowan, Consultant Diabetologist GSTT:
Diabesity
Information on how to enroll will be sent out nearer to the date.
