Is there anyone here that have had any experiences/views on the children's Diabetic departments at Heartlands hospital in Birmingham or Addenbrookes hospital in Cambridge. Any help or guidance would be much appreciated. I have a choice between the 2 to send my daughter. I have looked online at both.
advice on hospitals
- Thread starter sarah_millard_
- Start Date
Hello @sarah_millard_ and welcome to the forum. Sorry to say I can't help directly with your query, but I wonder if these two sites might throw a little light on the performance of the two hospitals:
https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/scorecard/results/1015
http://hospitals.findthebest.co.uk/
You could try a google search (that's what I did); I tried NHS hospital ratings, or similar. Having said that, personal experiences and recommendations or otherwise are always valuable.
I hope someone comes along who may be able to help you with direct knowledge.
https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/scorecard/results/1015
http://hospitals.findthebest.co.uk/
You could try a google search (that's what I did); I tried NHS hospital ratings, or similar. Having said that, personal experiences and recommendations or otherwise are always valuable.
I hope someone comes along who may be able to help you with direct knowledge.
azure
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Bumping this for you @sarah_millard_
Would you like me to add the hospital names to your thread title?
Would you like me to add the hospital names to your thread title?
AndyS
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Cant really comment on the children's side at Addenbrookes but the DSN's are excellent and the clinic as a whole I have found to be pretty good and quite supportive.
Only contact I had with paediatric team was when I was involved with the DGAP study and had to see the diabetes team on the children's ward for the blood samples and they seemed like a really nice bunch.
/A
Only contact I had with paediatric team was when I was involved with the DGAP study and had to see the diabetes team on the children's ward for the blood samples and they seemed like a really nice bunch.
/A
BeccyB
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Do you mean the Children's Hospital in Birmingham rather than Heartlands? I'm sure Heartlands do see diabetic children but if I had a choice I would ask for the Children's hospital which is a different trust.
I was under the children's hospital when I was diagnosed at 8yrs old until I was about 19 (they kept me on until I had settled into Uni rather than me changing team at a time when so much else was changing). I was lucky enough to be under the care of a Adele McEvilly who received a CBE "for services to Children with Diabetes" (and plenty of other awards - google her if you want to know more!) I know it's different staff now (although one of my nurses has only just retired) but I cannot recommend them enough.
As an adult I am now seen at Heartlands and they have been great too. They also have a psychologist as part of the team which has been brilliant for me and shows a really good awareness of the emotional side of diabetes. They also offer a choice of 7 different pumps (although this maybe different for children?) so that's another big plus for a lot of people.
To be fair I have no experience of Addenbrookes though so cannot compare the 2, but I can say that I would have no worries about being seen in Birmingham!
I was under the children's hospital when I was diagnosed at 8yrs old until I was about 19 (they kept me on until I had settled into Uni rather than me changing team at a time when so much else was changing). I was lucky enough to be under the care of a Adele McEvilly who received a CBE "for services to Children with Diabetes" (and plenty of other awards - google her if you want to know more!) I know it's different staff now (although one of my nurses has only just retired) but I cannot recommend them enough.
As an adult I am now seen at Heartlands and they have been great too. They also have a psychologist as part of the team which has been brilliant for me and shows a really good awareness of the emotional side of diabetes. They also offer a choice of 7 different pumps (although this maybe different for children?) so that's another big plus for a lot of people.
To be fair I have no experience of Addenbrookes though so cannot compare the 2, but I can say that I would have no worries about being seen in Birmingham!
I concur. The Adult Team at Addenbrookes in Cambridge is great (I'm still under their care there despite not having lived anywhere near Cambridge for the last 12 years!).
I was also under the Paediatric dept there until age 18. I was very disengaged so don't really feel I can specifically comment on that. Also, that was 15 years ago, and things will have changed. But if that Adult dept is anything to go by (and it almost certainly is, given it's the same place), I would recommend it.
Best of luck!
I was also under the Paediatric dept there until age 18. I was very disengaged so don't really feel I can specifically comment on that. Also, that was 15 years ago, and things will have changed. But if that Adult dept is anything to go by (and it almost certainly is, given it's the same place), I would recommend it.
Best of luck!
BeccyB
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So @sarah_millard_ it looks like you are in a great position with a choice of brilliant hospitals! I'd look at which is easiest to get to and other non-medical factors if I was you.
