‘Team’

Sarah69 said:

I often see replies on here telling people to get in contact with there diabetic team. I’d like to know what these teams consist of? When I go to a clinic all I see is a consultant never the same person either and have to explain myself over and over.

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Well I'd tend to agree, there are some we may see more often like our GP but seeing the same person is virtually impossible nowadays

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/nhs/diabetes-healthcare-team.html

When I was diagnosed I was sent to the hospital for specialist care. I think my age and weight loss equated to concerns on T1. That was Manchester and around 2010, different then and there maybe

Perhaps T1 or other insulin dependent have a different experience. Then of course, covid has changed everything

I've been to a few diabetes clinics in my time. The one I'm at now there is a team of DSNs, a (small) team of dieticians and I see the same consultant each time.
The clinic I was at previously, at a different hospital, I only saw the consultant, there was a pump DSN but you had to make a separate appointment to see her and a dietician I saw once.
Before that, at the same hospital I'm at now but a different clinic, there was one DSN, one dietician and a team of consultants, you saw a different one each time. You could choose whether to see the DSN or dietician.
I've been to some other ones as well, they've all been different.

Sarah69 said:

I often see replies on here telling people to get in contact with there diabetic team. I’d like to know what these teams consist of? When I go to a clinic all I see is a consultant never the same person either and have to explain myself over and over.

Click to expand...

Hi,

Yeah, "team." The people I see is my DSN, not always the same one. They can go from having no idea what I have attached to my arm to gushing "you are entitled to a pump.."
The real blood takers for the lab & even the neuropathy MOT tends to be a surgery nurse?
The GP, is just there for med reviews.. "Do you still need insulin?" Yarp. Then I'll keep it on the list.
The Endo.. To be fair, the last telephone consultation I had with him resulted in NHS funded Libres.
But apart from that... "Team."
Oops, nearly forgot the eye screening. That's just the ophthalmology department in a hospital located elswhere in another county.

I hold my hands up for using the term from time to time..
I guess loosely it means any HCP who primarily deals with the condition..

Sarah69 said:

I often see replies on here telling people to get in contact with there diabetic team. I’d like to know what these teams consist of?

Click to expand...

My "team" is spread around the place.

My GP who signs the NDSS test strip request form every six months, and listen to any diabetic problem I might have.
I have a HCP with a Podiatrist with five visits a year for foot care.
My eyes are checked my a Optometrist every year / or as needed, with a referral to a Ophthalmologist if necessary.
Blood tests done at a private pathology lab every three months.
I did see a dietitian / nutritionist once, but gave here the flick as she was a rip off.
I did have a couple of sessions with a CDE in the early days, who was excellent at explaining the nitty gritty about T2 to me.

To be honest I always refer to a 'diabetes team' by which I mean whoever is 'in charge' of arranging your yearly tests and looking at your feet! My surgery has a 'diabetes nurse' but I think she sees all the diabetics to do the blood pressure/take bloods etc. As for my 'Consultant', well again I hardly have him on speed dial, in fact I have no idea who it is because I get to see him around once every 18 months (routine) and it's always a different person. I'm not knocking them but I sometimes think people get the impression there is a body of diabetes experts sitting there pandering to our every whim, erm, no.

If I had a particular problem then I certainly do not have a named person or phone number but I guess I would just phone the GP and ask. I also get fed up telling whoever the same thing over & over. I actually spoke to a Diabetes Nurse (via phone) last week following a blood test, she did not have a clue as to my regime etc, and of course I don't expect her to know me, but when she started on about statins I stopped her straight and said for the umpteenth time, my ratios are good and I don't eat saturated fat before you start (nothing wrong with that obviously) and I have polygenic higher than average LDL which a Lipid Consultant said won't be lowered no matter what a person ate. She laughed and agreed and said 'No, that's fine, HDL good, 2.45, trigs good, 0.5...LDL 'bad' at 4.8', BMI spot on, hb1ac 44. Two days later a letter with an 'agreed' plan arrived saying 'advised to less saturated fat, ie sweets, cakes, pastries' to lower LDL with a very helpful eatwell plate leaflet attached. I give up!

Sarah69 said:

I often see replies on here telling people to get in contact with there diabetic team. I’d like to know what these teams consist of? When I go to a clinic all I see is a consultant never the same person either and have to explain myself over and over.

Click to expand...

I had a team for about 5 seconds: Endo, dietician(s), diabetes nurse(s), and my GP. All that was reduced to just my GP in no time flat, though, which is fine by me. If I need anything else, I'll probably get referred back, but honestly... Being in this place for a few years, I learned more about T2 than that whole team put together knows.

Sarah69 said:

I often see replies on here telling people to get in contact with there diabetic team. I’d like to know what these teams consist of? When I go to a clinic all I see is a consultant never the same person either and have to explain myself over and over.

Click to expand...

I'd suggest there are 2 approaches .

One for type 1 and those requiring insulin or meds other then Metformin

Certainly for type 1 , the word team seems to refers to a group there to offer support with issues over insulin, and to some degree those T2D, having issues after taking medications.

I would have said very necessary, in most instances, however the posts back do suggest it's rather ad-hoc, and more a whose available rather then a set designated team, sadly

For diet only T2D, that need, I would suggest is less important, certainly if the treatment is just diet and/or Metformin

I'd echo a similar tale, of rarely seeing the same person twice at the surgery

Though that may be more the rareness of visits and staffing shortfalls, then a deliberate policy.

So yeah, a 10 minute visit, with a good bit of that, finding out who I am and previous contact with surgery eating into that time

So 'TEAM' was a word I heard often, but not sure it relates to T2D, except in certain circumstance.

Rather loosely, for me that would be, whatever doctor was available at time of any appointment,
( But that was the same process regardless if diabetic or not )

plus who ever is currently doing health checks ( not seen the same health check team yet, but have seen some doctors a 2nd time )

I'm just grateful to be seen at all, given the stresses the service is under, have even had my surgery now advise they are doing yearly checks once more & HBA1c tests

Riva_Roxaban said:

My "team" is spread around the place.

My GP who signs the NDSS test strip request form every six months, and listen to any diabetic problem I might have.
I have a HCP with a Podiatrist with five visits a year for foot care.
My eyes are checked my a Optometrist every year / or as needed, with a referral to a Ophthalmologist if necessary.
Blood tests done at a private pathology lab every three months.
I did see a dietitian / nutritionist once, but gave here the flick as she was a rip off.
I did have a couple of sessions with a CDE in the early days, who was excellent at explaining the nitty gritty about T2 to me.

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I almost forgot the Nurse Navigator who joined my team last year in July, she has done more for me in the way of health care than I can ever thank her for.

Sarah69 said:

I often see replies on here telling people to get in contact with there diabetic team. I’d like to know what these teams consist of? When I go to a clinic all I see is a consultant never the same person either and have to explain myself over and over.

Click to expand...

I have yet to meet a doctor who goes to the trouble of looking at your hIstory before consultation apart from your latest tests results. You get asked the same standard questions each time and annoyingly how long I have been on certain medications when the information is right in front of them. Unless you raise a query it’s usually, “you are doing very well, keep it up and see you again in 6 months”! I find the DSNs at the hospital more knowledgeable and helpful.