Diabetic Nurse

[BBGRAMMY]

Hi all
Just to ask do you all have a diabetic nurse at your practice?

I don’t see a specialist nurse just the doctor.

I keep seeing posts relating helpful/unhelpful DNs. My GP gives me no guidance just wants me to discuss my ‘lifestyle’ and increase Metformin to another 500mg (2000mg daily). Been type 2 over 15 years.

 

[lovinglife]

Most GP practices don’t have a real DSN, which is a specialism usually only found in hospitals. (though they may be called that) they’re usually just a nurse who at that particular practice maybe has a bit more knowledge & takes the clinics. Most of us with T2 will never see a true DSN unless it’s through a hospital

I’m extremely lucky as my GP practice does have a true Diabetic Specialist Nurse, who is part time over 3 GP practices, she is also a big champion of low carb & keto which is great. I’ve never seen a GP for my diabetes since diagnosed 16 years ago, I have seen a GP when my test results threw something up that was concerning, my white blood count was high once & some liver results which turned out not to be diabetic related but an unconnected autoimmune condition

 

[Mark Rawlinson]

I also am very lucky then my practise has 2 DN's one I see regular and one I have seen when mine is on holifay or days off (she is only there 3 days a week)
So glad they are as seeing a Dr is not easy in the slightest

 

[KennyA]

There are two nurses at my practice who deal with all the diabetic patients. They do the routine tasks (BP, HbA1c, weight, etc) that the practice needs to do to get its QoF payments. I have no idea what training they have had. I haven't seen a GP (for anything) since 2019.

 

[Melgar]

Not sure Canada had any relevance to your question @BBGRAMMY , but my Dr’s practise does not have a DN. He does seem very knowledgeable on diabetes related stuff. I consider myself lucky. I’ve only seen a DN at special diabetes clinics here.

 

[Rachox]

My surgery doesn’t have a diabetes specialist nurse. Over the years since diagnosis for my reviews I have seen nurses, doctors and last year the surgery pharmacist. I thought seeing the pharmacist was telling, have they become so used to increasing meds at reviews, that they think a pharmacist is the man (or woman) for the job these days? He certainly expressed surprise at my non diabetic HbA1c!