DSN and General NHS Diabetes Care

[NoMorePizzaBlues]

Hi everyone, I recently posted about my diabetes (as most of us do!) and it got me thinking about general NHS diabetes care. I see a general nurse for all my diabetes issues. I have seen a DSN once and that was due to my BG levels being abnormally high and after I had insisted that I see one. The nurse I see is very helpful and I like her very much. However, through no fault of her own, she is not a DSN and therefore the quality of care I receive is reduced as a result of this. I sometimes feel that I am gently banging my head against a hard surface when discussing the issue of high BG levels with her. And each time, it is a repetition of the last line of advice i.e. she has run out of ideas! It does put me in a difficult position because I don't want to be rude to her and I really appreciate her help, but I would like to have access to healthcare from a DSN on a regular basis (at the moment, I've been running high since January and I would really like to get it sorted out). So anyway, I would be interested to hear from other members regarding how your diabetes is managed by your NHS health provider.

Kind regards.

 

[urbanracer]

There is a 'proper' diabetes clinic within my GP's practice, and yes I can see a DSN. All I would say is, don't assume that the standard of care and knowledge would be significantly higher if you did have a DSN!

Do you have access to an Endocrinologist ? Or backup from a specialist team at your local hospital?

 

[Lamont D]

Most T2s do not have specialist care or visit a clinic.
Most T2s are seen by either a dsn or GP who has a specialty in diabetes.
Unfortunately not every T2 gets the care and assessment that they should from surgeries, hence the need for more medication.

One of the reasons for this forum, is because the information on how to treat T2 does not always achieve positive treatment and control for the patient.

Most GPs do not have the necessary training or knowledge on different types of diabetes. Having been misdiagnosed myself, I felt my health care team of numerous doctors and dsns were for over a decade giving me wrong advice and I couldn't control my blood glucose levels or lose weight.

The system in this country is flawed and so are the guidlines and NICE recommendations.
The success of this forum is because of the knowledgeable posters who have achieved control and success because posters gain knowledge from posters who have been where you are now and are diabetic.

 

[NoMorePizzaBlues]

There is a 'proper' diabetes clinic within my GP's practice, and yes I can see a DSN. All I would say is, don't assume that the standard of care and knowledge would be significantly higher if you did have a DSN!

Do you have access to an Endocrinologist ? Or backup from a specialist team at your local hospital?

Neither!

 

[etmsreec]

Neither!

Worst you could do then might be to speak to your GP and get a referral to the local hospital to get their assistance to get your diabetes back on track.

 

[Tillysmam]

I saw a dietician at GP practice, who was great, and subsequently referred me on to hospital for Lyxumia

 

[muzza3]

I don't bother any more as last contact was along the lines of it doesn't matter what you do you will be on insulin eventually. In the early days when I followed their dietary advice I had to actually increase the amount of bread I ate each day. I use my GP for guidance and this forum for new ideas and feedback

 

[Dinkeroon]

Hi everyone, I recently posted about my diabetes (as most of us do!) and it got me thinking about general NHS diabetes care. I see a general nurse for all my diabetes issues. I have seen a DSN once and that was due to my BG levels being abnormally high and after I had insisted that I see one. The nurse I see is very helpful and I like her very much. However, through no fault of her own, she is not a DSN and therefore the quality of care I receive is reduced as a result of this. I sometimes feel that I am gently banging my head against a hard surface when discussing the issue of high BG levels with her. And each time, it is a repetition of the last line of advice i.e. she has run out of ideas! It does put me in a difficult position because I don't want to be rude to her and I really appreciate her help, but I would like to have access to healthcare from a DSN on a regular basis (at the moment, I've been running high since January and I would really like to get it sorted out). So anyway, I would be interested to hear from other members regarding how your diabetes is managed by your NHS health provider.

Kind regards.

I cannot stress to you enough that you need to see a DSN at least once a year even twice. A general nurse isn't up to speed on all the goings-on in a Diabetic. I have learnt this mistake badly and it will come back on you saying that you knew who you were seeing. I see my DSN evry 3 months and it's the best thing I ever did as now rather then just being nodded at I get the support every Diabetic needs. Even if it's just a ten-minute appointment for them to see how you are doing. Please, Please don't just rely on the general nurse.

 

[Potteron]

I see a DSN, she tells me to eat carbs at each meal, follow the wellness plate and when I disagreed with her she informed me that she had done a master's in Nutrition. Until NICE guidelines change I think we are on our own.

 

[britishpub]

I am actually going to see a Nurse for my annual review soon.

I'm quite excited.

I didn't even know my GP practice had a DSN, but when I asked if she was one, they didn't seem to know, so maybe my excitement is overdone. I saw my GP for my 3 month review, but all he said was that he couldn't understand how my HbA1c had dropped so much, and just keep doing what you're doing.

Since then no contact other than a letter asking me why I'd told the pharmacy to stop ordering repeat prescriptions of Metformin, to which I answered "cos I don't want to take it anymore"

.

 

[Jingerbird]

I lost all confidence in my GP to manage my diabetic care. I found that if I asked a question, I was fobbed off. Mettformin really upset my stomach but I was told just to put up with it. I was told by a nurse that if I didn't get my blood sugars under control, I would go blind and I would lose my legs. I was put on tablet after tablet without any explanation as to what they do even though I continued to ask questions. Eventually, I stopped going to the GP at all and managed my diabetes by myself with just diet and exercise, checking my BS's twice a day. After I refused to go for blood tests, the GP stopped my test strips so I became a complete non-attender.
After a brief visit in hospital before Christmas, I am now under a DSN as I refused to go back to my GP. He is fantastic. He understands that it is my condition and I have control. We discuss my treatment and he explains everything to me, sometimes in too much detail
My only problem is that I am 'low carbing' and he isn't very happy about it. The NHS still recommends high carb, low fat and he has to follow this line. I guess until attitudes change to 'carbs', I will have to continue to argue with him. He has booked me an appointment with a dietician. I'm not sure what info they will have for me but I am willing to listen.

 

[Potteron]

After seeing the DSN I was referred to the dietician. After shed produced her standard literature and I responded 'Ahh the plate of death' she listened to what I planned on doing diet wise, LCHF. I was doing very low carb at that point and her only concern was that I include some fruit, so we agreed on berries. She did comment that diabetic diet plans seemed to be going in the LCHF direction, so she was aware but tied into NICE guidelines.