Kent hospital focus on diabetes care across Christmas

A hospital in Kent has been getting into the festive spirit by releasing diabetes-themed information cards based on the 12 days of Christmas. Just like the famous song, where each verse describes a gift given by "my true love", the cards start with "On the first day of Christmas, my diabetes specialist nurse (DSN) gave to me". The rest of the card has a range of information relating to the condition and has been specifically designed to remind patients and healthcare workers about the different aspects of diabetes throughout the festive period. They will be displayed and handed out to all 15 wards at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital from Christmas Day onwards and staff will then be tested in January to see how much they have learnt. Some of the topics included on the documents include hypo rules and symptoms, hints and tips for insulin safety, the clinical markers of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), footcare, diabetes complications and a guide to the nine care processes people with the condition should receive annually. To help promote the initiative staff have been singing the song using their version of the words. The idea was thought up by Sarah Gregory, an inpatient diabetes specialist nurse and Diabetes UK Clinical Champion at the hospital. Speaking to The Diabetes Times, she said: "Sometimes people forget the basics and it's important to remind them what a hypo is and how to treat one. It's a bit of fun but with serious messages. "It's the nurses and the wards who do the hard work, I just come up with the ideas." Christmas can be a challenging time for people with diabetes, but with careful planning and commitment it is possible to enjoy the holidays by eating delicious, healthy food while keeping your blood sugar levels well controlled. For more information, visit our Low Carb Program.

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