Value of your diabetic team

I've only been diagnosed since February but I found the transition from hospital to district DSN great. I didn't have mug need for them at first, but now my honeymoon period has kicked in big time they're in regular contact to track progress and alter my treatment accordingly. Without they're help is have been hypoing constantly, but without me bothering to call in and say I had a problem they wouldn't have known and would have assumed I was fine.

If your control is bad maybe give them a ring? Either make an appointment or explain it over the phone. They'll want to help get you back on track

I cannot fault my care at all but it does seem to be a postcode lottery sometimes. Give them a call, sometimes people "fall" off the list !


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I'm treated through my hospital, I couldn't fault the 2 DSN's I've had through there, although my one had recently left and I'm undecided on the other DSN's at the hospital. I've also had a lot of support with my consultant and most of his team.
Again, it does seen to be a bit of a postcode lottery for a lot of areas, I'm pretty fortunate that I have a good team.


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DiabeticDrummer said:

Thanks for the advice . I'm not trying to say they didn't help me or did a bad job at first I was trying to see others views on how important it is to "grab there attention" that I'm still around. Again thank you

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Give them a call and put your hands up and just say you've gotten lost and need some help. They'll get you back on track

Hi my main care is with the hospital. I have seen the consultant once and the dsn three times in with the consultant again next month. Both very reassuring and easy to talk to. Then at my GPs have seen the dsn twice and my GP three times they say they want to keep up to speed with my treatment even though its controlled by the hospital. So all in all I feel very well looked after and lucky reading some of the horror stories on here!
Diagnosed 14th Feb 2013
Type 1

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Hi. Interesting that you use the term 'team', as I don't consider that I'm being managed by a 'team'. Over my almost 10 years since diagnosis of 'T2' (actually T1.5'ish) I've only been supported by my local surgery. The DSNs I've met including my current one have been very good, but the two diabetes expert GPs have been mixed in their overall knowledge of diabetes and the range of types (well, you're either a T1 or an overweight T2 right or insulin is a last resort?). My current DSN used to work for the hospital diabetes team hence her knowledge is good and I'm lucky.

Honestly... They are about as much use as a chocolate teapot. I find his forum and other sites much more useful.

DiabeticDrummer said:

so i was wondering how helpful everyone else found their team with controlling their diabetes?

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Very good and they will see you at short notice or return a call when they are not too busy, diabetes care is a two-way street and you have to work together to get the best outcome.

What a concept!!! Too bad that in real life there is no such thing. Around here if an individual wants to do that you would have to contact each separate service (doctor, dietician, nurse, pharmacist) yourself, most of which is not covered and therefore prohibitally expensive and no co-ordination whatsoever.

Daibell said:

Hi. Interesting that you use the term 'team', as I don't consider that I'm being managed by a 'team'.

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My thoughts too. My DN is my 'team' and she's in worse shape than me.

The problem I have with my diabetes team is that they don't seem to work together. I go and get blood taken every six months. The nurse who takes my blood asks me what my control has been like over the last few months, if my insulin requirements have changed, how I am feeling and so on. About a week later I get called in to get the results. The DSN tells me what my HBA1C is, checks my blood pressure and goes over my other levels. She will tell me whether these levels are good, bad or indifferent and then asks me to make an appointment with a doctor. The doctor goes over the results again. Complete waste of time.

I get my eyes and feet checked separately. I've seen a dietician twice, both times this has been completely separate to any care provided by my diabetes team.

There is no communication between any of the people I am seen by. The care would be so much better if I they worked together.

The DSN that I see is not particularly useful. Still advocates a high carb diet. If I have problems controlling my levels she just shrugs her shoulders and says "it can be hard. Try adjusting your insulin and testing more." Helpful, eh?!

As I said, I find this forum much more valuable. I go to all of my appointments so that if there are any problems they are diagnosed early and treated.

A waste of time. The diabetic nurse and doctor going through the motions. All they care about is their budget. The best way to manage diabetes is to do it yourself.

Hi ek1112. My surgery appears to be a bit more organised. I'm given a bloods form at each appointment for my next one so I see the phlebotomist at the surgery or hospital about 2 weeks before the next appointment so we only need to meet once and the test results are available to discuss. I'm surprised your DSN takes the blood as I thought that should be done by a trained phlebotomist? I've never been offered a dietician's time and pleased I haven't!

Diabetic team? What diabetic team???

My local NHS believes in mind over matter - they don't mind and you don't matter. Well over a year since I saw a soul other than for an eye test. Used to have a very good Diabetic Nurse, but she left 18 months ago and the newcomer has been a waste of space. No coordination whatever - I seem forever to be correcting factual errors because people/departments aren't communicating. No reminder services - I have to fight for every appointment, they're usually weeks often months away, and I seem to get little beyond a shrug when I do get seen. About 2 years since I saw a podiatrist - simply gave up trying to make an appointment.

The good news used to be that I got a regular supply of test strips - now I've been warned they're at risk too.

My diabetes actually takes 2nd place to chronic and crippling arthritis that seriously limits my mobility - and no prizes for guessing that the NHS is zero help with that too. Many people around here actually call our hospital the 'Shrugs'n'Drugs.' After establishing that physio twice a week gave me very real benefit, I was offered it - once a week for 6 weeks out of every year - my 'share' of limited resources in a hospital that seems to suffer little scarcity in expensive management. I told them to stuff it.

NHS = No Help Society. These days it's just a talking shop - I've just about given up on them. Thank god for this website, even though my DSN warned me off it.

Daibell, my DSN doesn't take the blood, she just talks through the results with me. The blood is taken by one of the nurses at the GP surgery that I attend

Daibell said:

I'm surprised your DSN takes the blood as I thought that should be done by a trained phlebotomist?

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Mrs Yorks is a biomedical scientist specialising in haematology. When she started in 1977, she was taking blood on her first day. The main requirement is to be able to find a plump vein. It's practice, not training. Not that training in the NHS is particularly exacting. The 'in service' expression is "watch one, do one, teach one".

My GP's practice nurse takes my blood and is brilliant at it. My veins are always hard to locate but she gets it first time every time. Also virtually painless, just a tiny pinch. Have had blood taken many times by phlebotamists who have left giant bruises in their wake and hurt like the devil. I agree it is about practice but maybe also their level of interest in improving their technique.

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