Study reveals inconsistent services for young type 1 diabetics

Researchers from Leeds Metropolitan have discovered inconsistencies in the standard of type 1 diabetes services in Yorkshire and the Humber.
Dr Nicky Kime and colleagues conducted a three-year study, entitled ‘Join Us On Our Journey’, which looked at treatment provided to children and young people with type 1 diabetes at one of nine healthcare trusts in the region.
They highlighted discrepancies in services across the trusts and found that all nine sites had a different way of working and managing patients.
Dr Kimen, who is a Senior Research Fellow at Leeds Metropolita, has this week travelled to Istanbul with Liz Webster, director of the University’s award-winning Getting Sorted Enterprise Unit, to present her findings at the annual conference of the International Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD).
“To be able to share and present our research with such a key international audience in Istanbul is an opportunity not to be missed for Getting Sorted,” she said.
“The UK has the worst rate of type 1 diabetes in Europe and the communication between the young people, parents, paediatric and adult diabetes teams is regarded as essential to improving care .”
Liz Webster added: “Other European countries have far superior healthcare services in place for children and young people with type 1, so to be invited to ISPAD’s annual conference and be given the opportunity to network and meet with our EU partners who have expressed an interest in Getting Sorted, our work and goals is very exciting for us.”