About the Diabetes service
Diabetes service
At the L&D the Multi-Disciplinary Diabetes Specialist Team offers a comprehensive range of diabetes services for in-patients and out-patients of all age groups, including Children and Young Persons (CYP). There are dedicated Diabetes Specialist Nurses (for adults and CYP), Specialist Dieticians, Specialist Podiatrists, and Consultant led consultations. For out-patients, most of the multi-disciplinary team specialist clinics are held in the dedicated Diabetes Centre or in the paediatric out-patient department.
CYPs with suspected diabetes are seen on the day of referral in the Paediatric Assessment Unit (PAU) and have open access to the unit with 24 hour expert advice for diabetes related issues. The Paediatric Diabetes Nurse Specialist, following diagnosis and when needed, support the family/child in the community setting and at their school. The team provide support and education for the staff at school to support the diabetes.
There is a close working link with both the Luton and Bedfordshire Integrated Community Diabetes Services.
A free diabetes information and advice website has been developed in conjunction with Bedford Hospital Diabetes Specialist Team, for health care professionals in primary care.
In addition to general diabetes clinics, the team can offer a wide range of specialist clinics and services:
Clinics
- Diabetes in the Elderly (over 65s)
- Paediatric (Children)
- Young Adult / Adolescent
- Insulin Pump Clinic
- Adult General Diabetes Clinic (new and follow up)
- High HbA1c Clinic (Paediatric Diabetes Nurse led)
- Joint Diabetes Antenatal Clinic
- Joint Gestational Diabetes Clinic
- Pre-Conception Counselling Clinic
- Diabetic Foot Clinic
- Procedures and services
Procedures and services
- Assessment and management of complex diabetes
- Assessment and management of acute and chronic diabetes complications
- Insulin and injectable therapies initiation
- Continuous home blood glucose monitoring
- Structured education programs for patients
- Assessment and initiation of subcutaneous insulin infusion pump therapy
- Group educational services
- Rapid assessment and management of acute diabetic foot ulcers
- Support from Clinical Psychologist
- 1:1 Teaching on carbohydrate counting
Where to find Diabetes Centre
The Diabetes Centre is located in Zone E of the hospital.
Contact Diabetes Team:
Diabetes Reception: 01582 478050
Diabetes Support Line: 01582 497113
Diabetic Eye Screening
As of 2 April 2024, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Milton Keynes University Hospital are now the lead providers for the Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP) across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK).
Both NHS Trusts already run DESP for their own respective areas but have now joined forces to provide clinical leadership and deliver screenings at more locations to increase accessibility to patients across BLMK. This will enable us to deliver a single, efficient, effective, and standardised service across the whole of BLMK.
Patients do not need to do anything differently as they will be contacted as normal for their regular diabetic eye screening appointments. This new service will be delivered in 41 locations across BLMK.
Eye screening is a key part of diabetes care, and all diabetic patients aged 12 years or older, should have a specialist diabetic eye screening test every year due to the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy which can severely affect their sight.
Screening can detect the condition early and before any changes to the vision are noted by the patient and where needed the patient can be referred into hospital eye services for treatment. Early treatment can prevent severe sight loss. Full information about the Programme and the list of locations can be found at: www.BLMKDiabeticEyeScreening.nhs.uk