Di Kalus Diabetes Specialist Nurse - Primary Care

The overall aim of my role is to develop and provided diabetes services more locally than they have been provided in the past and improve access for people with diabetes. I work with a podiatrist and dietician to see patients on an individual basis at clinics held in the Dilke Memorial Hospital and also see patient's in their GP Practice with their own Practice Nurse.

I provide education and advice to people with diabetes, their families and carers which help them to manage their condition and encourage them to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. As part of this work I run patient education groups for people newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and provide educational and clinical support to the Primary Health Care Team helping people manage their diabetes.

Wendy Liddington – Lead Nurse in Primary Care, Dilke Memorial Hospital

Wendy is newly appointed as ‘Lead Nurse in Primary Care’ to oversee the development of the minor injury unit at the Dilke Memorial Hospital and to develop the service to become nurse led.

Wendy said: “This service will enhance the community services offered to patients locally and is a real opportunity for nurses to use their skills more fully.”

Supporting Families in Coleford

Ellie Moore’s role involves assisting the Health Visitors at Coleford Health Centre using her added knowledge of mental health issues to help support families.

Ellie said: “My developing post is a welcome benefit to the team in Coleford. It provides a further option to families as it offers support to parents from a familiar face on an informal basis.”

North Forest of Dean District Nursing

District Nursing (DN) is undergoing a significant period of change. Alongside the roles that DN teams have traditionally fulfilled they are playing an increasing role in supporting patients with chronic diseases remain at home. DN teams across the Patch now offer case management to patients who may not have been seen by them previously. The case manager is a senior community nurse who will meet with patients who have complex needs and may have frequent admissions to hospital. They will agree a treatment plan with the patients GP and other key individuals and it is hoped that future admissions may be prevented.

In order to help patients remain at home District Nurses and GP's are currently working to extend some of the services they offer in primary care. Two key developments that are expected to occur in the during the early part of 2006 are the ability for some patients to receive intravenous anti-biotics in their own homes and some patients to have the opportunity to attend a new leg ulcer clinic at the Dilke Memorial Hospital.

Another key area of development is the extension of the role of Health Care Assistants in DN teams. Health Care Assistants undertake NCQ training and we make every effort to support them to the highest level they wish to achieve. As they progress their training their roles extend to include phlebotomy, complex wound dressings and the administration of insulin for routine diabetics who require support. It is expected that the role of HCAs will expand further in the next year as West Gloucestershire PCT introduces a complementary study program for nursing tasks that HCA's could undertake and enable the experienced specialists practitioners to use their expertise to the maximum.