Winner
Dinky-Betes: A Dedicated Clinic for the Under 7’s
by Leeds Children’s Hospital (Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust)
Executive Summary
The challenges of caring for very young children with diabetes are well recognised. Dinky-Betes is an innovative diabetes service providing valuable peer support to children under 7 years and their families. A multi-disciplinary team comprising a health play specialist, a clinical psychologist, specialist nurses, dietitians and doctors work collaboratively to offer a friendly and supportive environment to optimise diabetes care, access to advanced technology and deliver developmentally appropriate targeted education. Dinky-Betes also nurtures emotional well-being through providing a safe space for children and their families to share their experiences with positive clinical and psychosocial impact.
Judges’ comments:
“Dinky-Betes was a great initiative, recognising the importance of learning within play. It is innovative and supportive of families helping young ones learn more about their condition through play. It also recognised the importance of having clinics with people of the same ethnic background enabling them to share a common language. The engagement with families was evident and it was just brilliant!”
Highly Commended
Seeing the Whole Person: Piloting an integrative model of care at Sherwood Forest Hospital Young Adult Diabetes Service
by Sherwood Forest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Executive Summary
At Sherwood Forest Hospital we have piloted a visionary specialist service for young adults aged 18-25 years old, with Type 1 diabetes. We have developed and operationalised a fully integrated approach, placing the clinical psychologist and dietitian as core members of the young adult diabetes team, sitting in clinic with the consultant and the diabetes specialist nurse and contributing to all diabetes multidisciplinary clinic appointments. The aim was to provide a proactive and holistic care approach to a vulnerable cohort, by destigmatising any discussion about psychological issues and reinforcing the view that the team weighted mental and physical health equally.
Judges’ comments:
“Sherwood Forest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is a great demonstration of holistic working, which should be happening. It demonstrated impressive reductions in DK and the judges thought it was novel and brilliantly achieved. It is a lovely intervention and imaginative in the way in engaged. It was an excellent, gold standard service and should be easily replicable.”
Highly Commended
Community Large Group Roll-Out of Hybrid Closed Loop Pump Therapy in Type 1 Diabetes
by University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Executive Summary
Implementation of the NICE Technology Appraisal on Hybrid Closed Loop (HCL) Pump Therapy will result in over 1,500 people with Type 1 Diabetes starting Insulin Pump Therapy over the next 5 years in the Leicester area. We have established monthly large group starts using 2 community halls, and thus far 110 patients have been commenced HCL Pump Therapy since December 2023, using the Omnipod 5 Pump. Follow-up has been virtual using Glooko, and supported by the local Omnipod Peer Support Group. Every patient has continued HCL Pump Therapy with no diabetic emergencies, and substantially improved glycaemic parameters.
Judges’ comments:
“The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust’s project had impressive results and the community-based clinics were great. It was a really good project, based on a strong model. It stood out and is the way forward.”
