SOUTHPORT talk about diabetes and get support

Talk about diabetes and get support

With Diabetes Week (11-17 June) this year coinciding with Men’s Health Week, Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust’s Diabetes Service in Southport and Formby are calling on people with diabetes, particularly men, to talk about diabetes and learn how best to manage the condition.

Around 700 people are diagnosed with diabetes a day in the UK with some 34 to 44 percent of the population in the Southport region aged 40 to 79 having Type 2 diabetes. Statistics also show that people with diabetes in Southport are 75.7 percent more likely than people without diabetes to have a heart attack and 57.2 percent are more likely to have a stroke As a result health professionals are encouraging people with the condition to have conversations about the condition with their doctors, friends and families.

People with diabetes in Southport and Formby can also access a free education course and individual support at various locations in the area that are targeted at people living with Type 2 diabetes. There is an estimated 4.5 million people living with diabetes in the UK with around 1.1 million people who have the condition but have not been diagnosed.

Laura Chatt from the Diabetes Education Team at Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust said:

“Talking about diabetes can be tricky, awkward, difficult, funny and everything in between. It can be all of those things for people from telling someone you’ve just met about your diabetes or avoiding that conversation with your doctor. This Diabetes Week, we want to make it easier for you to have those conversations, with your doctor, your friends and family, and people you’ve just met. We want to get you talking. 

“Ensuring that members of the public living with Diabetes know how to successfully manage their condition is our priority and utilising the our programmes ensures that we can provide that education. It’s important that anyone living with the condition knows there is free and helpful education out there so if you need advice about any of the above or need to talk to someone, contact the local team responsible for your care.’’

To help people with diabetes in the area to manage their condition, free education programmes are on offer. Lancashire Care offers two programmes, “Diabetes and You” for people who have been newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and “Diabetes and More” for people who have been living with the illness for more than a year.

John Bennett, 65, who was diagnosed with diabetes two months ago said:

“I’m retired and I was a driver in my last job. I was diagnosed with diabetes when I went to the GP for a 65 MOT and that’s when I learned that I had diabetes. I don’t have any symptoms and I was referred to the service via my GP. When I visited the service, I found them very useful and helpful. I have no complaints whatsoever. They are very clear, they don’t patronise you and they tell you what is what when it comes to diabetes. The clarification is perfect. The service gives you a lot of confidence in dealing with diabetes and I would recommend other people with diabetes to visit the Diabetes Education Team and ensure they get help early on.”

Diabetes services in Southport and Formby are delivered by Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust. Diabetes sessions are informal, friendly and last approximately two hours with short breaks. They are held in a variety of locations across Southport and Formby with timings throughout the day, evenings and weekends. To find out more, speak to your GP, practice nurse or health care professional and request a referral. Alternatively, contact the Diabetes Education Team on 01704 387271 or email lcn-tr.diabeteseducation@nhs.net.For general advice on any form of diabetes, call the Diabetes UK Helpline on 0345 123 2399 or visit www.diabetes.org.uk.