New community diabetes service underway in Leicester

People with diabetes in the city of Leicester are to benefit from a newly launched service which will allow them to receive vital care closer to home.
Instead of travelling to hospital to see a diabetes specialist, hundreds of patients in the city will soon be able to get the care and support they need to manage their diabetes more effectively from their own GP.
To date, GPs at 30 practices across the city have received training to support the Integrated Community Diabetes Service, which has been set up the Leicester City clinical commissioning group (CCG).
Professor Azhar Farooqi, chairman of the CCG, explained: “Previously, patients with diabetes were often seen in a setting such as a hospital, which isn’t always the appropriate place. Now, patients will have their diabetes care managed in the community by trained professionals in their GP practice or a diabetes specialist working nearby.
“This means many patients will no longer have to travel to hospital for their checks. And because their GP practice is trained in diabetes and has their full medical history, they can now receive all the support they need delivered closer to their own home.”
He added that specialist or hospital care services will still be available to individuals who need them.
Launched last week, the new service is not yet available at local practices, and so diabetic patients will initially be seen by a specialist at one of eight community clinics.
Latest statistics show that almost 26,000 people in Leicester are diagnosed with diabetes, and health experts believe thousands of more cases remain undiagnosed.