New hospital service makes positive impact on the care of diabetes patients

A new hospital service aimed at improving the care of patients with diabetes has so far proven a success, according to initial data from the Royal United Hospital in Bath.
The Acute Diabetes Service was launched at the RUH in November 2013 in an effort to replace the hospital’s previous diabetes care service, which relied on individual wards letting its team of diabetes specialists know that they had patients with diabetes.
This meant some patients may have already been in hospital for several days before being seen to and receiving specialist care.
With the new Acute Diabetes Service, this is no longer the case. Patients who have diabetes are now identified each day by a team of diabetes nurses who make daily rounds of the Emergency Department or the Medical Assessment Unit.
The specially trained team conduct various health checks, including foot examinations, provide a hospital care plan for managing the patient’s diabetes, advise nurses who are caring for the patient, and send all health-related information on the patient to GP’s and community nurses to assist with any on-going care required once the patient is discharged.
This more proactive approach has already resulted in a tenfold increase in the number of patients being reviewed in the Medical Assessment Unit, meaning more than 250 diabetic patients have been by the hospital who, under the previous service, may have been missed by the diabetes team.
Dr Marc Atki, Consultant in Diabetes at RUH, said: “This more rapid service has the potential to significantly improve the safety and quality of care we give to our patients when they come into hospital, and ensure their stay is as smooth as possible. Our patients already tell us their care is good but we know it can be better.”
A review of the Acute Diabetes Service will be carried out by the RUH after six months with a view to rolling it out to other areas of the hospital.