Network for young people with diabetes is highly commended

A network to support young people with diabetes and their families has been highly commended by the Quality in Care (QiC) Programmes.

The Young Diabetes Connections network is a partnership between Evelina London Children’s Hospital, King’s College Hospital and Lewisham Hospital, facilitated by the Diabetes Modernisation Initiative.

Lily Johnston, 12, says: "Living well with diabetes means having some sort of control over it and not letting it get in the way of life. Through Young Diabetes Connections I can chat with other people with diabetes. I can hear about their experiences and they can hear about mine. That's what's helped me the most."

The hospitals collaborated to join up local diabetes services to improve care for young people due to increased capacity and shared expertise.

They provide a shared out-of-hours phone service, psychology services and educational support across sites, and also a shared family support group.

Early results this year show:

• More under 14s are attending their appointments
• Better control of their condition
• An increase in the number of children with insulin pumps – this helps them control their blood sugars, which reduces the risk of complications later in life

The QiC awards for diabetes recognise, reward and share good practice and collaboration between the NHS, patient groups and industry.

Related pages

• Children’s diabetes service