Attendees, who included dieticians, hospital consultants, GPs, public health experts and representatives from Diabetes UK, met to discuss the progress made since they first came together in in May 2023, when it was agreed which areas would be prioritised.
These included prevention programmes aimed at communities facing health inequities, a consistent, reliable and informative diabetes service throughout the borough and long-term holistic support for patients, including prioritising their mental health.
We want to make sure that both diabetes care and prevention are consistent and equitable across the borough and this partnership work is vital to that.
Kingston GP, Gareth Hull
Kingston GP, Gareth Hull, said: “This work is becoming more and more important. Diabetes is being diagnosed more frequently across the UK, and this is reflected in Kingston.
“We are seeing more young people presenting with the disease as well as members of our communities which suffer from health inequity. We want to make sure that both diabetes care and prevention are consistent and equitable across the borough and this partnership work is vital to that.”
During the November workshop, the group discussed how diabetes care is currently delivered in primary and community care with support from the hospital team and started work to identify the most important factors in the new model of care and how these can be developed.
The group will meet again later this year.