Background
The problems surrounding inpatient care for people with diabetes have been long established and work is ongoing to address this issue. Diabetes UK invited people with diabetes to share their inpatient experiences and these highlighted concerns including; disempowerment, distress, a lack of staff knowledge including in the management of acute diabetes complications, issues with food and food and medication timing, medicines mismanagement, and a lack of information provision. It is vital that these issues are addressed to ensure people with diabetes receive high quality care.
Principles:
Standards of care in hospital should be of a level that ensures:
- Pre assessment planning for elective admissions is undertaken and implemented
- Every person with diabetes has an assessment and care plan for their hospital stay which is regularly updated as appropriate
- Co-ordination and administration of medications and food in a timely manner.
- Access to food and snacks appropriate for maintaining good diabetes management.
- Protocols are in place for the timely prevention and management of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia including self management of these complications where appropriate.
- People are supported to optimise blood glucose control during their hospital stay.
- Information about the inpatient stay is provided to people with diabetes
- People with diabetes have access to the specialist diabetes team and education
- Effective multi disciplinary communication between staff
- A discharge and follow up plan is developed for each individual
Supported self management of diabetes
People with diabetes wishing to self manage:
- should be supported to do so where appropriate.
- should have access to their self monitoring equipment.
- should have access to education, including information about how to access a structured education programme.
In order to support the delivery of the above, Diabetes UK is calling for:
- The implementation of diabetes training for all medical and nursing staff to ensure health care professionals are equipped with the necessary competencies.
- The development and implementation of protocols and /or systems to cover; communication, ongoing referral, surgery, prevention and the timely and effective management of acute complications.
- The implementation of audit and the commissioning of models of care shown to be effective.
Download the full position statement under 'Downloads'
June 2009