Can you remember what your blood pressure was at your last annual review?
Or what you agreed with your healthcare professional should be your goals for this year?
Looking after yourself when you have diabetes is important and having the right information can be really helpful.
As part of your 15 Healthcare Essentials, you should have an annual review appointment with your healthcare professional to discuss your most recent checks, and to set achievable goals to help manage your diabetes. Remember you’re the one who looks after your diabetes for 95% of the time, not your healthcare professional!
There are two ways you can see your own patient information which you discuss with your healthcare professional – including all your test results. You can ask your healthcare professional for a print out when you’re at your appointment (this is called a patient held summary), or you can access it online (mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk).
For more information about the patient held summary, click here or download the leaflet. This leaflet is also available in Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi . If you would like a copy of any of these leaflets, please email scotland@diabetes.org.uk giving your name, address (including postcode) and the quantities of which leaflet you require, and we will send these to you.
For more information about mydiabetesmyway, you can access their website here. This is a secure service, which gives you confidential access to your own patient record. There is also lots of useful information to help you manage your diabetes on this website. Or you can find more information about Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes on our UK wide website.
If you have a specific question about managing your diabetes, you can always call our Scotland Careline on 0845 120 2960, or on 0141 245 6380 and ask for the Careline, or email carelinescotland@diabetes.org.uk. Currently this service is available 9am to 5pm. If you would like to speak to someone with diabetes, see information about our telephone peer support service here or to find out if there’s face to face peer support available in your area, click here.
When managed well, people with diabetes can lead as full and active a life as anyone.
This section lets you know how using the Patient Held Summary can help you and your healthcare professionals to manage your diabetes better. We answer the following questions:
1. What is the Patient Held Summary?
2. What do I do with it?
3. How often should I get a Summary?
4. How do I get my summary?
5. Do I need to ask for my Summary or should it be offered to me?
6. What if my healthcare professional doesn’t use the Patient Held Summary or won’t give it to me?
7. Is there anything else I should be getting in relation to my diabetes?
1. What is the Patient Held Summary?
The Patient Held Summary (PHS) is a print out which you can get from your GP or other healthcare professional, which brings together the results of all your diabetes tests. Your HbA1c/Mmols blood glucose levels, blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, foot score and retinopathy results will all be available in one document. <back>
2. What do I do with it?
You discuss it with your healthcare professional and use it to help agree realistic goals for improving or maintaining your results. Any goals you agree on will be recorded in the summary. You can then use this information as a reminder or to discuss with healthcare professionals at any diabetes appointments you may have between your regular diabetes reviews. <back>
3. How often should I get a Summary?
Each time you have a review of your diabetes management. This can vary with some people only needing one review a year, while others may need more. As a minimum you should have a review at least once a year. <back>
4. How do I get my Summary?
The healthcare professional at your review, such as your GP, practice nurse, diabetes specialist nurse or hospital consultant, can give you a copy of your Patient Held Summary. The summary is generated from SCI-Diabetes, NHS Scotland’s computerised diabetes information system. <back>
5. Do I need to ask for my Summary or should it be offered to me?
We are encouraging healthcare professionals to offer and use the Patient Held Summary. At the same time we are informing patients with diabetes that this is available to them. If it isn’t offered, please ask your healthcare professional for it. <back>
6. What if my healthcare professional doesn’t use the Patient Held Summary or won’t give it to me?
If your healthcare professional can’t/won’t give you a PHS, contact your local Managed Clinical Network (MCN) manager. Details can be found on mydiabetesmyway here. <back>
7. Is there anything else I should be getting in relation to my diabetes?
Having the right care is essential for the wellbeing of all people with diabetes. There is a minimum level of healthcare that every person with diabetes deserves and should expect. Diabetes UK has drawn up a checklist of the 15 essential checks and services you should receive. This can be found at http://www.diabetes.org.uk/15-essentials <back>