UK clinicians are being urged to become ‘Clinical Champions’ to help improve services in their area to deliver better care for people with diabetes.
The highly successful two-year leadership programme run by Diabetes UK is recruiting a new cohort of clinicians to drive change across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The voluntary role runs for two years and includes a package of support and training.
Improving care for people living with diabetes
Current ‘Clinical Champions’ include consultants, GPs, nurses, dietitians, podiatrists and senior pharmacists. They are experienced in treating the complex needs of people with diabetes and are significantly improving care for people living with diabetes.
The need for change is underlined by a diabetes crisis in the UK - 4.5 million people have diabetes including one million with type 2 diabetes who don’t know they have the condition.
Diabetes UK chief executive Chris Askew said: “Clinicians can see where improvements are needed to diabetes services, but are all too often left frustrated and unable to deliver change. There’s clear evidence investment in better diabetes care is beneficial to people with diabetes and is cost effective.
Reducing diabetes complications
Effective services help people manage their diabetes well, reducing the number of devastating and costly health complications. Our Clinical Champions are part of a network of like-minded clinicians playing a critical role in promoting and delivering innovative and life-changing best practice.”
Lesley Hamilton, Diabetes Networks Manager at the Western Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland, became a Clinical Champion in 2015. She has already introduced significant change in her local area.
She said: “Being a Clinical Champion has given me the drive and confidence to significantly impact Diabetes Care in the Western Trust. Through implementing an integrated care pathway and establishing a central point of referral, we have already seen improvements to the diabetes service for patients.”
The Clinical Champions programme is a Diabetes UK project. Novo Nordisk provides financial support.Adam Burt, Director Market Access and Public Affairs, Novo Nordisk UK, said: “It is wonderful to be working with Diabetes UK on this ambitious initiative aimed at empowering a growing network of Clinical Champions.
Improve quality in diabetes services
These are inspiring individuals who wish to become advocates for change and quality improvement in diabetes services across the NHS. In the current environment, this is no easy task and Novo Nordisk is passionate about enabling leaders who wish to drive the quality of care patients living with diabetes need and deserve“.
Download an application pack
To find out more about the programme ordownload an application pack..
