Advanced Dietetic Practitioner, Paediatric Diabetes, NHS Lothian
As one of our Clinical Champions, Leigh will be leading on new initiatives that empower patients to manage their health with confidence, clarity and enthusiasm. She will be making diabetes education accessible to all, sustainable and time appropriate to patient needs and motivation.
Leigh is particularly determined to overcome barriers to attendance in order to tackle inequality and strive to include this in all areas of service development.
Background
Leigh is an Advanced Dietetic Practitioner, specialising in paediatric diabetes, working with children and young people and their families, living with type 1 diabetes up to the age of 16.
She is part of a highly skilled clinical diabetes team with a varied and busy caseload of patients treated with multiple daily injections, insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring. Leigh’s dietetic team teach carbohydrate counting from diagnosis, lead the new patient clinic process and specialise in advanced pump training and exercise management advice.
Leigh has worked as a dietitian for 20 years and has specialised in paediatric diabetes for the past seven years. She also has previous experience in adult diabetes and a founding role in the Lothian paediatric weight management service.
Leigh has also developed a keen interest in type 2 diabetes in young people. She aims to provide consistent guidance and effective, supportive care to this vulnerable patient group, where patient presentation can be so diverse and the evidence for effective therapy is limited.
Leigh is a mum of two children and too many animals, and they are always striving to make life better, happier and healthier for those around them.
