Julia Gilroy, lead nurse at Solihull Community Diabetes Service

Plans to improve diabetes care are being put in place by Solihull Community Diabetes Services, following an open forum which invited local residents to offer feedback on how services in the area could be enhanced.

Residents commented on the excellent levels of diabetes care provided in Solihull at the public forum along with suggestions on how the service could be improved. It was felt continuity of care during the patient journey – from the GP to Solihull community and hospital services – was sometimes hard to achieve, with patients occasionally having to repeat and explain their medical history to a number of health professionals. Another key area highlighted was access to information. Some patients requested easier access to health professionals, whether face-to-face, via telephone or email.

As a result, the Service is implementing a number of improvements. Julia Gilroy, lead nurse at Solihull Community Diabetes Service, explains: “Ensuring we deliver care that is right for the patient’s needs is our number one priority. Based on feedback from the local forum, we are reviewing our patient education programme across Solihull and we will present our findings and the options available to future patient groups. We are also planning to organise another forum, to continue monitoring patient engagement with our services. We believe these measures will help us to provide greater care for our patients.”

For more information, contact Julia Gilroy Lead Nurse Diabetes Specialist Solihull Community Diabetes Service on 0121 770 4432.