It’s nearly the end of 2016 and we thought we’d spend the the twelve days of Christmas sharing some stories and successes from the last year from across the Trust, as well as some useful tips to stay healthy in 2017.

We’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

On the sixth day…

In 2016 the BBC’s popular current affairs programme Panorama spent six months filming with type 2 patients at Heart of England as they went through treatment – emergency operations to save lives, weight loss surgery, and the struggle to manage their diabetes through lifestyle changes.

The programme aired in October, getting great feedback from patients and staff, and making an impact on raising awareness of the disease.

Recent figures have shown that 700 people a day in the UK are diagnosed with diabetes, one every two minutes.

Around a tenth of the NHS budget is spent on the condition – complications such as limb amputation, heart disease and kidney failure. The majority of diabetics have type 2 diabetes, linked to lifestyle, diet and exercise.

The Diabetes Centre at Heartlands Hospital operates as the main hub for all diabetes and endocrinology services at the Trust, functioning as a one stop clinic with access to multi-disciplinary care all under one roof.

For further information call the team on 0121 4240234 or go to www.heartofengland.nhs.uk/diabetes-and-endocrinology