Devon communities to benefit from diabetes nurse service

People in Devon with diabetes are to benefit from better care, closer to home, thanks to a new specialist diabetes community nurse service.

The service will start in the Mid Devon community and is planned to extend to the whole of Devon over 2011.

It will see the specialist teams at the RD&E and health professionals in the community working together to manage diabetes patients.

Diabetes is a chronic and progressive disease that affects infants, children, young people and adults of all ages, and is becoming more common.

Devon’s first specialist diabetes community nurse will be Catherine Argyle, who said:

“I will be running specialist diabetes clinics alongside the practice nurses and GPs, either in community hospitals or GP practices. This will promote specialist diabetes care closer to home, and support those patients struggling with their diabetes.”

A range of similar services for other long-term conditions are also being planned in Devon as the NHS seeks to improve services for patients at the same time as making sure they are efficient and the best value for money.