In this section

Diabetes

Easy Read Information

Diabetes is a disease where your body cannot control the amount of sugar in your blood.

This page gives information about:

  • The diabetes team
  • What treatments and support we can offer
  • How to be referred to us
  • What happens if you are referred to us
  • When visitors can come
  • How to contact us

 

Who are we?

The Diabetes Team aims to provide high quality care in a timely manner, catered to individual needs, and to enable patients to feel confident in working with us to manage their condition and improve their health.

We as a team are dedicated to innovation and progress to improve patient care and truly put patients first and demonstrate by evidence that we are doing what we say!

The Diabetes Team has adopted a multidisciplinary approach which consists of

  • five consultant physicians who specialise in diabetes, endocrinology and general medicine
  • seven diabetes specialist nurses
  • two diabetes inpatient specialist nurses
  • dieticians
  • podiatrists
  • bio-medical scientist
  • clerical staff including medical secretaries

See below for the services we offer

What we do

Outpatient Services

For patient convenience a ‘one-stop approach’ to clinic attendances has been adopted. This means that on a single visit the patient may see a number of healthcare professionals, therefore negating the need for multiple visits.

Inpatient services

Inpatient services are provided on wards 7A and 7B with each consultant having responsibility for a number of patients.

Doctors may also see patients on other wards who have been admitted with diabetic or endocrine problems in addition to their main presenting complaint e.g. pre and post operatively and post myocardial infarction etc. There are 2 diabetes specialist nurses who visit wards throughout the Trust to give advice and education to patients and staff. They offer specific education to people who are newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and those who are commenced on insulin.

Insulin Pump Service


The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is one of the largest insulin pump services in the UK and enjoys a reputation for excellence.

This multidisciplinary service is able to provide care and on-going support to individuals with diabetes who have multifaceted health, psychological and social needs at the highest level. The team philosophy promotes a pro-active working partnership between the professional, patient and their relative or carer which optimises self-care management strategies, health and wellbeing.

Podiatry and PCT Podiatry

We provide a high quality podiatry services for high risk diabetic foot at diabetes Centre in conjunction with the PCT podiatry team with close links to diabetes team, vascular team, orthopaedic team, radiology, tissue viability team, and orthotics.

Being referred to us

Outpatients referrals

Patients are referred to the service by their GP or medical centre

Inpatient referrals

Patients that are usually admitted to the ward as an emergency are those with acute or chronic diabetic, endocrine or medical problems. There can also be planned admissions via the outpatient clinics including podiatry clinics.

Insulin Pump Service

This service is a tertiary service and accepts referrals from across the region as well as Alder Hey. The specialist nurse holds education sessions for patients both in groups and individually.

Podiatry referrals

Podiatry Outpatients: Acute referrals are sent from your care giver via fax to the Diabetes Centre and Routine referrals are made via your GP

Podiatry Inpatient: referrals are made by your medical caregiver via internal systems

PCT Podiatry Clinics

Patients can be referred to the local health centre. Patients are required to complete an application form which they can pick up from their local community health centre.

 

What happens when you see us

Outpatients

All people attending the diabetes centre should book in with the receptionist on arrival. People attending appointments are asked to bring several items with them:

  • all of their current medication or a copy of their repeat prescription
  • their blood glucose meter
  • their monitoring diary
  • reading glasses if used
  • their insulin pen device if used

Inpatients

The patients are seen on a daily basis by medical staff. Consultants have a team of dedicated doctors which consists of a specialist registrar ( SpR ), core medical trainee (CMT) and Foundation doctors.

The team may also care for patients with diabetes who are being medically managed by consultants, but are located on a different ward.

Insulin Pump Service

All individuals referred to the insulin pump service are reviewed ensuring that they have impartial information, which will allow them to make an informed choice regarding CSII.

Podiatry and PCT Podiatry Clinic

You will be assessed by the team at the clinic or ward and, depending upon the nature of your ailment, a further treatment plan will be discussed with you or treatment will begin by the team.

What happens next?

Outpatients

There are general and specialty clinics supervised by diabetes consultants providing specialist care to diabetes patients. You may be referred to one of these clinics after your initial assessment.

  • General Diabetes Clinic
  • Weight Management in Diabetes Clinic
  • Diabetic Nephropathy Clinic
  • Joint Diabetes-Renal Clinic
  • Adolescent Diabetes Clinic
  • Insulin Pump Clinic
  • Preconception Diabetes Care Clinic
  • Antenatal Diabetes Care Clinic
  • Nurse Led Diabetes Clinics
  • Telephone Helpline

Inpatients

Any necessary ongoing treatment will be dependent upon specific condition

Insulin Pump Service

For all patients individualised holistic plan is developed which will incorporate physical, educational, pharmacological, social and psychological interventions as required. For individuals accepted into the insulin pump programme we provide on-going care and support.

Podiatry

Any necessary ongoing treatment will be dependent upon specific condition.

Further Information

Diabetes Education

Diabetes department at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital provides in-house developed diabetes education programmes e.g.

  • Type 1 Diabetes Education
  • Insulin Initiation and Titration
  • Newer Therapy Initiation
  • Carbohydrate Counting Course

The Team

Podiatry Team

  • Tanvir Khokhar: Clinical Lead
  • John Nightingale: Diabetes Podiatrist
  • Hazel Whitehead: Community Diabetes Podiatrist
  • Kate Jackson: Community Diabetes Podiatrist

Service opening hours

Outpatients:

The Diabetes Centre is open Monday to Friday from 8.30am until 5pm.

Inpatients:

Wards are open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. However, visitors times are subject to ward policy. Please see Wards for more details

Insulin Pump Service

Subject to need

Podiatry and PCT Podiatry Clinics

  • Day Morning Session Afternoon Session
  • Monday 8.30 am -12.30 pm 13.00 to 15.00
  • Tuesday 8.30 am -12.30 pm 13.00 to 15.00
  • Wednesday 8.30 am -12.30 pm 13.00 to 15.00
  • Thursday 8.30 am -12.30 pm No Clinic
  • Friday 8.30 am -12.30 pm No Clinic

Contact us

Outpatients

Outpatients can be contacted on 0151 706 2829. This is an answering machine and is cleared regularly. Messages left will be returned the same day.

Please remember to leave your name and number clearly when you call. The clinics run on an appointment only system, but access to advice from the diabetes specialist nurses is available via the telephone between 9am – 4pm. Messages left after 4pm will be returned on the next working day.

Inpatients

See ward contact details here

Podiatry

Podiatry clinic 0151 706 3060

PCT Podiatry service contact:

Podiatry Professional Lead
Dovecot Health Centre
Tel: 0151 228 3846

Orthotist:

  • Orthotic Dept: 0151 282 6022
  • Admin Officer: 0151 706 6022
  • Tissue Viability Nurses: 0151 706 2350

 

Related Links

Facts about the department

  • In-house designed, developed & copy-righted diabetes database and outpatient clinic management system Leading to:
    • Paperless clinics.
    • Rapid & effective communication with GPs.
    • Saved staff time preparing notes.
    • Improved patient care.
    • Benefits being presented at BMJ events International quality forum in Healthcare in Paris 2012.
  1. Changing from twice-weekly to twice-daily consultant ward rounds provided daily senior cover leading to:
    • Length of stay reduced from 11 to 5 days.
    • Readmission & mortality remained unchanged despite doubled discharge rate.
    • Significantly improved in-patient care.
    • Results published in Clinical Medicine 2011, Vol 11, No 6: 524–8 http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/rcop/cm/2011/00000011/00000006/art00005.
    • Pharmacy, lab, radiology and other investigation costs reduced significantly.

The diabetes/Endocrine team at the Royal provides the following specialist tertiary clinics and services:

  • A dedicated clinic for Weight management in diabetes patients by Dr Aftab Ahmad, Christine Brame and Karen Hill. We have managed to reduce weight by a mean of more than 10 Kg with a combination of patient involvement, medication, diet and exercise program and presented our data in Diabetes UK 2011, ADA 2011 and EASD 2011 conferences.
  • The largest Insulin Pump services in the UK run by Dr Philip Weston and Gillian Morrison is of international reputation delivering quality service to patients as well as running courses for staff. The team has published and presented results at numerous regional, national and international forums and recently published in Diabetologia:1-3, 2011. Insulin Pump. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00125-011-2282-6.
  • Extremely busy diabetes and medical disorder in pregnancy clinic led by Dr Tejpal Purewal and his team in partnership with Women’s hospital delivering high quality care including insulin pump service where needed.
  • A nationally renowned Joint Pituitary Clinic by Professor Jiten Vora and his team in collaboration with Walton Neurosurgeons managing complicated pituitary patients from all over northwest and north Wales. We have a dedicated, fully equipped programmed endocrine investigation unit to manage complicated investigations.
  • Recently launched a parallel diabetes nephropathy clinic run by Dr Dushyant Sharma with our nephrology department managing CKD 4-5 patients to improve their quality of life.
  • We have a successful Transitional endocrine clinic run by Dr Aftab Ahmad with Dr Mo Didi at Alder Hey Hospital with glowing feedback from parents and patients and a similar Transitional diabetes clinic by Dr Purewal with Dr Didi.
  • We are an integral part of the regional Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia group represented by Professor Vora.

Our awards include:

  • Our team and services have achieved the following:
  • Chief Executive award 2011-12 for developing a Transitional Endocrine Clinic
  • Nominated for our Diabetes Database 2011-12.
  • Team of the Year award 2010-11 for innovation.
  • Finalist Northwest Leadership award for Dr Aftab Ahmad 2010.
  • Team of the Year for insulin Pump Service 2009.