Children's diabetes care top at NNUH

A recent national audit of children with diabetes has revealed the paediatric diabetes team at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital is achieving among the very best results in the country.

Diabetes UK undertakes a national audit that looks at how well-controlled blood sugar levels are in children with Type 1 diabetes. Around 20 per cent of diabetics have Type 1 diabetes and the number of children in Norfolk being diagnosed with this type of diabetes has rocketed by 34 per cent in just two years.

Type 1 diabetes means the child's pancreas stops producing insulin and makes blood sugar levels difficult to control. The children need daily injections of insulin to manage their condition. 

A key measure of how well controlled their diabetes is involves the HbA1c blood test – this measures how much glucose is attached to blood cells, and the lower the HbA1c rate the better.

And the Diabetes UK results for the latest audit of HbA1c test results show that for the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital:

• For children under five years, NNUH is first out of 147 hospitals in England (Mean HbA1c 7.86%)
• For children 6-10 years, second in England (Mean HbA1c 7.99%)
• For children 11-16 years, seventh in England (Mean HbA1c 8.46%)
• For all children, NNUH is fourth overall (mean HbA1c 8.29%)

The paediatric diabetes team at NNUH is comprised of paadiatricans Dr Nandu Thalange, Dr Vipan Datta, specialist nurses Gill Ward, Debbie Upton and dietician Alison Currie. They look after over 320 children from Norfolk and Suffolk with Type 1 diabetes.

Dr Thalange said: “Looking after children with diabetes is a huge challenge and we do our best for them. These figures show how well we are doing, despite the pressure of huge increases in the number of children and young people with diabetes.

We are fortunate in being able to take advantage of modern technology to manage diabetes, we also have the generous help of local voluntary and parent groups who provide us with medicalert jewellery, information, books and adventure breaks for children with diabetes.

As a team we always aim to improve and learn from our families, many of whom are experiencing rapid social changes. Juggling their many commitments and raising children with diabetes, they still find time to fund raise, support each other and meet with us in clinics. Keeping abreast of the times we are continuing to work with local community groups.

Our aim is to keep children with diabetes out of hospital and able to manage their own diabetes. We regard ourselves as a team to keep them well.”

Media contact: Andrew Stronach or Hayley Gerrard on 01603 287200.