local charity’s donation improves care at hospital’s paediatric centre
Children and young people with type 1 diabetes in North Somerset have recently received a fantastic new machine to make clinic appointments easier. Thanks to the fundraising efforts of local charity Friends of Diabetes, Weston General Hospital’s paediatric centre, known as the Seashore Centre, has been able to purchase an HbA1c point of care testing device.
Before this device was introduced, families were required to collect a small sample of blood by pricking the child’s finger and scooping an amount into a bottle and taking it to their GP surgery. This had to be done a couple of weeks before the clinic appointment to enable the result to be available at the consultation. Many families reported that this process was quite traumatic, particularly with younger children. Often the tests were not done, so clinicians did not have this vital piece of information at the clinic appointment. Offering the test in the centre is a huge benefit to our patients.
Charlie Hurcum a staff nurse in the Seashore Centre said: “The new HbA1c machine has massively helped in all of our clinics here at Seashore as the results are now available there and then. It gives an accurate reading which supports our doctors to manage the three-monthly reviews and to better understand the patient’s day-to-day routine.
“Patients are still in full control with this new device because it is the same step-by-step testing they would do at home which is great. This has reduced stress levels for the patients and parents, making it an easier experience.”
Debbie Chalk, Paediatric Diabetes Specialist Nurse, North Somerset Community Partnership for Bristol and Weston Diabetes team, says: “We have received very positive feedback from the families who have been introduced to this new machine in clinics. They feel that this has made the process of getting a measurement of HbA1c much easier, which has resulted in less stress for their children.
“We would like to thank our families for their patience whilst waiting for this piece of equipment to be available in North Somerset. We are also extremely grateful to the wonderful members of Friends of Diabetes who worked hard to raise a substantial sum of money to purchase this machine. The money was raised through events such as quiz nights and afternoon teas and we are overwhelmed with the amount of effort that was put into this fundraising.”
Members of Friends of Diabetes were recently invited to see the machine in action at the Seashore Centre.
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