HEALTH organisations across Dorset have come together to take part in The Big Ask – a unique Echo-backed survey which will help to shape NHS services in the future. This week we are looking at long term health conditions.
LIVING with an incurable health condition, such as diabetes, dementia and arthritis, usually means a lifetime of medication or other therapies.
But health organisations across the county, want to highlight the important role that self-care plays in managing lifelong health issues.
For there is a range of NHS services available to make life easier to cope ranging from specialist technology and access to support groups, to confidence building courses.
The Royal Bournemouth’s diabetes expert, Professor David Kerr, who runs one of the largest technology in diabetes programmes in the UK, says: “We are very enthusiastic about the use of technology for improving the lives of people living with diabetes – insulin pumps, glucose sensors, social media, e-learning and much more.” The Diabetes and Endocrine Centre runs one of the country’s major insulin pump centres, providing type 1 diabetes patients with portable insulin pumps which deliver constant amounts of insulin.
On average in the UK, six per cent of people with type 1 use this pump compared to 17 per cent in Bournemouth.
Professor Kerr adds: “As well as NHS websites and social media channels to help educate and support self-management, we’ve recently introduced two free online resources of our own – one website which focuses on offering advice on diabetes and exercise (excarbs.com) and another which concentrates on travel and diabetes (voyagemd.com).
“We have also developed and launched a smartphone app for patients affected by painful neuropathy, called ‘appyfeet’, which can be downloaded for free from the iTunes store.”
The Bournemouth Diabetes and Endocrine Centre also offers web-based e-learning courses.
To have a say on care for long term conditions, you can complete The Big Ask online at bournemouth.ac. uk/thebigask Paper copies can be requested from Ehren Milner on 01202 961379 or emilner@bournemouth.ac.uk The survey closes on Monday September 9.
For more information, visit bournemouthecho/health
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