Diabetic clinic
Our Diabetic Clinic is held on Tuesday afternoons and Friday mornings.
Diabetes monitoring
Diabetes is a condition in which the blood glucose (sugar) levels become too high. This may be caused by the pancreas not producing enough insulin or because the cells in the body do not respond to the insulin that is produced. Insulin is a hormone that stops blood sugar from getting too high.
Once you are diagnosed with diabetes it is important to reduce the blood glucose levels and maintain a healthy lifestyle, as all the cells in the body can be damaged by high glucose levels. Diabetes can put you at higher risk of health problems such as heart disease, stroke, eye, kidneys and nerve damage.
You be will invited to attend the diabetic clinic at the practice at least twice a year where you will have blood tests and a foot examination. Before you attend you will be asked to have a blood and urine test. In the clinic you will have a full assessment including a blood pressure check and foot examination.
All aspects of diabetes will be discussed and support will be given for you to manage your diabetes. You will have the opportunity to discuss your diet and lifestyle. You may also be prescribed tablets to help reduce the glucose levels. Some people will need insulin injections. You will also be referred to the hospital for retinal screening once a year.
Useful information & advice
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a Long-term Condition (Chronic) caused by too much glucose (sugar) in the blood, either because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced.
There are two main types of diabetes: Diabetes can also sometimes start in pregnancy.
What happens when I am diagnosed with Diabetes?
Once you are diagnosed with diabetes, it is important to make sure that the sugar levels in your blood remains LOW as high blood sugar damages ALL cells in your body leading to severe complications.
Your clinical team will refer you to have an annual eye check up with the National Diabetic Retinopathy Clinic (which is located in the Nelson Health Centre) and be seen in our Diabetic Clinic.
You should start changing your lifestyle immediately by:
- Stopping Smoking
Contact the Merton stop smoking service - Take steps to control alcohol consumption (- Diabetes UK – Alcohol and Blood Sugar)
- Stop eating lots of sugary foods (- Diabetes UK – NHS Diet Advice, Diabetes UK – Recipes)
- Do more Exercise (- Patient UK – Diabetes Diet & Exercise)
- Lose Weight (- Diabetes UK – Weight Loss)
- Control your Blood Pressure
- Take Care of your Feet (- 10 Steps towards Healthy feet)
Hypoglycaemia (too low blood glucose)
Sometimes the diabetic treatment that you are on may make your blood glucose go too low (hypoglycaemia) this can make you feel hungry, trembling or shaking and sweating. In more severe cases you may become confused and have difficulty concentrating. You and your family and friends should be aware of these symptoms and make sure you treat yourself immediately, see the information below.
