Diabetes

Overarching aim: The London Diabetes Clinical Network (LDCN) provides clinical leadership, subject matter expertise and plays a strategic role in reducing care variations across London. We support local healthcare systems to improve diabetes care and health outcomes by connecting commissioners, healthcare providers, professionals, those living with diabetes and the public to share best practice and ideas. We also measure quality and outcomes, reduce variation and drive improvement.

Key Contacts

  • Clinical Director: Dr Stephen Thomas, Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology and Clinical Director, Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospital
  • Associate Director: Bhavi Trivedi
  • Programme Lead: Vicky Parker
  • Project Management Team: Grace Coombs, Sarah Newall, Rachael Hodges and Shona Bonson
  • Email: england.diabetes-ldncn@nhs.net
  • Twitter: @NHSLdn_CN

Sub-Networks

Type 1 Network

The Type 1 Network works to drive forward transformation and change within the type 1 clinical community. The focus is on: Structured education including Treatment and Care bid implementation, Commissioning Type 1 diabetes services, Type 1 patients not accessing specialist care, Access to and funding for technologies, Resources required for Type 1 care.

  • Chair: Nick Oliver
  • Working Groups: Type 1 Outpatient Implementation Framework

Inpatient Network

The Inpatient Network will lead on and ensure that inpatient care for people living with diabetes is incorporated into the wider Treatment & Care agenda and other national diabetes priorities. The aims of the group are to: reduce harm for people with diabetes admitted to hospital, build capacity within London’s in-patient diabetes teams, drive improvement and reduce inequalities in outcomes for people with diabetes admitted to hospital.

  • Chairs: Miranda Rosenthal, Sarah Newall and Gabby Ramlan
  • Working Groups: Mental Health; Emergency Care

Patient Leadership Group

The Patient Leadership Group is a forum to gather feedback from service users to highlight any issues and contribute to ongoing projects. Members of the group are Diabetes Champions, and their role is to ensure that the views from a wide range of patients, carers and families are taken into consideration whenever decisions that affect patient care are made.

  • Chair: Ken Tait
  • Working Groups: Diabetes Eye Screening Programme (DESP) letters project

Foot Network

The Foot Network leads on transformation and clinical improvement programs related to footcare. The network focuses on: MDFT peer reviews, Amputation RCAs, Management of care by health professionals and multi-disciplinary teams, Equity of access to footcare services, Patient experience and Patient education.

  • Chair: Richard Leigh
  • Working Groups: Steering group

Primary Care Transformation Network

This network tackles variation in primary care settings, inequalities, and differences in how care is set up.

  • Chair: Neel Basudev
  • Working Groups: Healthcare Workforce Education; Mental Health

2022/23 Focus Areas

  • Recovery and restoration of routine type 1 and type 2 diabetes healthcare services across primary and secondary care, with a focus on 3 treatment target attainment, increased level of 8 care process completion and referral and attendance at structured education. This will lead to improved diabetes health outcomes.
  • Recovery of referrals into the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (DPP) and Low-Calorie Diet pilot site programme.
  • Restoration of routine diabetes care across foot and inpatient diabetes care and supporting establishment of sustainable local workforces in both these areas.
  • A strong focus on reduction in health inequalities, equalising access to diabetes treatment and care and reducing variations in diabetes care provision across London for type 1, type 2 and non-diabetic hyperglycaemia.
  • Transform diabetes primary care services to address variations in standards of care and treatment access and outcomes across London.
  • Transformation of outpatient care for individuals with 1 type 1 diabetes, equalising access to specialist care and roll out of access to Continuous Glucose Monitoring technology for all living with Type 1 diabetes.
  • Increase identification of those at risk of Type 2 diabetes​ to reduce obesity and hypertension populations. Improve equity of access to the national diabetes prevention programme for populations most at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Key documents