Diabetes lifeline is facing closure (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Diabetes lifeline is facing closure

5:07pm Wednesday 11th July 2007 in

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A LIFELINE facility for diabetes patients is to close within weeks.

The Gillian Hanson Diabetes Centre walk-in service at Whipps Cross University Hospital will stop operating on July 31.

Earlier this year Waltham Forest Primary Care Trust (PCT) agreed a strategy to provide more services away from hospitals, at centres around the borough.

One proposal was to provide 30 per cent of diabetes outpatient appointments at community clinics.

Waltham Forest has above-average rates for diabetes.

The move has been criticised by Julia Thompson, secretary of the Waltham Forest branch of Diabetes UK. She said: "It's a bit worrying considering that nationally we are expecting an increase in the amount of diabetes across all ethnic groups. The Government has a diabetes czar.

"This is not being taken into account. There's not much forward planning for a national increase.

"This has been a service where people could go along or ring up and discuss problems they are having with the management of their diabetes.

"It was one of those stitch in time things, where if you can get help at an early stage then it can stop people getting very unwell, and developing a problem that could also be a greater burden on the NHS later on."

She expressed concerns that providing alternative services around the borough would result in the dispersal of highly trained staff.

Ms Thompson said: "If they get rid of this expertise who are A and E to contact if someone comes in in a diabetic coma? They may not have experts on site any more."

Charlotte Monro, chair of the Save Whipps Cross Hospital campaign, said: "The walk-in centre cuts out all the hassle for getting access to services, and provides easy access to specialist expertise."

A spokeswoman for Whipps Cross confirmed that the decision was taken following consultation with local PCTs.

She said those with an urgent problem would be directed to A and E, whereas outpatient appointments will be referred via the patient's GP.