Our Services A - Z - Diabetes and Endocrinology
About the service
We provide services at both Southport and Ormskirk hospitals. Our philosophy is to support patients to achieve their healthcare goals whilst guiding health care professionals to manage care safely and effectively in primary care, community care and within the hospitals.
- Meet the Team
Meet the team
A variety of health care professionals (HCPs) are involved in diabetes care within the Trust. Some predominantly work with in-patients, others with outpatients and most across both groups of patients. The people you may see include:
Diabetes Specialist Nurse Team
- Sister Lindsay Hooper Diabetes Specialist Nurse
- Sister Jenn Maher Diabetes Specialist Nurse
- Titi Omoloso Diabetes and Endocrine Pharmacist
Diabetes Specialist Trainee
We usually have a doctor within the team who is under-taking their specialist training in diabetes and endocrinology.
These posts are rotational posts with the the North West Medical Deanery (Mersey) and the doctor is usually with us for one year. These doctors have been known in the past as registrars, but are now known as specialist trainees.
You may meet these doctors in the clinics, or if you are a hospital inpatient, on the wards of the hospital. They are experienced doctors who are on the training pathway to become a consultant in diabetes and endocrinology.
- Useful links
Diabetes – NHS
Diabetes community, support, education, recipes and resources
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes information UK : social media resources and peer support
Technology and sensors
West Lancashire ICS sensor policy
Type 1 diabetes information and support – JDRF, type 1 diabetes charity
Freestyle Progress – Abbott
Insulin pumps
Ypsomed pumps (MyLife)
Carbohydrate counting course/education
Type 2 diabetes
Diabetes – NHS
Medication
Tablets and medication | Diabetes UK
Lifestyle management
The 8 Week Blood Sugar Diet by Michael Mosley
- Endocrinology
Endocrinology is the medical specialty that manages conditions that affect the endocrine glands in the body.
The endocrine glands produce hormones, and in general terms the conditions are caused by over-production or under-production of these hormones.
General endocrinology
These clinics, run on both hospital sites, are staffed by all the consultants. They are generally concerned with the common endocrine diseases, such as those affecting the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, pituitary and sex glands.
Patients are seen and assessed, a number of blood tests may be required for diagnosis or ongoing monitoring. Patients may be referred to other specialties e.g. surgery, for further treatment or regional services (see below) if specialist treatment is required.
Some of the tests performed for diagnosis of endocrine disease may require a visit to the Medical Day Case Unit (at Ormskirk hospital), or very occasionally a very short admission into the hospital.
Regional specialty services
The Mersey and West Lancashire areas have agreed regional endocrine services based at the two main hospitals in Liverpool (Royal Liverpool and Univesity Hospital Aintree). Services offered here include nuclear medicine treatment for thyroid conditions, adrenal surgery and pituitary surgery.
Further endocrine information
There is a wide variety of information about endocrine disease and and endocrinology on the internet but we recommend the following for a good place to start:
- Community services
There are two community teams that support the delivery of diabetes care across Sefton and West Lancashire.
They offer a range of diabetes services and are often the first step in the pathway after your treatment has been initiated by your GP.
Your GP may choose to refer directly to the hospital team , or the community teams. The community teams may then refer to the hospital team as well.
The recent changes in the way the NHS has been organised at a regional level may result in some reconfiguration of services over the coming months to years but please be reassured that the hospital and community teams will continue to support your diabetes throughout the changes.
Southport and Formby diabetes specialist nursing (MerseyCare)
Advanced specialist nurses: Angela Greenwood; Eileen Power; Dawn James
Diabetes specialist nurses: Diane Wright and Andrew Tinsley
Community nurse: Michelle Litherland
Community podiatry: Timothy Caslake and Amy Farrer
Community dieticans: Laura Chatt and Lisa Rowe
West Lancashire diabetes nursing (HCRG Care Group)
Diabetes specialist nurses: Sheila Hodkinson; Elaine Khindri; Sally Snape
Diabetes
There are a number of different clinics and activities which take place within the Diabetes department. We offer a range of diabetes outpatient clinics at both Southport and Ormskirk hospitals. We also work closely with the diabetes community teams based in West Lancashire and Southport and Formby areas.
As a diabetes team our ethos is to focus on the individual and their diabetes.
We try and do this as much as possible within the timeframe of your appointment. Apart from certain specialist clinics, the time frames are structured as follows:
- New patient appointment: 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on if you see all team members
- Follow-up appointment: 15-20 minutes
- Nurse-led clinics: variable duration
- Clinic schedules
We provide a mix of clinics at both hospital. The only clinic provided exclusively at Ormskirk hospital is the Medical Obstetrics Clinic, which is run in conjunction with the obstetricians within the Women’s’ Health department.
We aim to provide equity of care across the two sites.
The benefit you can gain from coming to clinic will be greatly improved if you bring your blood glucose meter with you and any information you have about recent eye screening or foot screening appointments.
Southport clinics
Day Morning (9am to 1pm) Afternoon (1.30pm to 5.30pm) Monday Insulin pump / Young adult diabetes clinic Endocrine clinic Tuesday Endocrine clinic Wednesday Diabetes clinic Thursday Friday Endocrine clinic (alternate months) Ormskirk hospital
Day Morning (9am to 1pm) Afternoon (1.30pm to 5.30pm) Monday Diabetes clinic Tuesday New patient diabetes clinic Wednesday Endocrine clnic Diabetes clinic / New patient endocrine clinic Thursday Diabetes clinic / Endocrine clinic Friday Clinic schedules are subject to change.
After your appointment, you can tell us what you thought about your experience here if you wish.
- Your clinic appointment
When you are offered an appointment, you will be seen in one the Outpatient Departments when our new patient clinics are scheduled.
To make your visit worthwhile and proceed as easily as possible, please note the following:
- Book in at the reception, you will be asked to confirm your details
- Before seeing the diabetes team, you will be seen by the clinic team. You should be weighed, your height measured, and your blood pressure checked. You will be asked to do a finger-prick blood test which allows us to assess you HbA1c and blood glucose
- You will be asked if you have brought a urine sample (please do and ask for a specimen pot for your next attendance). We test your urine to detect if very early changes are occurring in your kidney as a result of diabetes
- Please bring your blood glucose meter to clinic each and every time you attend. We have the facility to upload its data into our system. This helps us give the best advice we can for you to manage your diabetes
- If you have the results of any recent eye screening or foot screening appointments (done in the community), then please bring them with you
- If there are specific aspects of your care you wish to discuss with the team, please bring this up in the appointment. We do our best to address the issues that matter to you
- When your appointment is over, you may be asked to attend for further blood tests, if not, when you leave can you please confirm at the appointment desk that you have completed your appointment. We currently arrange follow-up electronically, but this may change
- If you are unable to keep your clinic appointment, for whatever reason, please let us know. Either ring the hospital appointments number on (01925 662416) or the diabetes specialist nurses on 01925 662179 (this is an answer phone but leave a message giving your name and message)
After your appointment, you can tell us what you thought about your experience here if you wish.
- Nurse & dietician-led clinics
Nurse-led clinics
These clinics are led by the diabetes specialist nurses. Appointment times flex in accordance with the patient need in clinic. They take place at both Southport and Ormskirk hospitals as well as specified clinics in the community.
These are currently primarily run by the community teams, but increasingly we hope our hospital diabetes nurses will also be involved.
Dietician-led clinics
Our specialist diabetes dieticians work closely with the team. They are highly skilled in providing advice and support on nutritional aspects of diabetes care including carbohydrate counting, weight management and coeliac disease for example.
They run their own clinics where they can provide patient specific advice on dietary matters, as well as providing support to our clinics and educational courses.)
- Diabetes Specialist Clinics
These are all follow-up clinics and take place at both hospitals. They are led by a diabetes consultant. There may be a diabetes specialist nurse as well.
Diabetes follow-up clinic
The diabetes follow-up clinics are a service for people who require on-going input into their diabetes but do not need the input in a specialty clinic. Appointments are 20 minutes.
The aim in these clinics is to agree and set plans and goals with the aim of future review. If Goals are met, then some patients may be discharged to the GP/Community teams, although options exist for continued long-term input within the hospital clinics.
Insulin pump clinics
The insulin pump clinics are run by a diabetes consultant with an insulin pump diabetes nurse. Appointment times are 30 minutes
We encourage you to upload your pump and meter data before your clinic appointment so this information can be reviewed before your appointment and allow a thorough review to occur.
If you require information on how to do this, please contact our Pump specialist at soh-tr.diabetespumpservice@merseywestlancs.nhs.uk
These clinics have the support of the specialist diabetes dietician where required.
Young person diabetes clinic
The clinic concentrates on a population of patients usually aged between 18-25yrs old.
These clinics continue the care of former paediatric diabetes patients who have recently transitioned to the adult service, or patients who are newly diagnosed between the ages stated. Appointment times are 20 minutes.
Appointments tend to be slightly longer to accommodate concerns of the young adult. Parents of the young adult are welcome to attend the clinic at the wish of the patient. We encourage you to upload your meter data before your clinic appointment so this information can be reviewed before your appointment and allow a thorough review to occur.
Diabetes obstetric clinic
This clinic is a joint clinic attended by both the diabetes and obstetric consultants. Patients may see one or both consultants depending on clinical need and may also see one of the diabetes specialist midwives.
Mr Nikoloas Chados and Miss Joanne Hunter are the two obstetric doctors involved in this service.
- New patient clinics
When you are a newly referred to the diabetes service, usually by your GP or practice diabetes nurse, you will be seen in one of these clinics.
These clinics take place at both Southport and Ormskirk outpatient departments. We plan for you to have two appointments within these clinics (one new, one follow-up).
These clinics are led by a diabetes consultant (sometimes with a diabetes specialist trainee) and a diabetes specialist nurse.
On your first visit you will usually see both team members. The general aim at this clinic is to review your care and agree with you a way forward to improve your diabetes.
We would hope to set some agreed goals and a way to achieve them. This may involve starting new treatments including insulin.
At the second appointment we can review how things have been and if you need further treatments, we will continue to follow you up in a specialist clinic.
If your diabetes has improved and we agree, then we will aim to discharge you back to the care of your GP with a management plan in place for you and your GP/community team.
Page last updated on 10th November 2023