Diabetes Network for Northern Ireland

The Network supports the implementation of the Department of Health’s (DoH) Strategic Framework for Diabetes, one of a series of initiatives to support the ‘Health and Well-being 2026, Delivering Together’ plan which aims to transform Health and Social Care (HSC) services across Northern Ireland.

The Network will lead the improvement of care for people in Northern Ireland who:

Working Groups

The following working groups have been established:

Working Group	Chair
Ambulance Service Pathways	Sophie Lusby, Health and Social Care Board (HSCB)
Data Development	Co-chaired by: Dr Brendan O’Brien, Clinical Informatics Specialist, HSCB Ms Adele Graham, Senior Health Intelligence Manager, Public Health Agency (PHA)
Education and Workforce	Under development
Foot Pathway	Co-chaired by: Dr Hamish Courtney, Consultant Endocrinologist, Belfast Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust. Dr Brian Connor, GP.
Inpatient Care	Co-chaired by: Dr Una Bradley, Consultant Endocrinologist, Southern HSC Trust. Lisa King, Lecturer in Nursing, University of Ulster.
New Models of Care	Under development
Paediatric Services	Dr Brid Farrell, PHA
Patient Education	Co-chaired by: Florence Findlay-White, Diabetes UK. Lesley Hamilton, Western HSC Trust.
Pregnancy	Co-chaired by: Professor David McCance, Consultant Endocrinologist, Diabetes Regional Centre, Belfast HSC Trust Mrs Denise Boulter, Midwife Consultant, PHA
Primary Prevention of Type 2 disease	Co-chaired by: Brendan Heaney, Diabetes UK Dr Louise Herron, PHA
Retinopathy	Dr Adrian Mairs, PHA
Young Adults	Co-chaired by: Dr Athinyaa Thiraviaraj, Consultant Endocrinologist, Western HSC Trust.
Technology to support people living with diabetes	Co-chaired by: Dr Neil Black, Consultant Endocrinologist Western HSC Trust. Profesor Roy Harper, Consultant Endocrinologist, South Eastern HSC Trust

Diabetes is a condition where your blood sugar level is higher than normal.

There are two main types of diabetes:

Type 1 – is caused by the body producing little or no insulin. It usually develops in children and young people.
Type 2 (formerly called non-insulin-dependent diabetes) – is caused by the body not producing enough insulin and not being able to use it effectively. It is usually linked to genetics and lifestyle and may have few symptoms in its early stages.

Other types of diabetes are:

Gestational diabetes – which affects some pregnant women.
Secondary diabetes – which is caused by other conditions, or by some medicines such as steroids.

For more information about diabetes visit the Diabetes UK website.

Name	Description	Date
Diabetes Innovation and Improvement Fund 2017	Application Form	14th December 2017
Guidance Diabetes Innovation and Improvement Fund 2017	Guidance	14th December 2017
HSCB Letter Freestyle Libre (Flash Glucose Monitoring Pathway)	Letter to HSC Trusts' Chief Executives	4th December 2017
Pathway for the Managed Access of FreeStyle Libre®	Guidance	4th December 2017
Prescribing of FreeStyle Libre	Letter to GP Practices and Community Pharmacists	6th November 2017
Prescribing of FreeStyle Libre	Letter to HSC Trusts' Chief Executives	4th December 2017