Diabetes nurses would cut emergency admissions
pharmafile | March 7, 2008 | News story | Sales and Marketing |Â Â Â
Specialist nurses could help to cut the number of diabetes patients being admitted to hospital as emergency cases, a new study suggests.
People with diabetes are admitted to hospital twice as often and stay twice as long as those without the condition, occupying one in ten hospital beds. The new research shows that proactive intervention by Diabetes Specialist Nurses (DSNs) can help give patients more appropriate care and also save NHS money.
Researchers at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust conducted a year-long trial where DSNs visited the Emergency Medical Unit throughout the working week, proactively identifying people with diabetes.
The nurses identified and reviewed a total of 111 people with diabetes, of which 47 (42%) were discharged within 24 hours.
"Diabetes UK estimates that people with diabetes spend 1.1 million days in hospital a year," said the charity's chief executive Douglas Smallwood.
"Almost £100 million could be saved if these hospital days were reduced by 42%."
He added: "DSNs are already seen as the lynchpin of the healthcare team by people with diabetes in their ongoing care. This research is yet further proof of the vital role DSNs play in improving the health of people with diabetes and the financial woes of the NHS."
Mr Smallwood concluded that the government should look to these sort of long-term solutions and invest in specialist staff such as the nurses.
The positive results have led to the service being extended to A&E and other Medical Admissions Units within the Leicester hospital trust, while extending the service to weekends is also being considered to reap further benefits.
