Diabetes UK in hunt for ‘Clinical Champions’

Diabetes UK is looking for 16 enthusiastic clinicians who want to be local ‘Clinical Champions’ and deliver the leadership to improve services for people with diabetes.

The roles are open to any healthcare professional experienced in treating the complex needs of people with diabetes and with the potential to lead real change, including consultants, GPs, nurses and senior pharmacists. The voluntary positions run for two years and includes a package of support and training.

The decision by Diabetes UK to recruit ‘Clinical Champions’ came as a result of wishing to empower clinicians to improve services and be best practice leaders.

We want to continue to identify clinicians who have the potential to make a real difference and provide them with the support, personal and professional development needed to become catalysts for service improvement within their locality

Amy Rylance, Head of Healthcare Professional Engagement at Diabetes UK, said: “Clinicians are uniquely well placed to be able to identify how diabetes services can improve, but all too often they are left frustrated and unable to deliver change.

“There is a diabetes crisis in the UK. 3.2 million people are diagnosed with the condition and a further 630,000 people have the condition but don’t yet realise it. In addition, we face massive variation in patient care, treatments and health outcomes across the UK.

“However, there is clear and growing evidence that it is possible to deliver better diabetes care without spending more money, by ensuring effective services are in place to help reduce the expensive and personally devastating complications that can result from poor management of the condition.

“In 2014 we recruited our first 10 Clinical Champions, including consultants, GPs and DSNs, who are already delivering some truly inspiring transformations. We want to continue to identify clinicians who have the potential to make a real difference and provide them with the support, personal and professional development needed to become catalysts for service improvement within their locality. Bespoke training and leadership development are just some of the benefits of being a champion.”

“We are now looking to recruit the 2015 cohort of clinicians to drive change in localities across the four nations.”

Ruth Miller, Lead Diabetes Nurse at the Royal Free NHS Trust, said: “Becoming a Clinical Champion for Diabetes UK has been an incredibly positive experience and has added extra drive and confidence to my work. My current focus is on the development of training intended for non-specialist clinicians. It is divided into three modules, inpatient training, community training and mental health worker training (in diabetes). It does not aim to create diabetes experts but recognises that all clinicians must possess a set of core competencies in order to keep their patients safe.”

If you would like to download an application pack go to www.diabetes.org.uk/Clinical-Champions-Recruitment. The final date for entries is 9am Monday 30th March. This is a Diabetes UK project in collaboration with Novo Nordisk which is providing support and funding.