Clinical champion recruitment drive starts
Healthcare professionals who have experience in treating diabetes are being asked to sign up as local volunteers to help with the “diabetes crisis”.
Leading charity Diabetes UK is looking to recruit more people as part of its Clinical Champions and Networks Project.
Since the programme’s inception in 2014, 29 clinicians from across the UK have been recruited to become “leaders of change and advocates for diabetes”.
Applications for the 2016 cohort of clinical champions have now opened and potential candidates are being asked to have their submissions in by Tuesday, March 29.
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. 3.5 million people are diagnosed with the condition and an estimated 549,000 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.”
The decision by Diabetes UK and Novo Nordisk, which is providing support and funding for the programme, to recruit clinical champions came as a result of “wishing to empower clinicians to improve services and be best practice leaders”.
Ms Rylance added: “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.”
Dr Sri Bellary, a consultant at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, and a Diabetes UK clinical champion, has developed a clinical network spanning four CCGs.
He said: “The Clinical Champions programme has benefitted me immensely and has helped me understand the potential for change. I have established a pan Birmingham network that has developed a unified formulary.
“This will provide equal access to medications for all patients regardless of where they live. There will be more consistency in the way drugs will be prescribed and less confusion. It will also allow some of the newer therapies to be used responsibly and their use to be monitored.”
The benefits of working as a clinical champion include bespoke training, resources and support to analyse health data in your area and membership of the Diabetes UK Local Clinical Champion peer support network.
The roles are open to any healthcare professional experienced in treating the complex needs of people with diabetes including diabetes specialist nurses, consultants, GPs, dietitians, podiatrists and senior pharmacists.
To apply for the role, click here.