Diabetes UK announces 20 new Clinical Champions

By Editor
16th July 2019
Charity

The names of Diabetes UK’s latest cohort of Clinical Champions have been unveiled.

The charity has appointed 20 new healthcare professionals, including consultants, nurses, GPs, dietitians, podiatrists, pharmacists and psychologists to the programme, which promote local leadership to help address variation in care.

The newest intake of Champions have been selected based on their skills, clinical expertise and a demonstrable passion for transforming care for people with diabetes. They will be supported by Diabetes UK with two years of training alongside their clinical work, to help them identify improvements and drive vital change in diabetes services in their local areas.

The Clinical Champions programme was launched by Diabetes UK in 2014, in partnership with Novo Nordisk. There are now 105 Clinical Champions across the UK, with access to a network of like-minded clinicians, with whom they can work through issues, share ideas and best practice, and challenge each other in a supportive environment.

Between them, they have trained thousands of other healthcare professionals, developed innovative new clinics, reduced medication errors, increased the number of people getting treatment for diabetes, and much more.

The new Clinical Champions

Name Role Area Organisation
Dr Alison Heggie Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology South Tyneside/Sunderland South Tyneside and Sunderland Healthcare group
Angela Hargreaves Lead Diabetes Dietitian Oxford Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Chris Cottrell Diabetes Specialist Nurse & ThinkGlucose Lead Swansea Bay Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board
Jacinta Meighan-Davies Clinical programme manager Hereford Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group
Jayne Robbie Senior Podiatrist Birmingham University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Katie Hards Lead DSN Oxford Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Katy Davenport Lead DSN Cambridge Cambridge University Hospital
Kaylee Lovie Lead DSN London Croydon Health Services NHS Trust
Lucy Marquis Advanced Diabetes Dietitian Stafford Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust
Dr Mimi Chen Consultant Endocrinologist London St.George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Nicola Milne Community DSN Manchester Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Raj Than GP Leicester Leicester City CCG
Rajiv Dhir Deputy Chief Pharmacist London Merton and Wandsworth CCG
Dr Rose Stewart Principal Clinical Psychologist Wrexham Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board & All Wales Diabetes Implementation Group (via Cardiff & Vale University Health Board)
Rosemary Donnelly Senior Clinical pharmacist Belfast South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust
Satyan Kotecha Community Pharmacist Birmingham NHS England West Midlands
Dr Soon Song Consultant Diabetologist Sheffield Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Suma Sugunendran Consultant Derby University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS
Dr Surya Rajeev Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology Liverpool Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Vinay Somashekar Eligar Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology Cardiff Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Ben Ellis, Head of Healthcare Improvement at Diabetes UK, said: “Investment in better diabetes care brings both human and economic benefits – it reduces the number of the devastating and costly health complications, which can develop as a result of the lack of the right treatment and support.

“That’s why our Clinical Champions are so important. They play a critical role in leading improvements to the care people living with diabetes receive so that they can lead long and healthy lives.”

Pinder Sahota, General Manager at Novo Nordisk UK, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Diabetes UK on this ambitious initiative aimed at empowering a growing network of diabetes Clinical Champions. These are inspiring individuals who wish to become advocates for change and quality improvement in diabetes services across the NHS.

“In the current environment this is no easy task and Novo Nordisk is passionate about enabling leaders who wish to improve the quality of care that people with diabetes need and deserve.”

If you are interested in becoming a Diabetes UK Clinical Champion for the 2020-2022 intake,  contact clinicalchampions@diabetes.org.uk or call 020 7424 1052.

The programme is a Diabetes UK project in collaboration with Novo Nordisk, which is providing support and funding.

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