NHS Highland is leading the way in Scotland in the use of insulin pumps for young people with diabetics.
In 2012, the Scottish Government set a target that 25% of all young people with Type 1 diabetes should have access to insulin pump therapy.
At the time, NHS Highland’s paediatric diabetes team didn’t even have an insulin pump service.
But now, the board has exceeded the government target – and currently Highland pump patients are ranked No. 1 in blood sugar control in Scotland.
NHS Highland consultant paediatrician Victoria Franklin said: “Achieving a safe, effective pump service in the short timescale given by the government was a challenge which involved a lot of careful planning.
“We have worked hard to achieve a common goal of improving the lives of young people with diabetes, and we are obviously delighted with the success of the pump service.”
Data from all paediatric teams in Scotland is collated every three months and the latest results put NHS Highland as the highest-ranking board in terms of average blood sugar levels in paediatric patients who use insulin pumps.
The health board employed a range of measures to meet the Scottish Government challenge. When the target was set, only one member of the board’s paediatric team had pump therapy experience, and so the whole team – medical, nursing and dietetic staff – did a university course on the subject, and prepared the extensive amount of documentation required to support the service.
In addition, nursing staff liaised with The Highland Council’s education department and headteachers to discuss how to support children on pumps in schools and nurseries. Furthermore, the team had to actively promote pump therapy to patients and their families, doing so at clinics, through awareness sessions and via an NHS Highland-produced video, posted on YouTube, showing young patients who were benefiting from using insulin pumps.
Since the work started the team has had 49 young patients on pump therapy.