People living with diabetes in the West have praised the enhancements in diabetes care as they benefit from faster access to specialised care as a result of the new HSE Chronic Disease Hub. The move-away from hospital-based care means that patients have access to highly specialised clinical teams, closer to their homes. This comes as they prepare to mark World Diabetes on November 14.
HSE Integrated Care Hubs for individuals with chronic diseases can be found across Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. This allows for people with chronic diseases like Asthma, COPD, Type 2 Diabetes or Cardiovascular Disease to be referred directly to a local hub by their GP, instead of being referred to a hospital-based service.
The service is delivered across three hubs: the West Galway and City Integrated Care Hub provides clinics in Newcastle, Moycullen, Carraroe, Clifden, Oughterard, Doughiska and Renmore, the East Galway Roscommon Integrated Care Hub, located in Ballinasloe, provides clinics in Athenry, Ballinasloe, Loughrea, Tuam, Castlerea and Roscommon town and the Mayo Integrated Care Hub, located in Castlebar provides clinics in Achill, Ballinrobe, Belmullet, Castlebar, Claremorris, Swinford and Westport.
This is a major shift in the way healthcare services are delivered and a core component of Sláintecare; Ireland’s strategy for reforming the health and social care system. These community-based specialist centres help to reduce hospital waiting lists.
Between January and September this year over 10,000 appointments were carried out across the three hubs, where people living with diabetes were seen and treated by multidisciplinary teams including diabetic nurses, podiatrists and dieticians.
An additional 2,827 consultant-led appointments in diabetes care were carried out in the West Galway and City Integrated Care Hub and East Galway Roscommon Integrated Care Hub led by Dr Tomás Griffin and Dr Abdullah Abdullah.
Lead Consultant Diabetologist for the West Galway and City Integrated Care Hub, Tomás Griffin said, “This service places the person living with diabetes at the heart of care, empowering each person to manage their condition with confidence through timely, accessible support close to home.
“By reducing hospital wait times and offering direct access to a multidisciplinary team that includes, diabetes specialist nurses, an advanced nurse practitioner, podiatrists, a physiotherapy led exercise programme, and a dietitian - we work with individuals and their GPs to develop personalized care plans that foster improved health outcomes and greater self-management, all within a convenient, community-based setting.”
