Cwm Taf University Health Board supports new national network to improve care for children and young people with diabetes

Our Paediatric Diabetes team are now part of the network and will contribute on a national level to a range of work that will deliver better outcomes for children and young people.

 

The Children and Young People’s Wales Diabetes Network (and Brecon Group) will play a key role in ensuring the implementation of the Welsh Government’s diabetes delivery plan. Dr Chris Bidder, the clinical lead for the network, has welcomed the involvement of teams from across Wales to the network. “The paediatric diabetes team from the health board are committed to working with children, young people and their families, supporting them to manage their diabetes and prevent some of the serious effects of the condition.”

 

There are approximately 1,500 children with diabetes in Wales. 96% of these children have Type 1 diabetes – an auto-immune condition that is not caused by lifestyle factors.  Treatment consists of healthy eating, plenty of exercise and insulin given either by multiple daily injections or an insulin pump.  “The better we can help young people achieve glucose control, the more we can offset the complications of diabetes,” says Dr Chris Bidder. “This is why investing in and improving paediatric services is so important – we can help children enjoy the best possible quality of life when young and support them to become healthy adults who are at reduced risk of harm from complications of diabetes.

 

“The new network will give us a national approach to address many of the shared problems faced by all diabetes teams. We want to reach a point where children and young people receive consistently excellent care, wherever they live in Wales.”

 

The Children and Young People’s Wales Diabetes Network (and Brecon Group) was launched at a Transition Study Day organised with Diabetes UK Cymru. The new network will also include parents and representatives of third sector organisations, alongside clinical representatives. It is being supported by the Welsh Government and meets a strategic aim of the diabetes delivery plan.

 

More information about the network is available at: www.cypdiabetesnetwork.nhs.uk/wales