Preventing amputations in Southampton

[Stefan Diabetes UK]

Hi all,

On 1 October Diabetes UK will be supporting people living with diabetes in Southampton to campaign for quality diabetes footcare services! If you're in the area it would be great to have your support.

The event will raise awareness of the high rate of diabetes-related amputations in Southampton by displaying 144 shoes, representing the number of amputations carried out in the city over the past three years.

These will be on display in the Bargate Centre from 10.00AM-1.00PM. We’ll also be outside the Council buildings from 5:30PM-7:00PM.

We will be trying to convince the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Southampton City Council, who are meeting at this time, to discuss the issue. Even if you can't come along then you can get involved by asking your Councillor to raise the issue.

With 4.3 diabetes-related amputations for every 1000 people living with the condition, Southampton now has the 7th highest rate of diabetes-related amputations in England. We need the local decision makers to find out what is going wrong and what they can do to improve things urgently.

One thing which has made a huge difference elsewhere is the introduction of a specialist diabetes footcare team. Areas which have seen these teams introduced have seen significant falls in major amputation rates. Such a team is however still absent from Southampton hospitals.

4 out of 5 amputations are preventable, so there is potential to make a huge difference.

If you are interested in coming along or have any questions, just drop us an email at diabetesvoices@diabetes.org.uk and I’ll be delighted to send you some more info. Be great to see some of you in person!

 

[Northerner]

Barwell Centre? I've lived in Southampton for 16 years and haven't heard of it - do you mean the Bargate, or perhaps the Marlands? 🙄

 

[Stefan Diabetes UK]

Do indeed Northener, good spot! Just popped back to change it but you got there first 🙂 Should be changed now.

But yes if anyone is still around Southampton will be happy to meet you at the Bargate Centre.

 

[Stefan Diabetes UK]

If anyone wants to see how we got on, there's a few links floating around with the media coverage (I'm largely in the background fiddling with leaflets).

Basically though a very productive day spent with our Diabetes Voices spreading the word about importance of diabetes footcare and meeting with CCG representatives.

BBC Report- http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06dp7v5/south-today-01102015

)BBC report Comes in at 05:34)

That's Solent local TV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei4kXgEm9mY

http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/update/2015-10-01/diabetes-roadshow-highlights-risks/

 

[Northerner]

Saw the tv reports, thought it looked good and (hopefully!) effective! 🙂 As a Southampton resident I've seen the access to my own personal care reduce over the past couple of years rather than increase - they closed the podiatry department at my local walk-in centre and made it a 'roving' podiatrist, where a podiatrist examined you in an office - fine for me, but fewer facilities for those with more complex problems. More recently the checks appeared less comprehensive (time pressures caused by travelling between different sites?), and now I have just heard that my local walk-in centre is to close (despite a survey showing 70% of respondents wanted it kept open), so now I don't know where I might have my next appointment - obviously not as local, which could present problems for people with, erm, foot problems? 🙄

So actually, things appear to be getting worse rather than better

 

[HOBIE]

Our local group member got an award for a one stop shop ! A T2 who did not want to walk from one hosp appointment to another ? For nearly 50yrs I have walked to different parts of the hosp etc. Being active is much better for you 🙂

 

[trophywench]

I would have thought Hobie, that the main thing for me about a one stop place, would to be able to get it all done the same day instead of having multiple trips to the hospital on different days, different weeks or months and different times of day !

I would really like to do one, comprehensive, visit to get it all done.

 

[HOBIE]

Do you not think being active is good for you ? I do 🙂 I would go wild if I had to have may legs amputated 🙂

 

[trophywench]

LOL - of course I agree, but must admit I'd never looked on the drive to my GP surgery or hospital, and the relatively small amount of walking involved in either as exercise. Though come to think - some places in the hosp ( and the distance from several of the carparks!) ARE a positive route march !

It's more the tediousness of retracing the same ruddy steps, time after time, and it taking so much time off stuff I WANT to do! (or need to if you happen to be of working age)

But if it helps more people get more of the checks they are sposed to, well fine!