Specialist Diabetes Service
NHS Tayside RefGuide
Service description
The Diabetes & Endocrinology Department in NHS Tayside are a multi-disciplinary team comprising medical staff, specialist nurses, a specialist pharmacist and dietitians. We conduct in-person and virtual (Phone/Near ME) out-patient clinics.
The service has a dedicated Diabetes Centre, integrated retinal screening service, access to a highly efficient clinical investigation unit in Ninewells Hospital with additional clinic facilities in Stracathro Hospital, Arbroath Hospital, Montrose Hospital, Whitehills Health and Community Care Centre and Perth Royal Infirmary.
Current subspecialty diabetes clinics include; foot, renal, genetics, antenatal, technology and young adult/transition services.
Along with general endocrinology there are clinics dedicated to; pituitary (medical and surgical), bone metabolism, gender and neuroendocrine tumours.
Useful resources
The Tayside Diabetes MCN (Managed Clinical Network) has a handbook with all the latest guidance and links to essential guidelines/policies, along with healthcare professional section and patient information leaflets.
The Society for Endocrinology has useful patient information leaflets and clinical information about managing different conditions.
Who to refer
The diabetes referral system is not designed to review routine type 2 diabetes patients treated with oral agents unless there is a particular issue or complications which need assessed.
The diabetes patients that need to be referred for secondary care review include:
Type 1 diabetes
Complex type 2 patients with complications
Diabetic Foot clinic
Pregnancy - joint antenatal diabetes care
Insulin pump CSII/CGMS and new technology
Transitional young adult
Renal Clinic.
If there is a diagnostic difficulty or particular reason why a Diabetes/Endocrine review would be helpful, then please utilise the 'advice request' function via SCI-Gateway referral.
Who not to refer
See direct referral route for Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Plan (Oviva).
See direct referral route to Tayside Adult Healthy Weight Service re interventions for achieving remission in Type 2 diabetes.
How to refer and priority
Emergency referral(discuss by page 5416 with on call team- Specialist Registrar/Consultant of the week 9am -5pm Mon-Friday):
New Diagnosis Type 1 Diabetes, urgent same day reviews, potential admissions via AMU. More information about management of newly diagnosed diabetics with osmotic symptoms.
Please be aware that the person carrying the page may well be in clinic – in person or telephone – so there may not be an immediate response.
Urgent or routine referral(SCI-Gateway referral listed under Diabetes or Endocrinology):
Referrals will be actioned to either urgent/routine review in person, or triaged to phone/DSN review or written advice as appropriate.
Pleasedo notrefer using typed paper letters. These can result in a significant delay to the patient being appointed and the referral cannot be viewed electronically at the time of the patient appointment.