Diabetes – Adult Community Service

We’re the community arm of the integrated Mid Essex Diabetes Service, providing specialist diabetes care for people with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes.

What does your service do?

We provide step-up care for people with Type 2 diabetes and some patients with Type 1 diabetes.

We offer:

Glycaemic intensification
Insulin conversion, either in a group or one-to-one depending on patient choice
Structured group education via the CREDIT education programme or one-to-one if preferred
Telephone support and advice to support clinical activity
Telephone support and advice for other primary care colleagues, district nurses and other community based healthcare professionals as required
Smooth transition and speedier discharge for those who have been in Mid Essex Hospital Trust (MEHT) hospitals and the Essex Cardiac Centre within agreed clinical pathways
Training for a variety of healthcare workers and residential home staff

Our care provision supports the One-Stop-Shop model of care.

We are not able to treat you if you are:

Pregnant or need pre-conceptual counselling
A newly diagnosed Type 1 patient
Have two or more diabetes-related complications, such as renal disease or acute foot problems
Need an insulin pump

Excluded areas comprise of the paediatric- and diabetologist-led components of the integrated service pathway and should be made via MERC or Choose and Book.

We are unable to undertake routine surveillance of diabetes, such as an annual review as outlined in QOF (Quality and Outcomes Framework). This remains the responsibility of your GP.

We’re supported by the wider integrated team at our diabetes centre in Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford.

Our team includes GPs with special interest, diabetes specialist nurses, a dietitian and podiatry support.

Who is the service for?

Adults (18 and over) who are registered with a GP in the NHS Mid Essex area.

How can I access your service?

Referral process

You can be referred by a healthcare professional, such as a GP, the diabetes centre at MEHT or other community services.

They can fax a special referral form to the number below.

Referral forms are available from us on the number below.

For your first appointment, please bring:

A urine sample
A list of current medications
Any records relating to your diabetes, such as home monitoring

We will see you within 18 weeks of referral.

We aim to discharge you back to your GP once your care package is complete or when you’ve achieved optimal control within the above ratios.

The service aims to be on the choose and book system in the near future.

Where and when

We have offices at Baddow Village Surgery in Chelmsford.

We provide care at a variety of venues, such as Maldon, Braintree, Witham, Halstead and Chelmsford, on weekdays (excluding bank holidays) between 9am and 5pm. We offer home visits if you are unable to attend our clinics.

This is not an emergency service and we don’t operate a drop-in service. All contacts are via appointment.