Specialist centre celebrates anniversary
Date of release: 18 September 2024
The first purpose-built diabetes centre in the Midlands has celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Staff outside the Diabetes and Endoscopy Centre celebrating its 30th Anniversary
Run by The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, the Diabetes and Endocrinology Centre was officially opened in September 1994 – a moment Lisa Harrison, Senior Team Medical Secretary, remembers well.
Lisa has worked at the centre at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton since the first day it opened – 30 years ago.
She said: "I started in diabetes three months before the centre opened and it was a very exciting time for us as a team and for me. The Diabetes Centre signalled the closer working of a multidisciplinary multiprofessional team, all housed together as a ‘one stop shop’ for people with diabetes.”
Originally built using charitable funds for a capacity of 6,000 patients, the centre has gone through a lot of changes over the years. It now sees an average of 16,000 patients a year.
The team has also expanded. Originally the team consisted of four Diabetes Specialist Nurses, a Podiatry Team, two Consultants, a Diabetes Educator and Secretaries with two consulting rooms.
Now there are 11 Consultants, 10 Diabetes Specialist Nurses, a Diabetes Educator, a Podiatry Team and six Secretaries plus Registrars.
Lisa said: “So much has changed over the years. Technology has advanced from dictated letters on mini cassettes typed on electronic typewriters to now a full electronic system which has wider access throughout the health providers in the Wolverhampton community."
Emily Cothey, Senior Diabetes Specialist Nurse, said: “With the further advancement of technology within diabetes our service will continue to provide educated and expert care to those in the Wolverhampton community who need specialist Diabetes input.”
The Diabetes Centre celebrated with a lunch with both current and past members of staff and were joined virtually by the original founding Consultant Dr Simon Walford.
Simon’s main positive message was ‘keep putting patient’s first and believe in yourselves.’
ENDS
- For further information, please email amy.downward@nhs.net
