The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
MANAGEMENT AT UHK AGREE TO MEET DIABETES SUPPORT GROUP
CONCERNS RAISED ABOUT DIABETES CARE AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL KERRY DESPITE DEDICATED UNIT IN PLACE
MANAGEMENT at University Hospital Kerry are to meet with the Kerry Type 1 Diabetes Support Group to discuss their concerns about Diabetes services at the hospital.
The meeting comes a week after The Kerry man highlight-concerns by patients and their families about services at the hospital and fears that patients’ lives are in danger because of the lack of supports and services.
A dedicated unit was official- ly opened in 2016 but patients and their families claim Diabetes patients are getting only basic care and that services are no better now than they were 30 years ago.
Amongst their concerns is no access to carb counting or to insulin pump support, both vital for the management of the condition. They are also calling for a dedicated Type 1 Diabetes nurse to be put in place.
Type 1 Diabetes patients are insulin dependent and live with the daily fear of becoming very ill if their blood sugars in- crease or decrease. They claim that the lack of basic support at University Hospital Kerry is putting their lives at risk.
“We believe that UHK’s Diabetes centre is not fully functioning and is not delivering up-to-date modern Diabetes care for Type 1 patients,” said spokesperson, Siobhan O’Brien.
“We do not want a stateof-the-art facility or costly interventions. We just want basic support.”
The meeting has been arranged by Fianna Fail deputy John Brassil who has questioned the HSE on a number of occasions about services at the hospital.
“I have spoken to patients who have been treated in Cork University Hospital and their experience and service there is far superior than in Kerry especially for yong children,” said Deputy Brassil.
“A new unit opened in 2015 and there is little evidence that this is operating to its full potential.”