We are a team of five specialist nurses and a health care assistant in paediatric diabetes covering the County Durham & Darlington Foundation Trust area.
What we do
We work closely with the paediatricians, dieticians and psychologist in paediatric diabetes to provide a comprehensive service of diabetes care to children from the time they are diagnosed with diabetes. We also offer support and guidance to carers, families and other groups to enable the child with diabetes to attain their full potential, stay well with diabetes and to enjoy childhood.
Paediatric diabetes specialist nurses are experienced children's nurses and have extra expertise in diabetes nursing. It is essentially a community based service, we care for children outside of the hospital, but at diagnosis and when admission is indicated we are involved with the child and family on the ward. The PDSNs participate in the paediatric diabetes clinics across the whole area; we each take responsibility for a particular clinic held in the hospitals, working with our paediatric doctors, psychologist and dietician colleagues to form the multi-disciplinary team. In clinics we review
There is a strong focus on education in the team to help children, families and teachers learn more about diabetes as a condition, to inform of research and current practice and to discuss healthy lifestyle messages for their child development. Many of the children with diabetes have a wide variety of interests; we hope to be able to facilitate to help them enjoy the interests without diabetes becoming a barrier or a problem. To help with this we arrange education in social settings for the different age groups of children and encourage the children's participation in peer support programmes. (Ref to Investing in Children).
All of the paediatric diabetes nurses can be contacted on 01388 455880 Duty Phone
The paediatric respiratory nurses work alongside the paediatric respiratory consultants to provide support and information to families of children and young people who have chronic breathing problems like asthma or cystic fibrosis among others. The aim is that families achieve confidence and skill to enable them to manage their own child's health needs.
As well as this advice and education the team will if needed liaise with nurseries and schools. This is carried out to ensure that parents feel confident in their child's needs being met and that school staff have a sound knowledge base to assist them in achieving this.
My name is Sue Lewis and I am a paediatric epilepsy specialist nurse working across Co Durham and Darlington Foundation trust.
My work involves developing the most effective and appropriate care for children with epilepsy and their careers. The first visit to see me would be in a clinic setting at your nearest hospital and then all care is in the community. I help improve the children's and parents/ carers knowledge and understanding of their condition and therefore minimising hospital admissions. I work as part of a multidisciplinary team providing clinical expertise and education for all health professionals involved in the care of the child with epilepsy.
I can be contacted at Bishop Auckland 01388 455307
We are a team of 10 children's nurses who offer a service to children in the community. We offer nursing care to children from birth to 18 years. We also work with a number of other health and social care professionals within the same hospitals and the wider area.
We promote early discharge from hospital when a child is well enough to return home where their treatment can be continued. Where possible we also aim to avoid admission into hospital as this can be a stressful experience for the child and their family. We provide a form of support to a child and their family.
Our service is offered from 8am till 9pm 7 days a week and 365 days a year.
We have a base on each of the children's wards at University Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital
We can be contacted on 01388 455608 for patients in South Durham & Darlington
or on 0191 3332990 for patients in North Durham.
Please leave a short message and your contact number
'The treatment I have received from all the staff has been excellent and could you extend my thanks to them all. A very thankful and relieved patient'.
Patient, Dermatology Outpatients Department, University Hospital of North Durham