North Tees and Hartlepool NHS trust leads national diabetes pilot

Teesside Trust chosen for diabetes treatment pilot scheme

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North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust has been named an exemplar site for a pilot scheme that trains healthcare assistants to administer insulin in patients' homes.

By The Tees Editorial Desk · 12 March 2020

Healthcare professionals collaborating on the new diabetes insulin training scheme. Image: Image: North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation TrustOriginal source

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North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust is participating in a national project that empowers healthcare assistants to provide insulin injections to non-complex diabetes patients. The aims to pressure on district nurses.

Previously, district nurses were responsible for all daily insulin visits. Through a comprehensive training programme, healthcare assistants are now equipped to follow prescriptions, measure doses, and safely administer medication in the community.

District nurse Moraig Orpen stated that the change allows nursing staff to focus on patients requiring complex support. The trust has trained 32 healthcare assistants, of which 24 work full-time equivalent hours, to deliver various injectable medications including insulin, B12, and Tinzaparin.

The project has been so successful that the trust has been appointed an exemplar site by NHS England and NHS Improvement. The trust will now act as a mentor for three other trusts across the country, providing guidance on and training standards.

On , six patients currently receive these daily home visits from the newly trained healthcare assistants.

Archive : This story is based on reporting originally published by North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust on 2020-03-12. The original source image has been and credited.