Tag Archives: diabetes

FIVE patients are waiting six to seven years for a first appointment at an outpatients diabetes clinic in the Mid-West, new official figures have revealed. Figures provided by the UL Hospitals’ Group also show 101 patients are waiting four to five years, 28 patients are waiting five to six years, 58 patients are waiting up to six months while 72 patients are waiting six to 12 months for a first appointment. Out of the total of 573 on the waiting list, 47 patients are waiting 12 to 18 months, 57 patients are waiting 18 to 24 months and 205 patients are waiting two to four years. These figures were provided to Limerick Councillor Dan McSweeney in response to a question tabled at a recent HSE West Forum meeting. In September 2020, the diabetes outpatient waiting list was at least six years with 663 people and 336 of those people were waiting two years or more for their first appointment. While …

THOSE living with diabetes are at serious risk of life-altering complications due to delays in recruiting specialists in the Midwest, a meeting of the Council has heard. A joint motion from Councillors Johnny Flynn, Mary Howard and PJ Kelly called on the authority to intervene with the Minister for Health over several posts approved a year ago.  “I’m a diabetic for nearly 20 years myself,” Councillor Flynn told the meeting. “I’m a Type One diabetic, which means I’m insulin-dependent. This isn’t a criticism of the excellent diabetic clinic that is managed and run in Ennis. It’s in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) the problem is.”  The Fine Gael member outlined how programmes offering support with diet and insulin pumps are offered elsewhere in the country, but not by the University of Limerick Hospitals Group (ULHG). “The effect of the low level of staffing is that 663 people with diabetes from Clare and Limerick are waiting on specialist treatment, with half of …

  THE lack of access for Clare people with diabetes to their specialist care teams is creating additional anxiety, according to a local diabetes advocate. Gráinne Flynn, who has Type One Diabetes, has expressed grave misgivings about the contents of a national HSE press release in relation to diabetes. In fact, the Ennis-based diabetes blogger admitted she was very upset by it as members of the Clare and Limerick Adults with Type One diabetes group have been expressing concerns about the adult diabetes service provided by UL Hospitals’ Group well before Covid-19 and have now been elevated to serious and extremely worrying. “This press release is completely tone deaf to the fact that it is the service that is continuously cancelling diabetes appointments since the service resumed in July. “The service seems to be operating only as face to face consultations. We can only assume that the staffing levels don’t allow for telephone consultations as many of the other clinics …

PROVIDING free care to children who tend to be the healthiest in the population in preference to the most vulnerable makes no clinical or economic sense, according to a local doctor. Dr Michael Harty has questioned a recent government decision, which provides GP care without fees to six and seven year-olds and the basis for further phased extension of GP care without fees to all children 12 years in the coming years. The new bill also provides for the implementation of an increase in the weekly gross medical card income limits for those aged 70 or older to €550 for individuals and €1,050 for couples. Dr Harty has pointed out there is no evidence that the general health of patients under six years have had substantial health benefit from being provided with free GP care. Public health initiatives regarding health diet, exercise and weight control are best delivered through education, public health measures and media campaigns. The former chairman of …

  PARENTS should be alert to warning signs of early onset diabetes in children, and not to delay during the Covid-19 pandemic from seeking diagnosis of and treatment for the condition, it has been stressed. Dr Orla Neylon, consultant paediatric endocrinologist at University Hospital Limerick, said parents should be aware of the symptoms, and, if their child is displaying them, to contact first their family doctor or, if their GP is unavailable, the paediatric emergency department at UHL. “Treatment is urgent,” Dr Neylon said. “If children are urinating frequently; if they are excessively thirsty and wetting the bed; if they’re losing weight; and if the child has a lack of energy, then parents should consider the possibility of diabetes, and get it checked immediately.” She added, “It’s understandable during the current Covid-19 pandemic that people might be concerned about attending hospitals, but if diabetes is not treated as a matter of urgency, it can lead to complications that are potentially …

PARENTS are being urged to recognise the warning signs of early onset diabetes in children and not to delay during the Covid-19 pandemic from seeking diagnosis of and treatment for the condition. Dr Orla Neylon, consultant paediatric endocrinologist  at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), said parents should be aware of the symptoms, and, if their child is displaying them, to contact first their family doctor or, if their GP is unavailable, the Paediatric Emergency Department at UHL. Dr Neylon has warned treatment is urgent particularly for children who  are urinating frequently;  are excessively thirsty; wetting the bed;  losing weight and if the child has a lack of energy. then parents should consider the possibility of diabetes, and get it checked immediately.” She added: “It’s understandable during the current Covid-19 pandemic that people might be concerned about attending hospitals, but if diabetes is not treated as a matter of urgency, it can lead to complications that are potentially fatal.” The early symptoms …

Following on the detection of potential diabetes in more than 600 visitors to the National Ploughing Championship last year, Lions Clubs plan to screen more than 10,000 people at the 2015 event in Ratheniska, County Laois. A team of 120 Lions and qualified nurses will be at the Lions Marquee at Ratheniska from Tuesday to Thursday next. They will offer visitors a free simple, painless blood test which is designed to identify early symptoms of diabetes. The Lions are confident that they will significantly exceed the 7,210 visitors who availed of the test last year in Retheniska. Last year 8.3% of those screened, mainly farmers, were identified as potentially diabetic and were referred to their GPs for further examination. According to Marion Conneely, District Governor of Lions in Ireland, the incidence of diabetes is accelerating rapidly in rural Ireland due to diet and lifestyle changes. “Medical experts estimate that up to 200,000 people with diabetes in Ireland are unaware of …