The Trust provides a specialist service to patients with Endocrine and Diabetic disorders. The Trust has two Endocrinology & Diabetes Consultants Dr Purnami De Silva, and Dr Andrew Solomon. They are supported by a Specialist Registrar, two Diabetes Specialist Nurses (DSN) Jean Duffell and Kathrin Meyer, an Endocrine Specialist Nurse Jenni Wallace and a team of three Secretaries and Administration staff who support the Consultants.
The team also includes a Diabetes Specialist Midwife Sue English, a Specialist dietitian Nikki Maguire-Smith, and members of the team.
The Multidisciplinary Diabetes team works with the specialist community teams and General Practice to help with support if needed, for those patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes with self or supported management in order to prevent or reduce the onset of potential complications.
We are also proud to have a long established diabetes antenatal service that includes weekly clinics supported by the Diabetes Specialist Midwife, consultants in Diabetes and Endocrinology, a consultant obstetrician working in women’s health, as well as specialist dietitian review. Additional close telephone consultations are also offered between clinic appointments for women, aimed to promote self and supported management for optimal pregnancy outcomes. The telephone service is maintained by both the Diabetes Specialist Midwife and the Diabetes Specialist Nurses via an answering phone contact during the week.
The Multidisciplinary Diabetes team also provide for those patients’ who are referred following assessment within the Accident and Emergency Department and the Emergency Assessment Unit, as well as those admitted to the wards, and who may require support or intervention with their diabetes management. In addition, the Diabetes Specialist Nurses offer telephone advice for those patients on diabetes medications who require additional support before attendance to the Day Stay Unit.
Within the community there are structured education programmes and support groups for people with diabetes. These are run by both West Essex (DAFNE & X-PERT) and East & North Herts (DAFNE & DESMOND) community teams consisting of dietitian, specialist diabetes nurses and consultant & specialist diabetes practitioners who are trained to deliver these services. One of our consultants Dr Purnami De Silva is a DAFNE doctor and inputs the programme in West Essex.
The DAFNE course, (Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating) programme gives patients the skills and knowledge to manage their condition and is offered to patients with type 1 diabetes. The X-PERT & DESMOND programmes are offered to patients with type 2 diabetes.
In order to deliver the National Service Framework (NSF) for diabetes in West Essex, the Diabetes Network Board has been established. Its structure, representatives, contacts & subgroups have been formed in order to achieve the NSF standards & implementation. There is patient representation on the West Essex Network Board.
The Endocrinology service at The Princess Alexandra Hospital supports people with over activity, under activity and abnormal growth of all hormone glands in the body.
This includes disorders of:
- Thyroid gland
- Adrenal glands
- Pituitary gland
- Female reproductive endocrinology (including Polycystic Ovary syndrome (PCOS),problems with excess hair, delayed puberty, female hormonal factors affecting fertility)
- Male reproductive endocrinology (low testosterone and testosterone replacement therapy, delayed puberty, male hormonal factors affecting fertility).
- Parathyroid gland.
This service includes a weekly dynamic testing and treating service in the Williams Day Hospital, telephone clinic and advice led by the Endocrine Nurse Specialist.
The Diabetes service has specialised some of its clinical care to provide dedicated services to patients' needs. There is now a clinical lead for the clinic that looks after people with Gestational Diabetes ( a form of diabetes in pregnancy), Dr Purnami De Silva.
In addition, there is a new monthly clinic looking after Young Adults with Diabetes, run by Dr Andrew Solomon, which intends to provide special focussed care for these patients.
The Endocrine service will now provide endocrinology clinics from three locations, Herts and Essex, St Margaret's and Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Specific Patient Information
To help speed up the work up of your condition we may request that you have specific blood tests prior to your clinic appointment. This helps us to act on the results. View information on blood tests here.
