Northlanders with diabetes and mental health issues will be the focus of a new programme which aims to improve the quality of life of those living with diabetes.
Northland District Health Board is one of two DHBs in the country which will carry out the pilot Diabetes Plan which will support patients who have both diabetes and mental health issues.
Ian Hartley-Dade, portfolio manager primary care for Northland DHB, said the DHB had identified three groups which would benefit from the programme: children and whanau of newly diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) and those children and their whanau who have poor diabetes control; young people between 16 and 20 with poorly controlled T1DM; and adults with poorly controlled diabetes also experiencing low to medium mental health issues.
Patients will be identified through their Diabetes Annual Review, through proactive recalls to their GPs, and through opportunistic conversations. Mr Hartley-Dade said those identified will have increased access to counsellors, psychologists and dietitians.
"The whole premise is that the support provided will be patient-centred, meeting their needs in a way which will achieve the best possible outcome for them and their whanau."