CHANGING technology has improved people’s lives in all areas, especially in medicine.
In our latest feature celebrating the NHS’s 70th anniversary we shine a light on the experiences of one of Bolton’s diabetes specialist nurses.
AMY Savage, aged 49, has been a specialist in diabetes for 19 years. For the last two she has been at Royal Bolton Hospital.
She says that advancing technology has revolutionised the treatment and diagnosis of the condition.
The impressive leaps forward can be seen in the pictures above.
One is an early prototype of an insulin pump backpack, invented by Dr Arnold Kadish in 1963.
The other shows the comparatively tiny pumps available now, which are descendants of a pump created by Dean Kamen in 1976.
In just a few decades those with type one diabetes were able to use a small pump to deliver insulin to them as needed throughout the day to be absorbed by their bloodstream as part of a close loop system, also called an artificial pancreas.
Ms Savage, from Atherton, works between the hospital and Bolton Diabetes Centre in Chorley Street, said: “Therapies to help manage type two diabetes were somewhat limited 15 years ago, but now we have better and different drug therapy options.
“Technologies such as apps, and continuous glucose sensors help individuals to better manage their own health and provide options.”
She said in the early days patients would have to boil their own urine and add tablets to it to check for glucose.
Now people can check their glucose levels quickly and accurately with finger-prick blood tests.
She added: “I embrace it, things change so quickly you have to try and keep up to date.”
During Ms Savage’s time treating diabetes she says there has been a move towards diabetes prevention with NHS programmes set up to help people change their lifestyle.
She said: “The advantage of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme is that it aims to equip people with the knowledge and skills they need to make small changes that can make a big impact to their health via tailored, personalised support.
“The nearest trust participating in the pilot to Bolton is Salford. Locally, we developed in conjunction with Diabetes UK the Bolton Community Champions who educate and raise awareness of diabetes by organising stalls, talks, presentations and healthy living days at community centres, health fairs and local festivals.
“They aim to reach and engage people in particular from ethnic minority groups.”
As times have changed so have patients' expectations and Ms Savage said more and more focus has been put on improving their experience in hospital.
She said: "One in six of all people in hospital have diabetes – while diabetes is often not the reason for admission, they often need a longer stay in hospital, are more likely to be re admitted and their risk of dying is higher.
"We need to continually focus on improving those things that really matter to patients.
"Since 2013, patients have been asked whether they would recommend hospital wards and A&E departments to their friends and family if they needed similar care or treatment.
"This means every patient in these wards and departments can give feedback on the quality of the care they receive."
And Ms Savage says she has seen patients take to this and take more responsibility for their own health.
She said: "It's an ever changing thing the NHS and I think the main think we are more mindful of including patients in the decision-making process.
"It used to be patients did what they were told and took whatever they were told to. Now the patient is more involved in the decision making."
