Chronic disease hub supporting Mayo people living with diabetes

PEOPLE living with diabetes in the west, who are benefiting from faster access to specialised care as a result of the new HSE Chronic Disease Hubs, have praised the enhancements in diabetes care as they prepare to mark World Diabetes Day on November 14.

The move away from hospital-based care means that patients have access to highly specialised clinical teams, closer to their home.

There are HSE Integrated Care Hubs for individuals with chronic diseases across counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. People with chronic diseases like asthma, COPD, type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease can be referred directly to a local hub by their GP, instead of being referred to a hospital-based service.

The service is delivered across three hubs: the West Galway and City Integrated Care Hub provides clinics in Newcastle, Moycullen, Carraroe, Clifden, Oughterard, Doughiska and Renmore, the East Galway Roscommon Integrated Care Hub, located in Ballinasloe, provides clinics in Athenry, Ballinasloe, Loughrea, Tuam, Castlerea and Roscommon town and the Mayo Integrated Care Hub, located in Castlebar, provides clinics in Achill, Ballinrobe, Belmullet, Castlebar, Claremorris, Swinford and Westport.

This is a major shift in the way healthcare services are delivered and a core component of Sláintecare, Ireland’s strategy for reforming the health and social care system.

Being able to treat patients in community-based specialist centres leads to an overall reduction in hospital waiting lists and the diabetes service in particular has yielded very positive results across the region.

Between January and September this year over 10,000 appointments were carried out across the three hubs, where people living with diabetes were seen and treated by multidisciplinary teams including diabetic nurses, podiatrists and dieticians.

An additional 2,827 consultant-led appointments in diabetes care were carried out in the West Galway and City Integrated Care Hub and East Galway Roscommon Integrated Care Hub led by Dr. Tomás Griffin and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah.

Over the last year significant progress has been achieved in reducing hospital waiting lists through the work of the hubs, hospital teams and other initiatives, demonstrating the impact and benefits of an integrated model of care for patients. Between July 2023 and October 2024, Galway University Hospitals had an 83% reduction in waiting lists, while Roscommon University Hospital saw a 71% reduction.

Lead Consultant Diabetologist for the West Galway and City Integrated Care Hub, Tomás Griffin, said: “This service places the person living with diabetes at the heart of care, empowering each person to manage their condition with confidence through timely, accessible support close to home.

“By reducing hospital wait times and offering direct access to a multidisciplinary team that includes, diabetes specialist nurses, an advanced nurse practitioner, podiatrists, a physiotherapy led exercise programme, and a dietitian - we work with individuals and their GPs to develop personalized care plans that foster improved health outcomes and greater self-management, all within a convenient, community-based setting.”

Professor Sean Dinneen, who is a Consultant Endocrinologist at Galway University Hospitals and Co-Chairs the Diabetes Integrated Care Implementation Group across HSE West, said: “The prevalence of diabetes is increasing in Ireland and it is crucial that our health service can adapt and open up new pathways for patients to receive appropriate care.

“Community teams working in an integrated way with both general practice and acute hospital services are ideally placed to provide the right care, in the right place at the right time. The success of these programmes is dependent on the teams in the hub and hospital working together in an integrated way with local general practitioners to agree the most appropriate pathway for individuals with stable type 2 diabetes, for those requiring a step-up in therapy and for those with more complex care needs to be seen.”

The hubs also play a very important role in patient education, and clinical teams work with patients to develop individualised plans which help them self-manage their chronic condition(s) and focus on living well with diabetes.

Samantha Glynn, who is living with diabetes and attends the Tuam clinic, said: “I was diagnosed with diabetes eight years ago and have been struggling since day one. My doctor referred me to the hub and I received an appointment within weeks.

“I was able to see the consultant, the nurse and the podiatrist at one visit which saved me a huge amount of time. The team have a good plan in place and have helped me bring my diabetes under control for the first time since I was diagnosed, which is exceptional.”