We are working to ensure that children on the Isle of Wight are supported to get the best start in life that will lead to good health and wellbeing. This will provide the foundation to ensure they are able to achieve the best opportunities and keep as healthy and well as possible throughout their lives.
We want to ensure that families, individuals and communities are thriving and resilient with access to good jobs, affordable housing, leisure activities, lifelong training, education and learning, health and care services are are able to enjoy the place in which they live.
We want to ensure that people on the Isle of Wight are able to live independently in their own homes with appropriate care support. We want to make sure older residents are supported to play an active role in their communities and supported to maintain and develop their social and community networks.
Isle of Wight NHS Trust won second place for having the largest impact on body weight and waist circumference after competing against 72 other Trusts and Health Centres across the UK.
The Trust was presented with an award by charity X-PERT Health after seeing impressive results for its patients attending diabetes education sessions during 2014 and 2015. X-PERT Health provides training to Diabetes practitioners across the country so they in turn, can educate their own patients on self-management of their diabetes.
The Diabetes Centre at St Mary’s has been running the X-PERT Insulin self-management programme. The programme includes six sessions, lasting two-and-a-half hours each week, delivered at the Centre to educate patients so they can make informed decisions about their lifestyle, to help them manage their diabetes.
Liz Whittingstall, Lead Specialist Nurse in Diabetes at Isle of Wight NHS Trust, said “This programme is suitable whether you have been recently diagnosed or have had diabetes for 20 years or more.” She continued “Previously we have found that people will eat for their insulin but once they realise that they don’t have to do this, but instead, can inject for what they are eating , then this offers a great deal of flexibility and will prevent erratic readings and unnecessary weight gain”.
Improving individuals understanding of their health and empowering them to self-manage their condition is a key part of the Island’s My Life a Full Life programme.
Commenting on the Trust’s success Dr Trudi Deakin, founder and Chief Executive of X-PERT Health said: “Isle of Wight NHS Trust is doing a fantastic job helping patients make meaningful lifestyle changes which are having a huge positive influence on their health. I’m delighted they’re helping to provide the evidence we need to keep pushing diabetes education to the top of the agenda, and I congratulate them on their success.”
In 2014/15 on the Isle of Wight there were 7,027 individuals aged 17 and over registered with GPs as having diabetes – 6.6% of the Island’s population compared to a national average of 6.4%.
