LHCH at the forefront of Cystic Fibrosis Diabetes care

Over the last ten years, the Trust has seen a growth in the number of patients with Cystic Fibrosis Diabetes.  At Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital we set up a service 2010 to specifically meet this demand.  In 2023, over a third of our patients treated at LHCH for Cystic Fibrosis had Cystic Fibrosis Diabetes.

The team has subsequently attracted interest from other hospitals across the country interested in replicating our service model.  Our Cystic Fibrosis Diabetes clinic runs alongside our general Cystic Fibrosis (CF) clinic and plays an important part in the work of the wider CF multi disciplinary team.

Since establishment of this service, Paula Dyce,  Advanced Nurse Practitioner for Cystic Fibrosis Diabetes has joined forces with counterparts at Birmingham and Manchester Hospitals to set up a national Cystic Fibrosis Diabetes Committee.  Paula said:

“We realised that there was a real variation in the clinical practice and care of all patients with Cystic Fibrosis Diabetes right across the country.  As co-founder of the committee I was asked to Chair this new committee.  Despite many challenges during the pandemic, we are delighted that the new guidelines for Cystic Fibrosis Diabetes was completed late last year and has now been published.  We gathered information and best practice from throughout the UK and worldwide to update and clarify the guidance, which was first published in 2004  ”

The guidelines can be viewed on the news pages of CF Trust website via www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/news/how-weve-updated-clinical-guidance-on-cf-diabetes-cfd.

Notes:

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic condition which causes sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive system. It affects more than 10,800 people in the UK. One in 25 of us carries the faulty gene that causes it, usually without knowing.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) can cause a build-up of sticky mucus and inflammation in the pancreas. This can prevent the pancreas from producing insulin properly. Insulin controls the amount of sugar in our blood. When the pancreas can’t produce enough insulin, blood sugar levels can rise and this can lead to CF diabetes (CFD).