Focus on weight loss and diabetes education following large rise in diagnoses of the condition in the Midlands

People living with diabetes in the Midlands will be offered better education around weight loss and self-management of the condition, following a large rise in new diagnoses over the last year.

A new specialist diabetes centre will be launched in Birmingham, with others set to follow in the UK over the coming years.

The new clinic located in Edgbaston has benefitted from a £200,000 investment by the London Diabetes Clinic, part of London Medical.

The centre will initially focus on diabetes and weight loss but will also be able to draw on the comprehensive group of diabetes specialists based in London and nationally.

The clinic, the only specialist diabetes centre in West Midlands, will be led by Dr Parijat De, a leading expert in diabetes with 20 years of experience in the Birmingham region, who also practices in the local NHS.

Dr De, who regularly works with DRWF at Diabetes Wellness Events, said: "A recent survey published in November 2021 showed that people diagnosed with diabetes in the Midlands had risen by 22,974, from 677,636 to 700,610 since last year.

"We wanted to make sure that people with diabetes have access to specific advice and support that is tailored to their particular needs and lifestyle.”

"Our approach to managing diabetes is unique in that we treat the patient in entirety, taking into consideration other factors. It's an integrated method that looks at other symptoms such as the patient's physical health and mental welfare."

Tony Graff, the London Diabetes Centre Chief Executive Officer, said of the plans: "Our first clinic outside London is a truly specialist centre providing diabetes patients in Birmingham and the wider Midlands with a service that provides access to cutting edge knowledge, treatments and technology. Combining those three elements, we can work with patients to tailor treatment programmes that match their lifestyles."

The new centre will also be able to call upon its sister clinic in London, the largest specialist private diabetes clinic in the UK.

The new Birmingham clinic will also enable patients to access new technologies, including remote support plans and medications that complement existing NHS treatments.

Mr Graff added: "Our vision is to offer a choice of care that's centred on our patients’ needs enabling them to live their best life."

Are you satisfied with the level of diabetes care you are receiving? Take an assessment at the London Diabetes Centre

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