Ana Pokrajac
1West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, UK
Keynote: J Healthc Commun
Hertfordshire has a 1.2 million NHS-registered population, with 47,000 of them having diabetes. The model of care, aims to provide 70% of care in primary care (general practitioners–GPs), 20% in intermediate care (diabetes nurse specialists–DSNs) and 10% in secondary (consultant diabetologists). The service is commissioned by two clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) for 10 localities, provided by: 130 GP practices, two acute trusts and one community trust. There are six different IT systems used to record encounters with patients. The providers are guided by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) standards, but the quality of diabetes care is only measured by quality framework (QoF) points applicable to GP practices and by national diabetes audits of secondary care. In 2013, we established an educational and networking event for all stakeholders in diabetes in Hertfordshire (patients, practice nurses, GPs, DSNs, podiatrists, dieticians, pharmacists, commissioners and consultants) to enable exchange of knowledge and experience and help standardisation of care. The Annual Hertfordshire Diabetes Conference has two keynote speakers, testimonials from patients, six workshops for the front-line staff and a lively debate on controversies in diabetes. The formal feedback has demonstrated >98% satisfaction, four years in the row. The conference has grown into Herts Diabetes Education Charity that is endorsed for Innovation by Diabetes UK. Hertfordshire Diabetes Education is a unique platform for all stakeholders in the county used to share experiences, learn together and agree on objectives: patient-centred care, standardisation of care delivery and education for all providers interacting with patients.
Ana Pokrajac is a Consultant at the West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust. She is a Diabetes UK National Clinical Champion for her contributions to Diabetes Care (Co-founded Hertfordshire Diabetes Education Charity). She is West Herts and Herts Valley CCG’s Lead for Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). She has special interest in complex diabetes and health-care system performance. She teaches medical students and junior doctors. Her national roles include: Committee Member of Association of British Clinical Diabetologists, ABCD-Renal Association–National Guidelines Writing Group and All-Party Parliamentary Group for Diabetes.
Email:Ana.pokrajac@whht.nhs.uk