Diabetes Clinic

Patients receive a full annual review.

You will first be invited to come into the practice and see a Health Care Assistant (HCA) face to face. The HCA will check the health of your feet, and will then take a blood sample and a blood pressure reading.

You will be invited to get your results from a Diabetic Nurse at a Video Group Clinic.

In some circumstances, for example where a patient has more than one long term condition, we may arrange for you to speak with a member of our team separately to the Video Group Clinic. 

After your annual diabetes foot check with one of our Health Care Assistants you will be invited to our online Video Group Clinic. We will complete the rest of your diabetes annual review at this clinic.

What is a Video Group Clinic?

A Video Group Clinic is an online session providing you with healthcare services from a clinician, in your own home. The  Diabetes Video Group Clinic will be open to 6-12 other people with Type 2 diabetes. The session will work as follows:

After the session we will provide you with lots of resources and the opportunity for additional support with our health care professionals.

What are the benefits of Video Group Clinics?

There are many benefits to joining a Video Group Clinic, rather than a 1-1 session with a health care professional.

• More time with a Health Care Professional than is available in a 1-1 appointment
• More time to discuss worries or concerns
• The opportunity to learn more about your condition
• Learning from others with similar health issues
• Not feeling isolated and alone in managing your health
• Exploring what works best for you and your health and wellbeing
• Reducing the need for coming into the surgery - which helps to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19,saves you time getting to and from practice and helps to reduce carbon footprint

What do our patients say about Video Group Clinics?

Here's what patients have said about our recent Video Group Clinics:

"Wonderful and informative, thank you”

“I felt supported and heard”

“ I feel motivated to make a small change”

“Listening to what other people are going thorough and how they are dealing with diabetes and understanding how differently it effects each individual and how they are managing their lifestyle. Didn't feel so much as if I was on my own dealing with it all.”

“I feel less alone with my diabetes”

“Really interesting to hear my results and what they mean, I’ve had Diabetes for years and I’ve never understood my results in full and what the ranges meant”

“Having never joined a video call, I didn’t know what to expect, joining was easy and straight forward and the team were very helpful!”

How can I join the sessions?

If you are due your annual review or have had an invitation from us to attend the Video Group Clinic then please complete the self-referral form.

Complete ther self-referral form

Once we receive your form, we will be in touch with you to chat through enrolling on the session so you can complete your annual review for diabetes.

I've never joined a Video Group Clinic before. Help!

Don’t worry if this is new and you’ve never joined a video call. We are here to help.

We have a dedicated team here at the practice to take you through joining the Video Group Clinic step-by-step, at your pace. Lots of patients have never joined a session before, so please don’t worry or think you will be the only person who is new to this. We will support every step of the way.

Please contact us online for more information if needed. Alternatively please call our Care Navigators on 01373 301301 and say that you'd like to talk to a Digital Champion about borrowing a device so you can join an online session.

What happens if I don’t have a device that I can get online with? Can I still join a Video Group Clinic?

We are able to support patients who don't have a device, as we have devices that you can borrow.

Once we know you need to borrow a device one of our team can come to your home and set it up for you and show you step by step how it all works, at your own pace.

Can I change or cancel my Video Group Clinic for a 1-1 appointment?

Yes - please call our Care Navigators on 01373 301301 to arrange this.

Find out more

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss this further please contact us online or call our Care Navigators on 01373 301301.

The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme will help you take control of your health, supporting you to make changes to your diet, weight and the amount of physical activity you do. If you have been told you are pre-diabetes and / or have received an invite letter, please self-refer to this programme.

NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme

Patients from Frome Medical Practice who have diabetes are encouraged to use the MYWAY Diabetes online platform, which aims to support people with diabetes, as well as their family and friends.

Register to use MyWay Diabetes Somerset

In addition to the annual check within the Practice, patients with diabetes will be invited to an annual Diabetic Eye Screening appointment.

If you have Diabetes and are aged 12 or over you’ll receive a letter every year inviting you to this appointment.

This programme is coordinated by Somerset Partnership NHS Trust. Appointments are generally held at Frome Community Hospital for this service.

NHS - What is diabetic eye screening?

In our Education Session recording, Dr Rob Taylor and Jo Fordham, from the Health Connections Team, share some simple diet principles to help patients manage Type 2 Diabetes. The aim of these principles is to lose weight, reverse Diabetes and reduce medication use.

The session is aimed at anyone with Type 2 Diabetes or Prediabetes, those with an interest in Type 2 Diabetes or people who are a carer of someone with the condition.

Prediabetes is when someone has a blood sugar level above the normal range but not high enough to be diagnosed as having Diabetes. If your blood sugar level is above the normal range then your risk of developing full blown Diabetes is increased. We encourage you to watch the recording of the education session if we find that you have Prediabetes.

What does Frome Medical Practice offer?

Having a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes can be a worry. How do you find out about the changes you need to make to your lifestyle, and how best to make them?

We hold a regular Diabetes Fitbit Support Group to help you if you've been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. The support group will consist of four guided sessions, which will take place face to face with a health coach. These sessions will help you identify the key areas you need to focus on to manage your diabetes. You will also be given practical advice on how to make effective changes – in small, manageable steps.

We also provide a free Fitbit – an activity tracker worn on the wrist like a watch – so you can follow the changes you are making.

What is the Diabetes Fitbit Support Group?

The support group takes place at the practice, on a Wednesday from 4pm - 6pm. The sessions will be every other week and there are four sessions to attend in total. 

The support group consists of four sessions, as follows:

1. Welcome to the Group: our Diabetes Lead GP Nick Hopkins will welcome you and there's a chance to get to know each other. We will explain how diabetes affects your body and introduce you to your Fitbit and explain how you can use it to help you reach your goals. 
2. Movement and Activity – Why is movement beneficial, and what small changes can I make?
3. Diet and Eating – Discovering what is best to eat, and why.
4. Relaxation and Sleep – how to improve your relaxation and sleep, and how they affect your diabetes.

After each session we will send you resources specifically designed to further support and guide you around the session topics.

What are the benefits of taking part in the Diabetes Fitbit Support Group?

There are many benefits to joining the Diabetes Fitbit Support Group, including:

• You will get a free Fitbit (which you can keep) to help you achieve (and keep achieving) your healthy lifestyle changes.
• You will learn more about your health condition.
• You will get the chance to explore what works best for you and your health and wellbeing
• Making changes when you're part of a support group is proven to be more effective and long-lasting.
• You will hopefully feel less isolated and alone in managing your health.
• The group will be a supportive safe space to find out how others are living with the condition.

What do our patients say about other Group Clinics?

Here's what patients have said about some of our other recent Group Clinics:

‘I felt supported and heard’

‘I feel motivated and supported to make small changes’

‘It was great listening to what other people are going thorough and how they are dealing with diabetes - understanding how differently it effects each individual, and how they are managing their lifestyle’

‘I didn't feel like I was on my own dealing with it all anymore’

‘Wonderful and informative’

How can I join the group sessions?

If you have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and you want to attend the Diabetes Fitbit Support Group, then please complete the self-referral form linked below.

Once we receive your form, we will be in touch with you to chat through enrolling on the first session.

SELF REFER