The challenge

NHS Diabetes sponsored the production of a survey by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in March in 2009 – 'Growing up with Diabetes: children and young people with diabetes in England' (PDF 2MB). The survey established there were 22,783 children and young people (0 – 17 years) with diabetes in England on January 1^st, 2009. Of this total, 97% had Type 1 diabetes, 1.5% had Type 2 diabetes, and 1.5% had other types of diabetes.

How does the paediatric network support you?

The national paediatric network comprises 10 regional paediatric diabetes networks. The network brings together best practice, up-to-date guidance and tools and aims to reduce variation.

A summary of our key achievement includes:

• Agreeing national network outcomes, including: 100% submission to the National Diabetes Audit, organising and the implementation of a regional register, increase stakeholder engagement, standardisation of a service specification and preparation for the Best Practice Tariff.
• Rolling out Paediatric Networks Coordinators to support the regional networks.
• Leading moves to establish paediatric diabetes outpatient care as a clinical practice with a proper funding mechanism are being made. A Best Practice Tariff will be anticipated for 2012/13.
• Using the findings of t the first audit of children with diabetes in England to inform the network development.

Network objectives

NHS Diabetes has identified the following outcomes for each paediatric network:

• Raise the profile of the network and increase stakeholder engagement.
• Undertake a health needs assessment (HNA) within the network.
• Gain agreement from all units in the region to participate and contribute to the network.
• Define and agree a local model of care pathway.
• Map levels of staffing across the network.
• Support commissioners to understand paediatric diabetes requirements and Payment by Results (PbR) tariff - see FAQs on Paediatric Diabetes Best Practice Tariff (PDF 49.2KB), Paediatric Diabetes Best Practice Tariff Criteria (PDF 34.3KB), for more information contact Dr Tabitha Randell.
• Take part in the National Diabetes Audit (NDA).
• Establish clear governance arrangements with the strategic health authority (SHA) and long-term conditions (LTCs) groups/boards.

How to get involved

Find out more about your local network, and how to get involved below:

• North East
• North West
• Yorkshire and the Humber
• South West
• South Central
• West Midlands
• East of England
• London and South East

If you would like general information on the paediatric network contact Marie Cummins.

Best Practice Tariff Resources

• Best Practice Tariff for Paediatric Diabetes - information for parents, children and young people
  
• FAQs on Paediatric Diabetes Best Practice Tariff (PDF 49.2KB) 
  
• Paediatric Diabetes Best Practice Tariff Criteria (PDF 34.3KB)
  

Additional supporting resources

• Service specification for paediatric diabetes services (PDF 2.6MB) 
  
• Paediatric Network Flyer (PDF 422KB)
  
• Paediatric Network Update Newsletter - August 2011 (Word 186KB)
• Children on Board (PDF 115KB)
• Diabetes UK Children's Charter
• National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services –
  Type 1 diabetes in childhood and adolescence (PDF 2MB)
• Commissioning for Children and Young People with diabetes
• Making Every Young Person with Diabetes Matter (1.2MB)
• National Service Framework for Diabetes: standards relating to children and young people
• Diabetes UK’s section for younger people with diabetes
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
• National Diabetes Audit reports

Paediatric Podcasts