Diabetes Clinic (Paediatric)

The paediatric diabetic clinic is a multidisciplinary diabetic service open to all paediatric patients in the South West area.

Patient information

• Who does this clinic care for?

  The paediatric diabetic clinic is a multidisciplinary diabetic service open to all paediatric patients in the South West area.

  The service offers support in areas of multi dosing of insulin basal bolus, insulin pump therapy, and continuous glucose monitoring. At the clinics you will have you HbA1c assessed by a point of care test that allows us to look at your control over the last 120 days.

• What do I bring to an appointment?

  You should upload your dexacom readings or pumps the night before the visit so we can log in and check your readings and pump settings.

  If you keep a diabetic log book, you should bring it along.

  If you have any new reports, eg. optometry visits, questions or concerns regarding school, etc. please bring all of that correspondence.

  Please note that your visit to the clinic may take some time as you will see the paediatrician, the diabetic nurse and have your blood test to check your control over the last 3 months, HbA1c. You will also see the dietician if required.

• How frequent are the clinics?

  The clinic currently runs every 4 weeks.

• Referral template and guidelines

  Please send referrals to:
  paediatrics@swh.net.au 

  03 5563 1583

Health professional information

• Who do these clinics care for?

  The diabetic service is open to all children with diabetes in the South West area,  however we do not set our service to displace existing services.

  If the child is already well served by existing services, for example, seeing the existing services in Portland with Dr Britta Baade, the diabetic outreach services served by the visiting Paediatric diabetic service from the Royal Children’s Hospital endocrine service served by Dr Fergus Cameron which visits both Portland and Hamilton, then it is inappropriate to see a second diabetic services concurrently.

  The family should choose one service to be the primary manager of their diabetic needs.

• How do I prepare my patient for an appointment?

  If a child is new to the service then certain tests would be required prior to the appointment.

  These would include:

  • TFTS if not done in the last 12 months.
  • Coeliac serology if not done in the last 12 months.
  • Ophthalmology review,  this can be done through local optometry services with retinal photos and should be done at least every 2 years and be done every 12 months if more than 5 years from the time of diagnosis
  • Morning urine for microalbumin screen if more than 5 years from diagnosis
  • Blood pressure check.

  These test should be incorporated with the referral if this child is a new referral to the service