UK's first joint clinic for heart failure and diabetes to transform patient care in Gateshead

NHS staff in Gateshead are trialling the country's first pharmacist-led clinic for patients with both heart failure and diabetes.

The clinic, based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, is designed to streamline treatment and make life easier for patients with complex health conditions.

Instead of spending time attending multiple appointments, patients with these conditions who meet certain criteria can now attend this one session.

It also means that specialist pharmacists can optimise the medications for heart failure and diabetes at the same time, as the two conditions are closely linked.

Claire Davies, Diabetes and Endocrinology Specialist Pharmacist, explains: "The idea for the pilot came about because we recognised that heart failure and diabetes are closely connected - if you have diabetes you are at risk of heart failure, and vice versa. We noticed there was a gap in the service for people who had both conditions.

"Since the pilot launched at the end of last year, the clinic has saved time for the heart failure service through using specialist pharmacists. Overall the goal of the clinic is to provide a caring patient-centred service, focusing on multiple interlinked conditions in one appointment."