More specialist diabetes care for new mums available in Moray

The Maternity Collaborative bringing together colleagues from NHS Grampian and NHS Highland to deliver a full, sustainable obstetric service at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin is now offering enhanced antenatal care.

A weekly diabetes clinic is being led jointly by new obstetric consultant Dr Kirsty Lees who has a special interest in higher risk pregnancy care and consultant diabetologist Dr Fiona Strachan. The previous clinic team has expanded to include a diabetes specialist nurse, a maternity specialist dietician, and a specialist midwife for complex care. They are being supported by a wider Grampian diabetes network and will deliver a clinical approach which is part of the Once for Scotland aim to ensure consistency of care across the country.

Dr Lees explained: “While we were able to offer support for pre-existing or gestational diabetes at Dr Gray’s previously, the new team around this means we can provide a holistic approach to all diabetes in pregnancy care from preconception, all the way through pregnancy and postnatally too.”

With obesity and Type 2 diabetes on the rise across Scotland, the clinic will play a more important role than ever in ensuring women and families across Moray get all the support they need.

Dr Lees focuses on the assessment of maternal wellbeing and fetal growth during pregnancy; consultant diabetologist Dr Strachan offers support in optimising Type 1 and 2 diabetes self-care and provides advice to the team on the management of complex gestational diabetes; diabetes specialist nurse Lynsey Browne provides support, education and advice for women; specialist midwife for complex care Suzanne Wightman monitors women’s health and wellbeing, and specialist dietician Gemma Findlay gives nutritional support to minimise the risk of complications during pregnancy and to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes becoming established Type 2 diabetes in future.

By expanding the team, a dedicated pre-pregnancy clinic is also being established for those women wishing to optimise control of Type 1 or 2 diabetes before conception. We would encourage women who wish to make use of this service to discuss this option with their general practice or diabetes service team to make a referral.

“For women with diabetes in Moray the expanded service means less of a need to travel to Aberdeen and that evidence-based care will be enhanced. It will help to prevent the risk of gestational diabetes in future pregnancies and help prevent the risk of Type 2 developing after birth. It also means we can improve the quality of data we have to help us to measure improvements across the service. We are already using digitally enhanced glucose monitoring systems to allow remote support by the diabetes team between clinic reviews to offer optimal care and the convenience of fewer hospital appointments,” added Dr Lees.

Anyone with a concern relating to diabetes in pregnancy should speak with their midwife in the first instance. Find out more about working and living in the North of Scotland: www.wishyouworkedhere.scot.