Amble, Meeting

Dealing with diabetes
Waves at Amble Harbour Picture by Jane ColtmanWaves at Amble Harbour Picture by Jane Coltman
Waves at Amble Harbour Picture by Jane Coltman

Members of the Amble and Warkworth Diabetes UK Group met in St Cuthbert’s Church hall, Dovecote Street, Amble, on Monday, July 4, for an open forum discussion on issues facing diabetes sufferers.

The nurse specialist for diabetes from Coquet Medical Group, in Amble Health Centre, visited the group to answer members’ questions and give advice on healthy lifestyles.

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Regional manager Chris Fox attended from the national charity Diabetes UK Group to tell the audience about advice on offer from Diabetes UK, which is also sponsoring medical research at Newcastle University Medical Institute.

Chairman Derek Conway, of Warkworth, hosted the meeting and encouraged those present to bring along a friend to the next meeting.

He said: “Groups like ours give much-needed support to those with diabetes to back up the excellent medical support we get from the Coquet Medical Group team, led by diabetes specialist Dr Ben Burville. Especially for anyone living alone, having someone to chat to about the impact of the illness is very important.”

Though we cover Amble and Warkworth, we get people coming from Shilbottle, Hadston and Alnwick, and it really doesn’t matter where they live. If they want to know more about diabetes and how to cope with the consequences, then we are here to encourage them and their medical treatment regime. Some have just been diagnosed and others are at a very advanced stage of diabetes so the spectrum covers whatever lies ahead.

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Mr Conway added: “The next meeting has a speaker from the Northumberland NHS Eye Screening Programme as diabetes can affect the eyes quite badly, and the following meeting a speaker from the Northumberland NHS Podiatry Service as foot care can be problematic.

“Guests of this standing give our members a chance to have a much longer session with the medical experts, and as they focus on diabetes it means it is very relevant to how we live and cope.”

Anyone wishing to know more about Diabetes UK can visit its website or contact Derek on 07515 419050.