Skills for Health and HEAL.med in partnership with University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, have launched a new e-learning course to help healthcare professionals treat and manage under-18s with type 1 diabetes.

The ‘Management of Type 1 Diabetes in Children and Young People’ course provides an introductory framework to enable those with no prior knowledge of the disease to effectively treat those under 18 years of age.

By the end of the course, learners will be able to explain the diagnosis of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, how to use insulin safely, monitoring and evaluating blood sugar control, the role of diet in the management of type 1 diabetes and how carbohydrate counting relates to the correct insulin dose.

Developed by clinical experts from the NHS Trust at University of Leicester Hospitals and HEAL.med, a social enterprise specializing in diabetes education, the course is now available through the Skills for Health e-learning platform.

Dr James Greening is a consultant pediatrician and director of HEAL.med – the charity behind the NHS Diabetes education app for kids.

Dr Greening said: “Type 1 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes diagnosed in children in the UK. Of the approximately 35,000 children and young people with diabetes, approximately 95% of them have type 1.

“The UK has the fourth highest rate of children and young people with diabetes in Europe and has consistently been one of the worst performing countries in terms of blood sugar control.”

He added: “Over the past 10 years, the need to improve the delivery of pediatric care has been recognized and it is now well understood that a comprehensive systems approach is required.

“Against this background, we have developed this comprehensive e-learning course, tailored to the specific needs of children and young people with type 1 diabetes, to enable the wider health and care sector to effectively manage their sickness.”

Paul Walker is the IT Director of Skills for Health, a registered charity that offers the ‘Management of Type 1 Diabetes in Children and Young People’ course through its Skills Platform eLearning website.

Paul comments, “Through our Skills Platform, we have made this eLearning course ultra-accessible, not only in terms of providing flexibility to learners, but also affordability.

“We are proud to be able to play our part in developing the skills of multi-professional health care teams as we support the ongoing efforts with young people affected by this chronic disease.

The 60-minute CPD-eligible course consists of seven modules and is followed by a multiple-choice assessment with a pass mark of 80 out of 100.

To find out more visit: https://www.skillsplatform.org/courses/10566-type-1-diabetes-management-in-children-and-young-people.