Healthcare article

Pioneering diabetes project in Birmingham

Consort Healthcare Birmingham working in partnership with University Hospital Birmingham (UHB) and Diabetes UK have developed a pioneering diabetes project, engaging with young people in the Birmingham area.

The project, entitled ‘Nourish’, aligns with University Hospital Birmingham's priorities around tackling health inequalities and reducing the long term impact of diabetes from communities around Birmingham. Nourish has been dubbed pioneering for its use of creative techniques to open dialogue and create a peer led pathway for the students involved to inform their peers and parents about diabetes.

Work with young people and diabetes has not been undertaken using an arts health approach in this way on a PFI partnership previously. To help inform the process and ensure accurate information underpins the messages used, the young participants have had the benefit of the guidance of Jayne Hodgkiss, a diabetes nurse to present an overview session on diabetes.

One of the aims of the project is to try to demystify the disease as many younger people are seen to be developing Type 2 diabetes. Working with adults that have already developed the disease at a stage where it is difficult for them to change their lifestyle habits is currently taking place in the form of diabetes management clinics, the work of Diabetes UK and PCTs. Despite the messages getting through to older people, the development of Type 2 in children has seen rapid increase in recent years and the Nourish project has been seen as a unique way of beginning the process of influencing the future behaviour of young people in relation to their diet and health.