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Coming into hospital
Please bring all your usual diabetes medications, monitoring equipment and hypo treatment.
In hospital
- Being in hospital can disrupt your diabetes. We are there to support you through this.
- If you need any support with your diabetes ask to be referred to the Inpatient Diabetes Team.
- You may have a review of or adjustment to your diabetes medications.
- Ward staff will check your glucose; you can check it too.
- If your health allows it, you may be able to self-manage your diabetes.
- You should have you feet checked within 24 hours of admission. Please let your nurse or doctor know if this has not happened.
Diabetes and diet
- Hospital food and mealtimes can be different to what you’re used to.
- Your ward will be able to provide you with food or snacks to help with your diabetes.
- If you carbohydrate count, ask the ward for the carbohydrate content of the hospital menu.
Diabetes and surgery
- We may need to adjust your medications to keep you safe for surgery.
- We will increase the frequency of glucose testing before, during, and after your surgery.
- You may be connected to an intravenous insulin pump for surgery.
Going Home
- You will be given a discharge summary which will document any changes to your medications.
- If needed we can give you a personal diabetes care plan on discharge.
- We can contact your usual diabetes care provider to update them about your hospital stay.
This information is intended for patients receiving care in Brighton & Hove or Haywards Heath.
The information here is for guidance purposes only and is in no way intended to replace professional clinical advice by a qualified practitioner.