Hutt Valley DHB has developed a collaborative venture between a local primary health organisation (PHO) and the specialist diabetes service. The ‘Diabetes Action’ programme aims to facilitate general practice teams to provide improved diabetes care through the provision of a two-day education programme for practice nurses. The programme is delivered by the specialist nursing team and nurses are then certified to provide care to people with type 2 diabetes. The practice is then funded to provide their patients with three additional visits to follow up on care planning, monitor progress and provide ongoing diabetes education. Multidisciplinary workshops on insulin management are provided by the endocrinologist and specialist nursing team, after which practice teams are encouraged to commence insulin in people with type 2 diabetes in collaboration with the specialist service. In particular, the practice nurses are supported by the local clinical nurse specialists through telephone liaison, joint consultations and yearly update sessions (Diabetes Care Workforce Service Review Team 2011).
