A joint thalassaemia and diabetes clinic was established at the Department of Diabetes, Whittington Health, London in 2005. Patients were reviewed by a multidisciplinary team including a consultant diabetologist and haematologist. A four-year study showed improvement in glycaemic control with fructosamine reduction and improved lipids. When patients attending the clinic were compared to a national diabetes audit, the number achieving goals for glycaemic, blood pressure and cholesterol control were significantly higher. A fifth of the patients had macrovascular complications while a significant number had endocrinopathies and the combined clinic was able to effectively manage these complex patients (Tzoulis et al 2014).
