It’s Diabetes Week: Meet Adel and Paulette

June 16, 2021

Diabetes Week is an annual UK-wide initiative which aims to raise awareness of diabetes as well as raise vital funds to help research the condition.

Our diabetes team work alongside colleagues from Heartlands who lead on the diabetes retinopathy service. Heartlands colleagues, Adel Pinnock and Paulette Robinson play vital roles in the service.

Adel has been a retinal screener/grader for the Birmingham, Solihull, and Black Country Diabetic Eye Screening Programme for five years. Her role is to screen patients living with diabetes for any signs of diabetic retinopathy – one of the leading causes of blindness in the working age population. She also grades those images from the screening clinic in which the results are sent to the patient. She believes it is really important that if you are diabetic, to attend your diabetic eye screening appointments at your local opticians to help us help you keep your sight and reduce the chances of any vision loss.

Paulette is a dedicated failsafe co-ordinator/officer based within the hospital eye service at Heartlands allowing a direct link into each of the 9 hospital sites that are served by the Birmingham, Solihull and Black Country Diabetic Eye Screening Programme. She has direct access to the hospital appointments systems which allows her to gain clarification that patient appointments are booked in a timely manner and in the appropriate clinics. This also ensures patient queries are answered in a timely fashion.

Do you live with diabetes and want support?

Would you like to be empowered and learn more the about support available to better manage your diabetes? Would you like to learn up to date information and guidance about your diabetes as well as alternative diabetes education platforms available to you?

If so please email anitakaur@nhs.net who can help you access education or support with your diabetes.