The UK's first joint clinic for heart failure and diabetes patients led by pharmacists is based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead.
The team behind the clinic at the QE have spoken about how it has a transformative impact on the care of patients with complex needs. Claire Davies, one of the expert senior pharmacists who runs the service explained how it helps prevent seriously ill people "being overwhelmed" by their visit to hospital.
Claire told ChronicleLive how, given there are some drugs such as dapagliflozin which are now treatments for both conditions, the joint clinic made logical sense. She added: "Heart failure and diabetes are closely connected - we know that if you have diabetes you are at risk of heart failure, and vice versa. We noticed there was a gap in the service for people who had both conditions.
