Treatment of children with diabetes in Croydon has been rated excellent in an NHS review.

NHS England National Peer Review Team looked at the services the paediatric diabetes team was providing to young people and their families in the community as well as specifically looking at the support that was delivered within Croydon University Hospital, giving a 100 per cent score for services in hospital and 87.1 per cent score across the service more widely.

The team looks after around 110 young people across Croydon aged 0 to 19 at any one time and has been expanded in the last six months with a new consultant, more nursing staff joining the team, as well as extra dietician support to advise on how young people should eat to manage their blood sugar levels effectively.

A clinical psychologist, who supports young patients and their families in coming to terms with the long term impact of managing the condition, has also joined the team.

The team works delivers support across a range of settings, including appointments in hospital as an outpatient with the clinical, dietetics and psychologist teams, as well as home and school visits.

Specialist nurse Diona Amer, who has been working with young people with diabetes for more than 25 years, said: "Diabetes is a very challenging life-long condition for young people and their families to manage.

"Children may be diagnosed at a few months old and will have to cope with blood testing, insulin injections at least four times per day as well as learning as they get older how to adjust their insulin doses for what they eat to help them to remain healthy.

"As they get older, young people have a different set of challenges: they are more independent but also need to take on more responsibility while allowing their parents to support them with maintaining their blood sugar levels. This is something that our team can help them get to grips with effectively."