This week’s leadership blog comes from Dr Fiona Campbell, Clinical Lead, Children and Young People Diabetes for NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and Emma Savage, Network Manager, Children and Young People's Yorkshire & Humber Diabetes Network

Posted on: 1 August 2025

Image of Dr Fiona Campbell and Emma Savage Creating seamless, all-age diabetes care in West Yorkshire

Hello, we’re Fiona and Emma

These past few weeks have been a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we work together across age boundaries, teams and services to improve care for people living with diabetes.

Image of people stood in front of a board Putting young people at the heart of the journey

A standout moment in our journey has been the Seamless Diabetes Transition Programme celebration event, held at the end of June. It brought together clinicians, nurses, dietitians, youth workers and transition leads from across West Yorkshire to recognise the shared effort, collaboration and dedication that have driven the programme forward.

This event was far more than a celebration - it was a powerful opportunity to reflect on progress, share best practice and build momentum for even more joined-up diabetes care. The collective training effort behind the programme reflects a strong, system-wide commitment to making sure that young people moving from paediatric to adult services feel supported, understood and never left behind.

Transition can be a daunting time - both emotionally and clinically - for young people living with diabetes. But when services come together, as they have here, that challenge becomes an opportunity - to empower, connect and guide young people with empathy and consistency. The event showcased real stories of impact - from smoother clinic handovers and co-produced tools to stronger relationships between paediatric and adult teams. Most importantly, we heard how young people are gaining more confidence as they move through the transition pathway. The energy in the room was incredible and the message was clear - when we collaborate across age groups, we transform care.

The Seamless Diabetes Transition Programme was created to make sure that the move from paediatric to adult care is structured, consistent and centred on the needs of young people. Across West Yorkshire, teams are embracing this with shared goals, integrated ways of working and open communication - all focused on reducing the ‘cliff edge’ that so many young people have experienced in the past.

Why this matters

From a leadership standpoint, this work goes far beyond clinical improvements - it is a clear example of what integrated care systems are designed to deliver. It reflects our ambition to build truly person-centred care that doesn’t stop at organisational or age boundaries.

When we invest in seamless care - whether through structured training, shared tools or aligned priorities - we’re not just improving systems, we’re improving lives. We see better long-term health outcomes for people living with diabetes. We reduce avoidable hospital admissions and the burden of treatment. We build trust during critical life transitions, especially from paediatric to adult care. And we strengthen our workforce by fostering shared learning and collaboration across teams.

This work also directly supports our shared goal to tackle health inequalities. By focusing on the transition point, often where young people are most vulnerable, we are closing a gap helping to improve outcomes and increase engagement. Good transitions are not a luxury - they are a necessity for sustainable, high-quality diabetes care.

Image from the HCL event of a group of people sat at tables Embracing innovation - closed-loop technology across services

On 1 July, that spirit of collaboration continued at our hybrid closed loop (HCL) technology event for both paediatric and adult teams. Around 90 diabetes professionals came together to explore the latest in diabetes technology and how we can integrate it into care pathways for people with type 1 diabetes.

What really stood out was the equal representation from both adult and paediatric teams - and the real appetite for shared learning. Whether it was discussing service models, patient stories or tech challenges, it was clear we all have the same goal - better outcomes, better lives and smoother journeys for people living with diabetes.

Looking forward

Both events highlighted something simple but profound - care is better when it’s connected. Seamless transition isn’t just a goal - it’s a mindset that should run through all our services. And technology like hybrid closed loops can only reach its full potential when teams work together to implement it across the whole patient journey.

As Dr Waqas Tahir, Diabetes Clinical Lead for the ICB, put so powerful, “Transforming lives with diabetes begins where care connects – in the seamless transitions we create and in the technology we champion. It has been a privilege and pride to join forces across our paediatric and adult clinical teams and empower futures and quality of life for those living with diabetes. Success must surely lie within our shared priorities and values, so thank you to all involved.”

We want to thank everyone who attended the training and events - and especially those who continue to support diabetes care and transition with passion and purpose to make change happen. These events were more than just a celebration of success, they were a reaffirmation of the power of partnership across health services. With continued collaboration, West Yorkshire is leading the way in truly all-age, person-centred diabetes care. Let’s keep that momentum going.

Have a good weekend

Fiona and Emma

What's been happening this week?

Organisational change update

The latest update for partners on the ICB organisational change programme is on our website.

Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust announces retirement after more than 30 years with the NHS

Professor Phil Wood, Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, has announced he will retire from his role at the end of 2025 after more than 30 years’ service with the NHS.

Professor Wood has been Chief Executive since February 2023 and Chief Medical Officer since 2020, helping to lead the trust through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

As the NHS navigates some significant changes, including the launch of the 10 Year Plan and Provider Collaboratives, Professor Wood has decided that the time is right to hand over to a new leader. Read more on the trust website.

Leeds-based trial ALABAMA published in The Lancet

A Leeds-based trial into penicillin allergy assessment pathways in primary care to safely improve use of the drug has had its results published in The Lancet medical journal.

The ALABAMA (ALlergy, AntiBiotics And Microbial resistAnce) has been led by the University of Leeds, with support from members of the Yorkshire and Humber Research Delivery Network’s Agile Research Delivery Team and funding as part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research portfolio.

The results of the trial show that de-labelling low risk patients improves antibiotic prescribing, is safe and cost-effective. When patients had their allergy label safely removed after allergy testing, participating GPs were five times more likely to prescribe them a first-choice penicillin antibiotic when they needed treatment for common infections. Participants who underwent penicillin allergy testing received fewer antibiotics overall during the follow-up period. Read more on the University of Leeds website.

Cancer Alliance funding improves cancer treatments using cutting-edge technology

Funding from the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance has enabled the delivery of cutting-edge technological initiatives to improve radiotherapy for patients with brain and liver cancer.

Working in partnership with technology company Philips, the Leeds Cancer Centre, St James University Hospital, is leading clinical innovation aimed at improving the planning of brain and liver radiotherapy respectively in two phases, by integrating advanced imaging techniques into the clinical pathway to deliver more precise and personalised care.

Phase one is now complete, allowing brain radiotherapy to be delivered using MRI-only treatment planning, with Leeds being the first centre in the UK to offer this technique, and only the third centre in the world to implement the Philips MRCAT technology. Find out more on the Cancer Alliance website.

Community champions help over 2,000 people take action on heart health in Kirklees

Between May and June 2025, community champions across Kirklees took action to protect heart health - supporting more than 2,000 people to better understand cardiovascular disease (CVD), check their blood pressure and connect with local services.

Equipped with knowledge, compassion and practical tools, 95 champions led the campaign by meeting people where they live, work, shop and socialise - transforming everyday spaces into opportunities for lifesaving conversations. Working in over 180 community locations, they delivered blood pressure checks, conversations and signposting in the heart of communities.

See the Partnership website for all the details

MYTT manager named as new chair of national body

Congratulations to Karen Pryor, Senior Facilities Manager at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, who has been named the new national chair of the Association of Healthcare Cleaning Professionals (AHCP).

Karen, who has worked for Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust since October 2024, will actively engage with members, stakeholders and industry partners to make sure that the AHCP continues to be respected, progressive and inclusive.

Karen has worked in the NHS for almost 40 years, including 20 years' experience at senior levels in the healthcare facilities management sector, and is also an executive director of AHCP. Full details are on the trust website.