MP for Leicester East Keith Vaz has opened a new Diabetes Outpatients Centre at Leicester General Hospital. The centre is one of the largest of its kind in Europe and will enable all researchers to work together on one site for the first time.
A type 2 Diabetic himself, Vaz has campaigned for the some 50,000 fellow sufferers in the city. He stated: “As a diabetic, I and others will be very happy to have our care managed under one roof (…) this unit will save lives. By having dedicated diabetes services we can treat the condition more effectively and help people manage all aspects of their diabetes in one location.”
This extension at Leicester General joins together outpatient clinics held at Leicester Royal Infirmary and two locations at the General: “I am so pleased to see Leicester leading the way in tackling this condition,” continued Vaz. The opening was also attended by such supporters as Chief Executive of Leicester Hospitals John Adler, Melanie Davis, Professor of Diabetic medicine at the University of Leicester, and 5 consecutive Olympic gold-medal winner Sir Steve Redgrave who was diagnosed with diabetes in 1997.
The transfer of diabetes outpatient clinics from the Royal to the General is one of a number of service changes being instituted across Leicester's hospitals.
