Bolton

Hospital Services

Bolton Diabetes Centre

Diabetes medicine is a consultant-led, specialist service that delivers care at both the hospital and in the community with its main base at Bolton Diabetes Centre. The service offers a full assessment of people with complex diabetes-related conditions including issues such as medication, diet, education, risk factors, and complications.

Bolton Diabetes Centre provides services to people with diabetes who have problems that are too complex to be managed by their GP practice alone, or when a second opinion is requested.

Nutrition and Dietetic Service

The Adult Nutrition and Dietetic Service are highly specialised, covering a wide range of areas such as nutritional support, diabetes, weight management, and health promotion. They assess, treat and monitor patients with nutritional and fluid needs, linking into other professions to optimise patient care, quality, and experience. They work independently in patients’ homes and a wide range of settings offering support, advice, and education, including group sessions and one-to-one consultation.

Information on community-based clinical dietetic services can be found here.

Podiatry

Podiatrists are healthcare professionals who have been trained to diagnose and treat abnormal conditions of the feet and lower limbs. They also prevent and correct deformity, keep people mobile and active, relieve pain and treat infections. They can give you and your family advice on how to look after your feet and what type of shoes to wear.

The podiatry service in Bolton provides high-quality care to meet the needs of eligible patients.

Community Services

Support Groups

Local support groups through Diabetes UK. You can check out their Facebook group here for further details.

Diabetes UK in the North of England 

Diabetes UK have a dedicated webpage for activity across North of England including information on the diabetes support groups in your area.

Join their peer support group on Facebook Diabetes UK chat: Your friends in the North. 

Cooking Classes

Information on programmes to support people of all ages to eat healthily can be found here. 

Weight Management Services

The clinical dietetics team works with patients who have health problems associated with obesity and diabetes. The aim is for patients to lose 10% of their weight within six to 12 months, improve their ability to control their blood glucose levels and improve their well being.

The team provides help with the following:

• Diabetes education group sessions
• Fresh Start sessions (educational sessions for people with type 2 diabetes, with a weight management focus)
• Weight management advice
• Support for people with multiple conditions associated with obesity or diabetes

The Health Improvement Practitioner Service has trained smoking cessation advisors who can offer advice and support on weight management, diet, and physical activity. To get in touch with them directly phone 01204 463 175 or email HIT@boltonft.nhs.uk.

Physical Activity Groups

• Greater Manchester Moving website allows you to search for what activities are going on in your local area. 
• The NHS Get Fit for Free includes details of local walking groups.
• Bolton Council website has information about year-round activities for all of the family.
• Bolton Community and Voluntary Services provide information on the local community and voluntary services across Bolton.

Stop smoking

For Stop Smoking support, please contact your local Pharmacy. The pharmacies in this leaflet provide support to help people to stop smoking.

Please, can you telephone in advance to make an appointment the website here details pharmacies offering Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), Champix and Stop Smoking advice in Bolton.

Health Improvement Practitioner Service has trained smoking cessation advisors who can offer advice and support on the best way to stop smoking, to get in touch with them directly phone 01204 463 175 or email HIT@boltonft.nhs.uk.

Have a look at the GM Health Hub website which has lots of great resources to support people across Greater Manchester to stop smoking.

Patient Involvement Groups

Some GP practices have patient involvement groups, please ask at your GP surgery to see whether they offer one.

Support for Carers

If you look after a family member or friend who is elderly, ill or has a disability or addiction, then you are a carer. Bolton Carers Support offers a range of information and confidential support to help you in your caring role, including:

• Carers 24/7 helpline – to discuss your caring situation in confidence and to help with any caring-related query.
• Information appointments – to discuss your caring role.
• Benefits advice - home visits or office-based appointments.
• Short breaks – joint us for a few hours break from your caring responsibilities and to meet other carers.
• Courses and workshops –either caring-related or leisure interests.
• Carers emergency card scheme – to offer peace of mind that your next of kin or social services will be contacted in an emergency.
• Newsletter and factsheets – to help keep you up-to-date.
• Information points and coffee mornings – raising awareness about the range of support available and to offer support and advice.
• Time for you sitting service – with the help of volunteers enables carers to have a break from their caring role.

For a free carers information pack or to find out more, please contact our confidential helpline tel. 01204 363056 or email info@boltoncarers.org.uk.

DIABETES Research Opportunities

Help BEAT Diabetes is part of Research for the Future, an NHS campaign encouraging people in Bolton and across Greater Manchester to get involved in health research.

If you live with diabetes or have been told you are at risk of developing it, you can register to receive information about local research opportunities. There are lots of different types of research you can take part in, including questionnaires, joining discussion groups, or taking part in clinical trials.

Health research has the power to change lives by helping to discover new ways to prevent, diagnose and manage diabetes and its complications and improve quality of life. Register now at www.researchforthefuture.org/register

Volunteering

Have a look at the Diabetes UK website to see what volunteering opportunities are available near you.