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Are you interested in participating in our clinical trials?
Many patients view their participation in a clinical trial as a positive experience, and as an opportunity to gain better control of their condition.
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HISTORY
Royal North Shore Hospital’s formal involvement with the management of diabetes began when Dr Wilson Ingram established a diabetes clinic there in 1928. Dr Ingram was the author of the textbook, The Diagnosis and Treatment of Diabetes, the Use of High Carbohydrate Diet, published in 1933. This remained the classic diabetes textbook for 15 years and went into four editions. He recommended 70 to 150 grams of carbohydrate per day, with reduced emphasis on fat, butter, cream or dripping.
The Diabetes Education Service had its beginnings in 1973. Believing that existing diabetes education was ineffective, Dr Martyn Sulway and Gillian Harris developed a community based program based on videos produced by Prof. John Turtle at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The team was comprised of Dr Sulway, Gillian Harris, a nutritionist and a psychologist.
A more formal course for health professionals began at the hospital in 1977, and in 1978 the NSW Minister of Health announced the Diabetes Education Program an essential community service.
In 1979, Martyn Sulway and Gillian Harris helped initiate the research-focused Diabetes Youth Foundation, now known as the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation of Australia. The Foundation was formally established on 20 October 1981 and by 1988 had grown to include 22 chapters throughout Australia.
In 1980 Dr John Carter suggested that a professional group interested in diabetes education be formed, and the inaugural meeting of the Australian Diabetes Educators Association was held on 4 November 1981 at Royal North Shore Hospital. Again, Gillian Harris and Martyn Sulway had been closely involved in bringing Dr Carter’s idea to fruition.
The Sydney Diabetes Clinical Research Unit was established in 1996 to provide a cohesive, quality-controlled approach to investigator-based and externally funded research. The unit has been involved in over 30 clinical trials encompassing many crucial facets of diabetic management.
On 20 November 2001, Dr Martyn Sulway and Dr Greg Fulcher established the Northern Paediatric & Adolescent Diabetes Service (NeePADS) to focus on the needs of children and adolescents with diabetes. NeePADS was opened by the then NSW Health Minister, Craig Knowles.
Also in 2001, Dr Fulcher conceived the idea of bringing all the Hospital’s diabetes services together under the name ‘Sydney Diabetes’.
Both the Sydney Diabetes Health Assessment Service and the High Risk Foot Service were opened by Craig Knowles in July, 2002. The health assessment service, which helps GPs manage diabetic patients, has been extremely popular with GPs and patients alike, while the foot clinic’s early diagnosis and treatment of foot-related complications helps prevent further deterioration in patients’ condition.
The Adult Diabetes Clinic continues to see on average 13,500 patients in a year. The clinic underwent major renovations in the late 1990s, providing the medical, nursing and clerical staff with a more efficient and pleasant environment to deliver the high standard of care expected by the community.
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