This page is intended for use by clinicians at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham as a guideline for referring patients to the Diabetes team.
How to refer
If a patient needs input from the Diabetes team, please refer via the following methods:
Emergency
For the management of diabetic emergencies (DKA and HHS), please see the Trust guidelines on the intranet (you will need to be on a Trust networked device to access intranet pages).
- Diagnosis and management of diabetic ketoacidosis in adults
- Diagnosis and management of hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state in adults
Patients in diabetic emergencies should be admitted and Inpatient input can be sought via a PICS referral and, if needed, call the Diabetes team through Switchboard (Monday to Friday, 09:00-15:00).
Urgent referrals
Refer all patients via PICS (Requests > Diabetes Referral QEHB). Then follow the steps below based on referral day and time:
Monday to Friday (09:00-15:00)
- If urgent, call the Diabetes team
Monday to Thursday (15:00-09:00)
- Email referral to the Diabetes nurses
- Patient to attend Nuffield house the following day at 11:00
Friday (after midday)
- Patient to attend SDEC on Saturday at 09:00
- Email ‘Diabetes orders’ when the patient arrives
Saturday and Sunday (before midday)
- Diabetes team will visit SDEC to review
Saturday (after midday)
- Patient to attend SDEC on Sunday at 09:00
- Email ‘Diabetes orders’ when the patient arrives
Sunday (after midday)
- Email the referral to Diabetes nurses
- Patient to attend Nuffield House on Monday at 11:00
Bank holidays
- Please note Nuffield House is closed on bank holidays
- Any referrals the day preceding and on the day of a bank holiday should follow the weekend referral pathway
Please note
- Only referrals from UHB email accounts will be accepted
- Nuffield House Diabetes Clinic is situated on the Ground Floor on the right
- Ensure FBC, U+Es, ketones and a HBA1c are checked in all patients
- The doctor is responsible for deciding if the patient can be discharged to return the following day for a Diabetes team review or if they need to be admitted
Weekend diabetes medical cover notice
Diabetes medical cover is not available on weekends. The clinical nurse specialist (CNS) will be present solely for educational purposes. All treatment decisions will be made by the medical team responsible for patient care.
For guidance, please download the GIRFT diabetes pathway (front door management of hyperglycaemia).
Non-urgent referrals
For non-urgent review requests, either redirect the patient to their GP or email the Diabetes secretaries to arrange a routine outpatient review.
Please download the front door management of hyperglycaemia pathway PDF to determine whether a more urgent referral is required.
Last reviewed: 04 November 2025