Diabetes Service - Wollongong
Overview
The Diabetes Service provides specialist advice with friendly, professional, and supportive diabetes doctors (endocrinologists), diabetes nurse educators, dietitians, and podiatrists.
We can help you learn how to look after your diabetes, choose what food is best to eat and give you advice for the best management for your diabetes.
What we do
The aim of the Diabetes Service is to improve or maintain the health and wellness of people with diabetes and related chronic conditions, and to empower them to self-manage their condition.
The Diabetes Service provides both inpatient consultations and outpatient services across the district. Outpatient clinics occur at Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, Nowra, St Georges Basin, Milton and the Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS).
Outpatient services
- Individual education
- Group education
- Paediatric clinics
- Teleconferencing
- Insulin pump therapy
- In-services (health care facilities, schools, local organisations)
- Clinical Trials
- Podiatry - The podiatry clinic in the Diabetes Service provides foot care specifically for patients with foot wounds (ulceration or amputation) or Charcot neuro-arthropathy. This service is one of several foot wound clinics across the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, including Wollongong, Port Kembla, Shellharbour and Shoalhaven Hospitals.
Inpatient services
- Consultation with in-patients and their families (Coledale to Milton/Ulladulla)
- Ward in-services
* Individuals referred to the podiatrist must have an ACTIVE foot wound.
* A combined ante natal and gestational diabetes education group is conducted at The Wollongong Hospital for women who are 36 weeks pregnant
When to access this service
When you are looking for diabetes or pre diabetes care.
What to expect
Our friendly staff will help you to make an appointment with the right person.
- The Diabetes Educator will help you learn how to look after your diabetes
- The Dietitian will help you choose what food is best to eat for your diabetes
- The Podiatrist helps people with foot ulcers only. The Diabetes Educator can talk about ways to see a podiatrist for other concerns
- The Endocrinologist: is a specialist doctor who will give advice for the best treatment for your diabetes.
If you have just been diagnosed with diabetes you may come to a group. This will go for about 2 1/2 hours. You will see the Diabetes Educator and Dietitian. Individual appointments may also be made.
Who should access this service
People who have diabetes and pre-diabetes.
How to access this service
Your GP can send a referral directly to the Diabetes Service. We will contact you to make an appointment.
You do not need a referral to see the nurse educator or dietitian.
To make an appointment:
- Phone the Illawarra Shoalhaven Diabetes Service on 1300 308 969
- Press 1 to make an appointment.
We can book an interpreter in your language if you need it. It is a free service.
The Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) also offers a diabetes service. Appointments are made through the AMS on 4229 9495.
What to bring
- Any paperwork relating to your appointment.
- A list of all the medications (tablets and injections) you take.
- Your Medicare and/or Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) card.
- Factsheets:
Contact Information
Wollongong NSW 2500
Monday - Friday: Clinic 8.30am - 4.30pm
Monday - Friday: Phones 9am - 4.30pm
Tuesday 9am-4:30pm (half day clinic and half day inpatient reviews)
Thursday 9am-4:30pm (half day clinic and half day inpatient reviews)
Type 2 diabetes group education session on 2nd Wednesday of each month
How to get there, including by public transport
We are located in a blue glass building on the corner of Crown Street and Railway Parade. The entrance to the lifts is on Railway Parade.
Take the lift up to Level 2.
By train: Wollongong train station is close. Walk up to Crown Street from the platform. Turn to the right and walk toward traffic lights. Cross to the blue glass building.
By bus: There is a bus stop on Crown Street outside the building of the Diabetes Service or outside the Piccadilly Centre. The Free Wollongong Shuttle stops here. From Piccadilly stop, walk over the bridge and cross the road to the blue glass building.
Parking
There is some paid street parking for 2 hours. Off street paid car parking for 4 or more hours may be available in car parks on Rawson Street.