On 10 April, our Service Development Manager and Registered Nurse Liz Dutton attended the Northland 2021 Primary Health Care, Practice RN and Community RN Symposium.

Mahitahi Haoura PHE, Diabetes NZ, and Northland DHB collaborated on the symposium. The day focused on diabetes and CVRA tools, mental health, podiatry, retinal screening, new medications, equity, and practical, meaningful application of an equity-based interaction. This symposium was a first of its kind in Northland and the nurses who attended were excited to go and were hungry for information on how to manage their patients with diabetes more effectively.

86 participants from primary healthcare, Maori health providers, who were Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses and Enrolled Nurses across Tai Tokerau attended. The symposium had 55 registrations within three days of advertising, which rose quickly to 86, and it delivered on its promise to develop their skills and knowledge to improve outcomes for patients with diabetes.

The nurses left the day with practical resources, skills and knowledge to put into practice immediately, to support people with diabetes.