This is Hypo awareness week!

THE Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital Trust will be publicising the dangers of hypoglycaemia this month by taking part in the 1st ever national Hypo Awareness Week. Hypos (hypoglycaemia or low blood glucose) happen when the blood glucose level of people with diabetes drops too low and they can feel shaky and unwell.  The National Diabetes Inpatient Audit, a bedside survey, has consistently found that 15% of inpatients have diabetes and almost a quarter of them experience a hypo while in hospital. The hospital is currently taking part in the 1st ever national Hypo Awareness Week, which started on Monday, 13 August and runs until Sunday, 19 August 2012, to try and reduce incidents of hypoglycaemia. The week has been organised by NHS Diabetes, which works with the NHS to improve diabetes care by introducing resources and guidance.  Director of NHS Diabetes Anna Morton said:- "Patient safety is a priority we all take very seriously. The fact that almost a quarter of people with diabetes experience a hypo while in hospital reinforces the need to raise awareness of hypoglycaemia to ensure patients in hospital get the best possible care. This is an area of care which needs addressing urgently. This first ever National Hypo Week aims to promote hypoglycaemia and in turn reduce the number of hypos in hospitals."  Julie Brake, Diabetes Specialist Nurse at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital Trust said:- "We are committed to increasing awareness of hypoglycaemia to members of the public as well as our staff. During this awareness week we are holding training events to emphasise the main symptoms associated with hypoglycaemia and the treatments to use.  We have fully-stocked hypo kits on all of our wards and in clinical areas and we are increasing training for all staff to ensure they are aware of the symptoms of a hypo, which includes sweating, fatigue and feeling dizzy."   The week will serve as preparation for the 2012 National Diabetes Inpatient Audit taking place in September.

City cuts carbon emissions

LIVERPOOL is becoming a greener city as the city council is cutting carbon emissions from its buildings.  Latest figures show that carbon emissions from council buildings have been reduced by 13% in the last year (51,445 tonnes of CO2 compared with 59,071 tonnes in 2011).  It is expected that this will place Liverpool in the top 5% of major organisations for cutting consumption. Under the Government's Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme; a mandatory scheme aimed at cutting emissions and improving energy efficiency of all companies and organisations whose energy consumption exceeds £500,000 a year; the savings to the council will be around £90,000 this year.

The council is investing £1million in energy-saving scheme in its buildings including:-

► Energy efficient lighting installed on two floors of Millennium House.

► Presence detection lighting controls introduced at the Town Hall and Municipal Buildings.

► Plans to use 1000 energy efficient light-bulbs to the chandeliers in the main hall of St George's Hall.

► Work on water and heating systems and controls at Everton Park Sports Centre, the Aquatics centre and Garston Leisure Centre.

Councillor Tim Moore, cabinet member for transport and climate change, said:- "This is a very positive picture. The amount of emissions which have been reduced show we are heading in the right direction in this vital area, but we under no illusions that there are major challenges ahead while we implement our Carbon Management Plan in which we aim to reduce emission by 34% over 5 years.  The last league tables in 2011 put us in the top 6% of major organisations for cutting consumption and we expect that when the new tables are produced we will have moved up the table; we are on the way to becoming a low carbon council."