Diabetes Fairs: Bromley by Bow Healthcentre. An holistic approach to diabetes care in the community

An innovative and holistic approach to diabetic care and delivery has been developed by Bromley by Bow Healthy Living Centre general practice and Health Networking team situated in the East End of London. Diabetes Fairs have been held since 2002 by the centre practice and health networking partnership in order to address the needs of an expanding diabetic population, with the aim of providing accessible health information within a stimulating and inspiring environment, to an ethnically mixed group of individuals with diabetes. Diabetes Fairs were planned after reviewing the shortfall in existing services and in recognition of the difficulties faced by the health team in providing culturally informative and appropriate information about their illness to members of the practice population with diabetes.

The ‘National Service Framework for Diabetes: Standards’ recognises the significant inequalities that exist for minority ethnic groups in accessing health services and states that services should be appropriately planned with particular regard for individuals' need of ethnicity, language culture and religion. The Fairs aim to address these inequalities by providing a social and relaxed event with particular aims of promoting health and wellbeing for people with diabetes and their families. The emphasis of the Fairs is social inclusion and the provision of various media to inform. The Fairs' integrated approach is underpinned by visual art and a celebratory use of food.

This paper presents the background to the development of Diabetes Fairs and discusses the planning, implementation and running of the Fairs. The paper concludes with feedback of results and discusses the implications for this model of health delivery in primary care. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.