Diabetes Specialists from Japan visit the Department of Health Sciences

Posted on 8 May 2014

The Department of Health Sciences has been working with Dr Tomioka and his diabetes nursing team for the past 8 years.

The Department of Health Sciences was delighted to welcome a team of diabetes specialists from Takamatsu, Japan on Tuesday 6th May.

Japanese Diabetes Specialists visit Health Sciences May 2014

Dr Yukio Tomioka spent a year of his career in the diabetes centre at York hospital. It was in York that he further developed his diabetes medical knowledge and has based his care back in Japan on the NHS model ever since. His work is nationally recognised within Japan and he is now a leading spokesperson regarding diabetes. Dr Yukio Tomioka is a very understated and modest clinician in a very male dominated doctor lead health system in Japan. His team working skills are revolutionary. Also part of the Japanese team was Noami Taniwaki, who is a lead diabetes nurse, and the first nurse consultant equivalent in diabetes care in Japan.

The Department of Health Sciences has been working with Dr Tomioka and his diabetes nursing team for the past 8 years and during this time, the team has established a career framework for nurses in diabetes care across Japan. This is an established career pathway modelled on the UK diabetes nursing competency frameworks, which Anne Phillips, from the Department of Health Sciences was involved in creating and writing.

Exchange visits have previously been made by members of the Health Sciences team. Clare MacArthur went to Takamatsu, to speak at Dr Tomioka’s diabetes centre in October 2013.

Pictured above.

Back row:
Manami Tomioka, Anne Phillips, Dr Yukio Tomioka - Consultant Daibetologist, Tomoko Ohara - Certified Diabetes Educator, Akiko Suito - Dietitian, Machi Ohyama - Certified Diabetes Educator, Yurie Ichiki - Pharmacist

Front row:
Clare MacArthur, Austin Iwao Saeki - Interpreter, Naomi Taniwaki - First consultant diabetes nurse in Japan.

Notes to editors:

The Department of Health Sciences provides a number of Diabetes focused courses at both Degree and Masters levels. More information: www.york.ac.uk/healthsciences/ssprd/primary-care/