Coffs Harbour Health Campus and Port Macquarie Base Hospital have been chosen as two of just three sites in NSW trialling a diabetes program ranked among the best in the world, offering fresh hope to North Coast families raising children with type 1 diabetes.
The program, known as Success with Individualised Insulin Management, or SWIIM, is being rolled out at Coffs Harbour Health Campus and Port Macquarie Base Hospital, alongside Nepean Hospital in Sydney. Its impact is being evaluated through a Translational Research Grants Scheme grant awarded by the Office for Health and Medical Research, which will assess the program’s effectiveness and cost efficiency to determine whether it can be sustainably scaled across the state.
Type 1 diabetes is often diagnosed in childhood. It occurs when the immune system destroys insulin producing cells in the pancreas, causing blood glucose levels to rise and triggering symptoms such as excessive thirst, weight loss, fatigue and blurred vision. Left unmanaged, it can lead to life-threatening complications.
SWIIM was developed by John Hunter Children’s Hospital in the Hunter New England Local Health District, with contributions from regional teams including Lismore, Grafton, Tamworth and Armidale.
“It has consistently ranked amongst the top three programs in the world for improving type 1 diabetes outcomes,” said Professor Bruce King, Staff Specialist in Paediatric Endocrinology and Conjoint Professor at the University of Newcastle School of Medicine and Public Health.
“Since introducing the program in 2024 to the regional and metropolitan sites, we have been able to track clinical measures and health and economic impacts of the program and identify factors affecting its ‘whole of team’ approach and implementation.”
Doctors, nurses, allied health workers, dietitians and administration staff have all been trained to deliver the program, with face to face and telehealth sessions teaching young people and their families how to manage the condition.
“The sessions offer education about how to administer and monitor blood glucose levels, use insulin pump therapy and adjust settings if blood glucose is not on target,” Professor King said.
Families can also access written and digital resources covering diabetes management, healthy lifestyle habits, insulin dosing and how to access supplies through the National Diabetes Services Scheme.
“This education is cost-effective and improves patient outcomes by stabilising blood glucose levels,” Professor King said.
“It helps to reduce hospital visits for issues such as hypoglycaemia, when blood glucose drops too low, and also helps to reduce risk of complications in the long-term, such as eye and kidney damage.”
Clinicians delivering the program also receive training, digital resources and mentoring from physicians, diabetes educators and dietitians at John Hunter Children’s Hospital, with ongoing support through collaborative review meetings to assess children, refine delivery and monitor data.
“Our results from the 3 sites are already showing an improvement in blood glucose control in young people accessing the program, which indicates this program is equally fit for purpose in regional areas when compared with its impact in urban centres,” Professor King said.
Patients and clinicians have also been giving feedback on the program’s acceptability and benefits.
“Their responses have indicated improved confidence and satisfaction with managing diabetes under SWIIM,” Professor King said.
“Once this trial is over by the end of 2026, we hope that the program will be rolled out more widely to rural and remote regions in NSW.”
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