GP and nurse set up health and wellbeing consultancy - and aim to help one million diabetes sufferers

Dr Donal Collins, who was a GP partner at Highlands Surgery in Fareham for 25 years, has set up new enterprise BarlowCollins alongside specialist NHS manager and retired nurse Lin Barlow.

They hope to improve the health prospects for more than a million Type 2 diabetes sufferers with their new healthcare and wellbeing consultancy, which officially opened at Fareham Innovation Centre on Friday.

Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage attended the launch event to hear more about its range of services, including high-tech microsuction services for people suffering from impacted wax.

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Ms Barlow said: ‘Ear wax is a real issue for sufferers. With our state of the art equipment, years of experience and range of price points we are aiming to make microsuction accessible for everyone in need of it.'

BarlowCollins will also be providing tailored advice and remedial treatment for people suffering from Type 2 diabetes, and other metabolic related syndromes all related to hyperinsulinaemia (Insulin resistance).

Diabetes is one of the underlying conditions that can make people more vulnerable to the worst symptoms of Covid-19.

‘Type 2 diabetes affects one in 10 adults over the age of 40 and is a rapidly growing issue, not just in the UK but globally,’ said Dr Collins.

‘Many of the contributory causes relate back to diet and lifestyle which can be tackled effectively by giving people accurate information about their blood sugars, together with a tailored programme to bring those markers under control.'

Dr Collins has successfully treated Type 2 diabetes in people of all ages, including people in their 70s and 80s with just dietary intervention to reduce hunger.

He said: ‘We would like to give one million people with Type 2 diabetes the opportunity to get their disease into remission, and a life off medications with better outcomes. This creates value for the individual and the system.'

Prior to setting up the new venture, Dr Collins directed a community company, Fareham Area Clinical Enterprise Ltd (FACE), which carried out around 6,000 ear microsuction procedures a year.

He also latterly chaired south Hampshire Primary Care Alliance (a federation of 40 GP practices) and was clinical lead for the NHS Vanguard programme in the region, which won a System Leadership Initiative award from the Health Service Journal in 2019.

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