Diabetes is a serious condition where the pancreas cannot make insulin or the insulin it makes does not work properly. We all need insulin as it helps take the glucose from our blood into our body’s cells. We then use this glucose for energy. Without insulin the blood glucose (sugar) levels in the body keep rising and becomes too high.
There are two main types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. In Scotland nearly 11% of diabetes cases are Type 1 and nearly 88% are Type 2 diabetes.
The Diabetes Centre is located in the grounds of the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. It is shown as No.6 on the map.
Download a PDF showing the location and map
Contact Switchboard: 01592 643355
Victoria Hospital,
Hayfield Road,
Kirkcaldy,
KY2 5AH
Click on the blue boxes below to find out more about each topic.
If you have type 1 diabetes, it means you have an autoimmune condition. This means your body has attacked and destroyed the cells that make the hormone called insulin. So your body can’t make insulin anymore. Type 1 diabetes can develop at any age, but occurs most often in children and young people.
If you have type 2 diabetes, either your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or your insulin doesn’t work properly. This is known as insulin resistance. Like type 1, this means the level of glucose in your blood is too high. Over the long-term, high glucose levels in your blood can lead to damage to the body, including heart, eyes, feet and kidneys.
During pregnancy, some women have such high levels of blood glucose that their body is unable to produce enough insulin to absorb it all. This is known as gestational diabetes.
Diabetic retinopathy is a condition which occurs when diabetes affects the small blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye. You can find out more here.
The Managed Clinical Network (MCN) is a coordinated network of people involved in certain long term conditions care across Fife. Diabetes has a MCN. You can read more on our MCN pages.
The Managed Clinical Network (MCN) Diabetes Patient Focus Group have produced a leaflet to provide people with any diabetes diagnosis with helpful contacts and information of local support options in Fife.
Where to find us:
Fife Paediatric Diabetes team looks after children and young people with diabetes up to the age of 18 across Fife. This team is made up of doctors, nurses, dietitians, psychologists and healthcare support workers.
The Community diabetes specialist nurse service are a service which links your GP practice and the hospital diabetes service for people who live with complex Type 2 diabetes. Find out more on our
See an important update from ABBOTT on the fix to the iphone users Freestyle Libre 2 app.
If you require this information in a community language or alternative format such as Braille, audio, large print, BSL, or Easy Read, please contact the Equality and Human Rights Team at: email: fife.EqualityandHumanRights@nhs.scot or phone 01592 729130. For people with a hearing or verbal impairment you can also contact the team through the NHS Fife SMS text service number on 07805800005.
You can also find health related information on many topics in an Easy Read format on nhsinform.scot.
