Diabetes UK has warned that the Government will fail to deliver on standards it set itself five years ago if it doesn't refocus NHS efforts. In 2003, the National Service Framework (NSF) for Diabetes set out a vision for diabetes services in England to be delivered by 2013.
Diabetes UK has reviewed progress and concluded that while some people with diabetes in some parts of the country receive excellent care, many are still not benefiting from the effective delivery of diabetes services that the NSF set out to achieve.
Patchy NHS services are putting almost 1.9 million people with diabetes in England at increased risk of serious complications – including heart disease, stroke and blindness – it warned.
Diabetes UK further highlighted the fact that the number of pregnant women with diabetes has more than doubled in six years. Research, presented at Diabetes UK’s Annual Professional Conference earlier this year, showed that women with diabetes are seven times more likely to have a stillborn baby than other women, whilst caesarean sections and congenital malformations in the babies were more than double the norm.
Libby Dowling, care advisor for Diabetes UK, said: "Many of the risks can be reduced with good blood glucose control before and during pregnancy. Good diabetes control can only be achieved if women receive pre-conception counselling and access to specialist services during their pregnancy.”
Douglas Smallwood, chief executive of Diabetes UK, commented: "It is not good enough that almost two million people with diabetes are facing an unnecessarily increased risk of life-threatening complications because of the Government’s failure to address the quality of diabetes services across the country. Action is needed today to safeguard the health and quality of life of everyone with diabetes in the future.”
