Diabetes care improving two years on in UK
Mar 24, 2005 - 4:26:00 PM
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"This is an exciting time for diabetes services in England. The first two years of this 10-year programme have focussed on getting the systems and support right, and I hope that the next few years will bring about real and sustainable improvements in patient care"
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By DOH, UK,
[RxPG] Care for people with diabetes is showing good signs of improvement according to a report Improving Diabetes Services: The NSF Two Years On published today by Health Minister Rosie Winterton.
The report charts the progress made in improving diabetes care for England's 1.4 million sufferers after the National Service Framework (NSF) for diabetes was launched.
The Diabetes NSF and its subsequent Delivery Strategy laid out national standards and ways of achieving them, to stop inequalities in diabetes care and result in world-class diabetes services. These services could not be achieved overnight so a 10-year strategy for identifying best practice and rolling this out nation-wide was adopted.
The Two Year On report highlights the real progress that has been made in the two years since the diabetes Delivery Strategy was published, and includes a wide range of case studies from areas where services are working together to improve patient care.
For example:
* Nichols Town Surgery in Southampton PCT, which recognised cultural and language needs of a local population with 78% black and Asian patients to offer tailor made diabetes care
* Six practices in Sheffield have set up specialist support for diabetes within general practice, to place greater emphasis on collaboration between primary and secondary care
* West Lincolnshire PCT has introduced multi-disciplinary primary care clinics, which aim to bridge the gap between GP and specialist care.
Speaking at Diabeticare, a district diabetes centre in Hillingdon, Rosie Winterton said:
"I am delighted at each and every example of good diabetes care set out in this report which show how lives have been changed through better management of this illness. We launched the NSF for diabetes to give patients better care so they in turn could better manage the disease. It is important we offer diabetics the best care possible so they can live with diabetes, not suffer from it. Our goal is to make best practice the norm for diabetes care.
"This is an exciting time for diabetes services in England. The first two years of this 10-year programme have focussed on getting the systems and support right, and I hope that the next few years will bring about real and sustainable improvements in patient care.
"Good diabetes care is about developing tailor made care to meet individual needs. We are placing greater focus on patient involvement and self-management which means we need a considerable change in the way services are delivered. Patients are joining clinicians and managers to redesign care services."
Douglas Smallwood, Chief Executive, Diabetes UK, said of the progress shown in the report;
"Diabetes care in England is undergoing a major overhaul. This report shows that real progress is being made in facing up to the problems and tackling the root causes. Some people with diabetes are starting to see real improvements in the service they are provided. The challenge for the NHS is to now ensure that everyone with the condition has equal access to the care and support that can offer them a full and healthy life."
Sue Roberts, National Clinical Director for Diabetes, said;
"Diabetes is a chronic and progressive disorder that impacts upon almost every aspect of life. In England, there are now 1.4 million people with diabetes and this figure continues to grow. The NHS spends an estimated £5 million per day on diabetes care, much of this due to complications preventable through good professional care supporting good self management. That is why it is so essential that the good progress highlighted in this report is rolled out across the country."
Rosie Winterton launched the Two Years On report after meeting patients at Diabeticare, the district diabetes centre in Hillingdon, which is one of the case studies included in the report. The team at Hillingdon are implementing new ways of working that involve the whole local health economy, including GPs, specialists and pharmacists. The services at Hillingdon are centred around the needs of those with diabetes, and patient participation has been central in developing guidelines and individual treatment plans. The work carried there demonstrates the best practice care for diabetics the NSF is seeking to achieve for everyone with diabetes.
Publication:
Department of Health
On the web:
dh.gov.uk 
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Additional information about the news article
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1. Diabetes is a serious, complex condition that, as well as resulting in potentially debilitating complications can also increase the risk of developing other illnesses. It is an important health issue in terms of morbidity (affecting around 1.8 million people) and resource use (it has been estimated to consume up to 10% of hospital resources).
2. If not properly managed, diabetes can result in a range of long term complications heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and foot problems that may lead to amputation.
3. The Diabetes NSF was launched in 2001, with the Delivery Strategy published in 2002, and implemented in April 2003.
4. The Diabetes NSF: Standards contains 12 standards in nine areas:
* Prevention of Type 2 diabetes
* Identification of people with diabetes
* Empowering children, young people and adults with diabetes
* Clinical care of adults with diabetes
* Clinical care of children and young people with diabetes, including the transition from specialist paediatric diabetes services to specialist adult diabetes services
* Management of diabetic emergencies
* Care of people with diabetes during admission to hospital
* Diabetes and pregnancy
* Detection and management of long-term complications of diabetes and the provision of integrated health and social care
5. The Two Years On report is available under publications on the Department of Health website.
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