Diabetes UK calls for more education in NHS

People with diabetes are not being given access to education courses in over a third of areas in England, a freedom of information (FOI) request by the charity Diabetes UK has revealed.

National guidance recommends that all Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), the NHS bodies responsible for planning healthcare, commission specific courses for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. However, of the 208 CCGs that responded to Diabetes UK’s FOI request, 72 said they do not do this.

This is leading to people not understanding how to manage their condition and, in the long term, is resulting in high rates of devastating but potentially avoidable complications such as amputation, blindness and stroke.

Beyond the human suffering, these complications place a costly burden on the NHS. But education courses can provide people with the skills and confidence to manage their condition well and potentially avoid developing complications.

Poorly managed diabetes

For this reason, Diabetes UK has warned that unless the NHS commits to commissioning diabetes education universally, spending on diabetes-related complications that happen as a result of poorly managed diabetes will continue to put great pressure on the NHS.

As the charity launches its new campaign, calling for everyone with diabetes to get education to help them manage their condition, it is highlighting that the failure of many areas to commission education courses for everyone with diabetes is one of the main reasons why only 3.6 per cent of people newly diagnosed with diabetes in England are receiving an education course.

Until the NHS starts to provide diabetes education to all people with diabetes, we will continue to deny people living with the condition the best chance of living long and healthy lives

The campaign is calling for education for all people with diabetes to be commissioned everywhere, along with a proper local system that explains to people with diabetes the benefits they will gain from attending an education course, and ensures that courses are well run.

Chris Askew, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: “This is worrying news because it shows that local NHS bodies are routinely failing to commission diabetes education services that are absolutely vital to enable people to manage what is a serious condition.

“This means that the rising number of people with diabetes are not being given the tools and confidence they need to manage their condition and to avoid costly complications such as heart disease, stroke and amputation.

“Most people with diabetes spend around three hours a year with a healthcare professional; in the remaining 8,757 hours, they manage their condition alone so we need to make sure we are giving them the knowledge to do so. We would not dream of letting someone drive a car if they had not learned how to do so, and yet we seem to think it is okay to expect people to manage a complex and potentially life-threatening condition without any structured education in how to do so.

“Until the NHS starts to provide diabetes education to all people with diabetes, we will continue to deny people living with the condition the best chance of living long and healthy lives.”

The Taking Control campaign has been launched ahead of World Diabetes Day on Saturday, November 14. Diabetes UK are asking people to participate in the campaign by join the conversation on Twitter and using the hashtag #TakingControl.