Charity calls for better care for the 3.8 million diabetes voters
The main political parties are failing to prioritise improving diabetes care despite the fact that one in six hospital beds are occupied by someone with diabetes and the condition now costs the NHS £10 billion every year, Diabetes UK has warned.
With less than a week to go until the General Election, the charity is calling on the main political leaders to put diabetes on the national agenda so that it is a priority for the next Government.
The charity says that this is crucial as four in 10 diabetes patients are still not receiving all the essential health checks and services that they need to manage their condition effectively, which is costing lives and the NHS money.
This is because failure to manage diabetes well increases risk of life threatening diabetes complications such as blindness, amputations and stroke. These complications are not only personally devastating for those involved but are also extremely costly to the health service. Diabetes accounts for 10 per cent of the entire NHS budget,
The NHS spends about £8 billion on treating complications of diabetes, many of which could be prevented if the person got the right care in the first place. So given the fact that NHS is facing an £8 billion funding shortfall over the next five years, reducing this cost is vital for the future of the NHS.
With 3.8 million people living with the condition in the UK, the charity says the main political parties must prioritise improving diabetes care as a matter of urgency.
If left unchecked diabetes poses a real threat to the future sustainability of our health service
Barbara Young, Diabetes UK Chief Executive, said: “None of the political parties have made enough of a commitment to improving the often poor quality of diabetes healthcare, which is really disappointing given that one in 17 people in the UK now have it.
“One in every six hospital beds occupied by someone with diabetes, most of who will be voters, and the fact that the NHS spends 10 per cent of its entire budget on diabetes means it is an issue that affects everyone.
“One of the big challenges for the new Government will be sorting out the NHS’s finances, but improving diabetes healthcare will not only potentially save billions of pounds but will also mean that far fewer people have to endure devastating complications. We need urgent action on this and this should be a top priority for whoever forms the next Government, as if left unchecked diabetes poses a real threat to the future sustainability of our health service.”
Charity is important to diabetics. It can get better care for diabetics. But, the most important is to self-control.
I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes and put on Metformin on June 26th, 2014. I started the ADA diet and followed it 100% for a few weeks and could not get my blood sugar to go below 140. Finally i began to panic and called my doctor, he told me to get used to it. He said I would be on metformin my whole life and eventually insulin. At that point i knew something wasn’t right and began to do a lot of research. On April 13th I found this book on http://www.wje592.com/i-am-finally-free-of-diabetes/. I read the book from end to end that night because everything the writer was saying made absolute sense. I started the diet that day and the next morning my blood sugar was down to 100, the next day was in the 90’s and now i have a fasting blood sugar between Mid 70’s and the 80’s. My doctor took me off the metformin after just one week of being on this lifestyle change. I have lost over 30 pounds in a month. I now work out twice a day and still have tons of energy. I have lost 6+ inches around my waist and I am off my high blood pressure medication too. I have about 20 more pounds to go till my body finds its ideal weight. The great news is, this is a lifestyle I can live with, it makes sense and it works. God Bless the writer. I wish the ADA would stop enabling consumers and tell them the truth. You can get off the drugs, you can help yourself, but you have to have a correct lifestyle and diet. No more processed foods.