Experts identify key areas to improve diabetes care

Two leading diabetes consultants have detected five areas NHS Integrated Care Boards can focus on to improve care for people living with the condition.

Professor Jonathan Valabhji, National Clinical Director and Obesity at NHS England, and Professor Partha Kar, National Specialty Advisor, Diabetes with NHS England, have published an article discussing how the development of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) brings an opportunity to build on diabetes improvements made over the last two decades.

Preventing type 2 diabetes and supporting the delivery of high-quality care for people living with all forms of diabetes are the priorities of the NHS Diabetes Programme.

According to the two professors, the increase in prevalence, long-term risks of complications and budgetary impact of treatment makes diabetes one of the most important non-communicable diseases to target.

Professor Valabhji and Professor Kar have set out five high-impact areas for ICBs to consider to improve diabetes care.

These include:

• Population health management – clinical and demographic date can support planning, enabling targeted interventions to prevent ill health, improve care and address variation. A new Diabetes data hub on the FutureNHS platform shows information at all levels. ICBs should have a clear plan to recover diabetes care process delivery to at least pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022/23, to support more people to achieve NICE recommended treatment targets and reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications and deterioration.
• Preventing type 2 diabetes – weight gain is putting more people at risk of type 2 diabetes. It is vital that systems priorities engagement with, and referral into, the National Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP).
• Type 1 diabetes treatment and care – access to specialist care and technology, education and peer support are key to improving outcomes for people with type 1 diabetes. Better integration between primary and secondary care could improve access to specialist care. More than 80 per cent of people with type 1 diabetes are now using flash continuous glucose monitoring thanks to the NHS. Diabetes education provision is now bolstered by new, nationally funded, digital self-management tools like Digibete and My Type 1 diabetes for Type 1 and Healthy Living for Type 2. ICBs should have clear commissioning policies in place on the provision of diabetes technology, in line with NICE guidance, and ensure that people with diabetes can access structured education to support diabetes management.
• Diabetic footcare – lower limb amputation is one of the most feared complications of diabetes, with major impacts on somebody’s quality of life and associated higher morbidity and mortality. Systems should ensure timely access to multidisciplinary footcare teams.
• Safety in hospitals – up to 20 per cent of inpatients at any one time will have diabetes. A key NHS Long Term Plan commitment is that all trusts have a diabetes inpatient specialist nurse service.

To read the full article by Professor Valabhji and Professor Kar, click here.