National Assembly Committee finds diabetes cases at ‘epidemic’ level in Wales
24 June 2013
A National Assembly for Wales Committee is calling for urgent action to address what it considers as an ‘epidemic’ level of diabetes cases in Wales.
The Health and Social Care Committee was told that five percent of the Welsh population - more than 160,000 people - have been diagnosed with diabetes. An estimated 350,000 more people have pre-diabetes, which means they have higher than normal blood glucose levels.
The Committee found that targets for tackling the problem set out ten years ago in the Welsh Government’s Diabetes National Service Framework are likely to be missed.
It recommends that the Welsh Government take a firmer hand in monitoring the provision of diabetes services among local health boards, with an emphasis on sharing best practice, when it announces its forthcoming Diabetes Delivery Plan.
It also calls for a more co-ordinated approach across all healthcare providers including GP and community pharmacies to assist in monitoring a patient’s condition and medication. The Committee emphasised that in dealing with diabetes it is vital that, should a person develop an unrelated health issue, their condition is recognised and managed as part of that treatment.
The patchy provision of education available around the country for people who have recently been diagnosed with diabetes was also identified during the course of the inquiry. The consequences of not managing the condition can be serious: the Committee believes the Welsh Government should, as a matter of urgency, address these variances.
“The evidence we heard was striking. Diabetes has already reached epidemic levels in Wales. This is not a fringe issue – it is a major challenge for us all, not only for those living with diabetes or those healthcare staff who care for them. The rising demand for and cost of treatment is something that affects us all,” said Vaughan Gething AM, Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee.
“A failure to continue taking action will mean ever larger numbers of people with diabetes with ever larger numbers of complications. That would mean more people living with ill health. We should not simply accept that as inevitable.
“Diabetes can lead to a wide range of complications – people with diabetes are more likely to develop heart disease, kidney disease, blindness or may require an amputation.
“All of this costs the NHS in Wales half a billion pounds every year and it’s likely that this figure will increase as the number of people with the condition continues to grow.
“The Committee wants to see the Welsh Government take more of a lead in handling this situation. We recognise the progress which is already being made in this regard with the forthcoming Diabetes Delivery Plan, but believe that a more co-ordinated approach is needed across Wales to address this problem.”
The Committee makes 13 recommendations in its report including:
The Welsh Government should strengthen the oversight and monitoring arrangements for the implementation of the National Service Framework as a priority in the forthcoming delivery plan;
The introduction of an integrated diabetes patient management system should be a priority for the Welsh Government. We note the commitment already made to introduce such a system, and recommend that a clear timetable for its introduction is included in the forthcoming Diabetes Delivery Plan; and,
The Welsh Government should urgently address the variances in the provision of structured education for people with diabetes.
Link to more information on the Health and Social Care Committee