Health and wellbeing boards failing to tackle diabetes

Diabetes experts in the UK have warned that NHS organisations are missing the chance to tackle the rising tide of diabetes mellitus.
Charity group Diabetes UK said some health and wellbeing boards risk overlooking the need to improve diabetes care.
Set up under the recent National Health Service reforms, the boards are responsible for improving health and wellbeing in their local areas and reducing health inequalities.
But research by Diabetes UK found that the quality of policies in relation to diabetes “varied considerably” among 20 of the boards, with some giving “no prominence to diabetes at all”. The need to improve diabetes management was “often absent” from the policies, while more than half of boards were “failing” to implement national guidance.
The research also suggested that many strategies did not clearly distinguish between type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes .
Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: “The number of people with diabetes is rising at an alarming rate but there is not enough priority given to preventing Type 2 diabetes. And for those who already have diabetes, the support they need to manage their condition is inconsistent.
“This is leading to devastating complications, premature death and massive costs to the NHS.
“We want to work with Health and Wellbeing Boards and Clinical Commissioning Groups to help them improve diabetes healthcare, so everyone with diabetes and those at high risk of Type 2 diabetes get the good quality care they need to live long healthy lives.”