Diabetics 'missing health checks'
Updated on 01 July 2009
Almost a million people with diabetes are not receiving the NHS care they need, according to a new report.
Patients are missing out on vital checks on their cholesterol and blood sugar levels and body mass index (BMI), as well as eye and foot examinations.
Some 852,000 people living with diabetes in England are affected - 60% of the number diagnosed with the disease.
This includes people with Type 1 diabetes, which is usually diagnosed in childhood, and Type 2, which is linked to unhealthy lifestyles and obesity.
Around a million more people are thought to have Type 2 in England but are unaware of it.
The report, from The NHS Information Centre, examined care offered by GP practices and hospitals in 2007/08.
It found that people with Type 1 diabetes generally fared worse across key areas of care than those with Type 2.
Nine sets of checks are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), including eye and foot examinations, blood pressure and cholesterol tests, glucose monitoring, BMI and smoking history.
The report also found wide regional variation in the number of diabetics suffering complications, with people in some parts of the country way more likely to have a stroke, heart attack or kidney failure.
These news feeds are provided by an independent third party and Channel 4 is not responsible or liable to you for the same.
