Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
24 June 2014 09:12
The numbers of diabetes patients receiving eight vital checks varies widely between areas of England
Many people with diabetes are not getting the vital health checks they need to monitor changes to their condition, a charity warns.
Diabetes UK says patients should have eight checks a year but the true number varies significantly between areas.
In some regions only a fifth of diabetes patients are getting all eight checks each year, but in others well over three-quarters (78%) are monitored in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendations.
Regular examinations are crucial for people suffering from the disease as they can guard against complications that can lead to blindness and amputations, the charity said.
Using the Diabetes Watch online tool, patients can compare the checks they are given to other areas. The data shows that in 27 areas of England fewer than 50% of patients are being checked eight times but there were 25 regions in which 70% or more are fully examined.
Just 18.5% of patients in mid Essex get all eight checks, compared to 78.3% in Stafford. No matter where patients are from it is essential to have pre-existing medical travel insurance when heading abroad.
Diabetes UK chief executive Barbara Young is worried about the variations between areas as she says it is vital patients get all eight checks at least once a year. To have such vast discrepancies is not good enough, she added.
Young said some of the areas in which 70% or more patients are getting all the checks face huge health challenges but they are still managing it so they all should be able to achieve it.
In reality it is something of a postcode lottery whether patients will have potentially devastating consequences spotted in enough time for doctors to be able to do something about them, she said.
She added that clinical commissioning groups should make sure poor-performing areas improve and patients can use the online tool to put pressure on their local NHS Trust to improve.
18 January 2019
A plant-based diet is needed to protect future generations and safeguard the wellbeing of the planet, according to experts.
[more...]
17 January 2019
Campaigners are protesting outside the High Court in London as the legal challenge against Heathrow Airport's controversial expansion ramps up.
16 January 2019
A new way to predict a woman's risk of breast cancer has been unveiled by scientists - and it's the most comprehensive method yet.
15 January 2019
NHS commissioners could be slapped with a £2,500 fine for every patient left waiting more than a year for vital care, new proposals suggest.
12 January 2019
All UK airports should buy anti-drone technology and not rely on the Royal Air Force to help out, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has said.
10 January 2019
The military was brought in on Tuesday night after police officers saw a drone operating at Heathrow Airport, forcing departures to be suspended for an hour.
11 January 2019
A so-called "drug sponge" that mops up leftover drugs from cancer treatment could improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy, new research has claimed.
09 January 2019
A hormone released during exercise could help protect the brain from Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests.
08 January 2019
Ryanair has been labelled the worst airline operating in the UK for the sixth year running in a leading consumer group survey.
05 January 2019
Anti-drone technology will be deployed at the UK's two busiest airports in response to the disruption caused before Christmas.
04 January 2019
A new cancer-detecting breathalyser test is being trialled in the UK - in a move that could revolutionise the way the disease is diagnosed.
03 January 2019
The average 10-year-old child will have already eaten more sugar in their life than the maximum amount recommended for 18-year-olds, a new study reveals.