Diabetes services "poor value" - report
Wednesday May 23rd, 2012
Diabetes services in England are failing to deliver value for money, according to a damning official report published today.
There are large numbers of avoidable deaths and a widespread failure to achieve standards set for treatment, according to the National Audit Office.
Auditors found that barely 50 per cent of patients with diabetes received recommended standards of care in 2009 - nearly a decade after the standards were set.
And fewer than a third of patients achieve all three standards that have been set to control blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, the report says.
NAO head Amyas Morse said: "The Department of Health has failed to deliver diabetes care to the standard it set out as long ago as 2001. This has resulted in people with diabetes developing avoidable complications, in a high number of preventable deaths and in increased costs for the NHS.
"The expected 23 per cent increase by 2020 in the number of people in England with diabetes will have a major impact on NHS resources unless the efficiency and effectiveness of existing services are substantially improved."
The NHS Confederation, which represents NHS trusts, said the NHS should take the report "seriously".
David Stout, of the Confederation, said the report did show improvements in patient access to high quality care.
He added: "The NHS needs to raise its game on the treatment of all long-term conditions, not just diabetes.
"The stark truth is that long-term conditions are affecting a growing proportion of the population and the NHS needs to respond to changes in people's needs.
"We know there is no chance of more money any time soon. So we need to change the way we deliver care in order to provide the most responsive care for patients while guaranteeing value for money."
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