Improved glycaemic control is one of the key measures needed to help improve care of patients with diabetes, according to major new guidelines published today.
It is one of the major recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
In their guidelines, NICE points out that keeping blood glucose levels as near normal as possible reduces tissue damage and all of the complications of diabetes.
Three new guidelines are available: on type 1 diabetes in adults, type 1 and 2 diabetes in children and young people, and diabetic foot problems.
Type 1 diabetes affects more than 370,000 UK adults while type 2 diabetes affects 2.9 million adults in the UK, NICE says.
NICE says adults with type 1 diabetes should be offered structured education programmes, such as the dose-adjustment for normal eating programme. They should be offered multiple daily injection basal-bolus regimens
Children with diabetes should be referred urgently – on the same day – to a multidisciplinary paediatric team, the guidance says. Those with most severe type 1 disease should be offered continuous monitoring with alarms, it says.
The guidance also sets out the degrees of urgency to be used in referring patients with foot problems for expert care.
Sir Andrew Dillon, NICE Chief Executive, said: "The standard of diabetes care varies across the NHS. These updated guidelines are designed to help more people to receive the best treatment and support. They recommend effective and cost effective care and advice to NHS organisations on such things as setting up specialist services to reduce risk of diabetes-related amputation.
"Implementing these recommendations will help prevent serious illnesses linked to diabetes."
Professor Stephen Amiel, from King’s College, London, said: “This NICE guideline provides evidence-based, practical advice on supporting adults with type 1 diabetes to live life to the full with few restrictions, and to avoid the serious complications linked to the condition and its treatment."
Leave a Reply