Paediatric diabetes care improving
Tuesday February 28th, 2017
Paediatric centres that deliver diabetes care are providing an improved service for children with the condition, according to the latest National Paediatric Diabetes Audit (NPDA) published today (February 28, 2017).
The audit, compiled by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), reveals that the number of children achieving excellent diabetes control has increased from 17% in 2013/14 to 27% in 2015/2016.
It also found that over 2015/2016, more centres delivering care completed vital health checks by monitoring the risk of developing serious complications as a result of their diabetes.
The 13th NPDA examined data from all 28,439 children and young people with diabetes who attended 173 paediatric centres in England and Wales between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2016.
It found almost 99% of children and young people with Type 1 diabetes had an HbA1c, while 98% were weighed and measured during the audit year.
Sixty-six per cent of young people underwent essential foot checks – up from 55% in the previous year, while 66% received retinopathy screening, up from 64% in the previous year. The same number underwent urinary albumin screening), an improvement from 52% in the previous year.
Dr Justin Warner, clinical lead for the NPDA and member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Heath, said: “The fact that care for children with diabetes continues to significantly improve is excellent news and is what we aim to demonstrate when delivering this audit year on year.
“We want centres delivering paediatric diabetes care to learn from best practice, share good experience and improve results, so this is heartening to see.”
He said the impact of the improvement in blood glucose levels over the last six years “should not be underestimated” because it will reduce significantly the risk of future complications.
However, the audit said some improvements were still needed.
The report said there some centres in England and Wales needed better working relationships, should share good practice and an introduction of quality improvement strategies.
It also found that 9.7% of young people with Type 1 diabetes were showing early signs of kidney disease and 13.8% early signs of eye disease. Children with Type 1 diabetes were also more likely to be overweight or obese compared to the general population.
Children and young people living in the most deprived areas were at increased risk of diabetes complications and poor diabetes control compared to those in the least deprived areas.
The audit also revealed that two thirds of young people aged 12 and above with Type 1 diabetes do not receive all seven recommended annual health checks of HbA1c, height and weight, blood pressure, kidney function, eye screening, foot examination, and thyroid function.
Welcoming the findings, Diabetes UK chief executive Chris Askew said: “It’s heartening to see continued investment in better services means more children with diabetes getting the essential care they’re entitled to. That’s reflected in a rise in the proportion of children with Type 1 who have really good diabetes control.
“But that’s far from the whole picture. Not every child with diabetes in England and Wales gets the same level of good care, with unacceptable numbers of children living in deprived areas having poor diabetes control.
“It’s vital every child with diabetes gets the support they need to manage their diabetes well, to minimise their risk of developing serious, life-limiting complications in the future. We want to see a world where diabetes can do no harm.”
Tags: Child Health | Diabetes | NHS | UK News
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