The national clinical lead for inpatient diabetes has warned that the current level of care for diabetes patients in the NHS is inadequate.
Dr Rayman said: “We know that one in three hospitals don’t have a specialist diabetes nurse, which is really quite alarming when we know that one in six people in hospital have diabetes. Unfortunately, many people in hospital with diabetes do come to harm as a result of, I’m afraid to say, inadequate care in hospital.”
The NHS currently spends around £10 billion on diabetes treatments and the amount spent on treating inpatients accounts for a tenth of the NHS inpatient budget.
Poor care and management of diabetes can cause complications, such as heart related conditions, nerve damage and kidney damage. Diabetes UK estimate that up to 80% of amputation cases could be avoided with better care and proper management of the condition.
At the same time, type 2 diabetes, which is linked to diet accounts for 90% of all people with the condition. The British Dietetic Association estimates that up to 90% of these cases are due to people being overweight.
This has left some contention over whether the responsibility for diabetes should be a social or personal issue. Some argue for tougher regulation of the food industry whilst others say that diet is is down to personal choice.
With the cost of diabetes treatment expected to rise to over £16 billion by 2035 and account for more and more of the NHS budget, it is important for the NHS to get both care and education right.