Catastrophe looms if we fail to tackle diabetes | Letters

Readers, including Keith Vaz MP, respond to the report that diabetes cases in the UK are set to doubleThe crisis in diabetes (Health alert as diabetes cases double to 3.7m, 27 February) is only going to get worse. The system desperately needs a robust and uncompromising attack on the causes of type 2 diabetes and resolute support for those with type 1. We need to actively seek out the half a million Britons who have type 2 diabetes and are unaware of it. For them early diagnoses is vital. There should be regular testing, not just in GPs' surgeries but in high street pharmacies as well.Once diagnosed, patients should be supported every step of the way. Structured education programmes need to be improved and their reach expanded. As someone with type 2 diabetes, I have never received this education as I was only aware of their existence 12 months after diagnosis. It is never too late to enrol on a programme such as Desmond. We need to be offered lifestyle advice, not just pills. The creation of the 2016 diabetes transformation fund and similar initiatives will not achieve their objectives unless clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are held accountable for how they spend the money. This is not happening. Continue reading...