Anger over diabetes delay

Diabetics require regular shots of insulin

Campaigners have reacted angrily to a government decision to delay proposals for improvements to NHS diabetes services.

They say that it is unacceptable that the needs of people with diabetes are being put on hold.

This delay is a major blow

Paul Streets

Health Minister Jacqui Smith revealed in an answer to a parliamentary question on Tuesday that publication of a National Service Framework for Diabetes is to be delayed for a year.

The framework will set out the standards of healthcare that people with diabetes should expect and how they will be implemented.

While the standards will be published later this year, the document stating how these standards will be made a reality will be delayed.

This means that the framework, due to be implemented from April 2002, will now be put off for a year.

At risk

A report published by the Audit Commission last year warned that some people with diabetes were at risk because of sub-standard NHS care.

The report highlighted the fact that diabetes care was very patchy across the UK, and that some patients did not get sufficient access to expert help and advice.

Paul Streets, Diabetes UK Chief Executive said: "We are extremely disappointed by this delay.

"It means that we will have to wait another year for standards of diabetes care to be systematically improved.

"This delay is a major blow. People with diabetes and healthcare professionals have been waiting patiently for the much vaunted framework for months."

Mr Streets said the charity would raise the matter with Ms Smith at a meeting next week.

In the meantime Diabetes UK wants to see:

• A confirmed date for when the final framework will be published
• Open consultation with patients and health care professionals about how to make the standards work in practice
• Building blocks put in place to ensure that when the final framework is published, it can be implemented straight away

Adrian Sanders MP (Lib Dem, Torbay), chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Diabetes, condemned the delay.

Severe disappointment

It is an unnecessary wait

Adrian Sanders MP

He said: "Today's announcement will be a severe disappointment to the 1.4 million people with diabetes, their families and health care professionals.

"People have been working towards the implementation of new standards in 2002. This has been put off for at least a year if not longer. It is an unnecessary wait.

"The government must clarify why the framework has been delayed and when it will be published."

A Department of Health spokesperson said that good progress had been made towards developing new national standards since final advice had been received earlier this year from a panel of experts.

"Deferring publication of the delivery strategy until next summer, with implementation to start from April 2003, will enable us to be sure what financial resources will be available to support implementation of the NSF, and also that the NSF will be deliverable in the context of the changing roles and responsibilities of NHS organisations."

Diabetes affects 1.4m people in the UK. Diabetes UK estimates that a further 1m people have the condition and don't know it.

Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the UK and significantly increases the risk of heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. It is also a leading cause of amputation.