Paul Burstow MP

Minister of State (Care Services)

Department of Health

Richmond House

79 Whitehall

London SW1A 2WS

31^st July 2012

Dear Paul,

I am writing to you further to constituents contacting me about the care provided to those with diabetes.

As I am sure you will be aware, Diabetes UK’s recent report ‘State of the Nations Report, England’ found that in 2011 approximately £10 billion or £1 million an hour of the NHS budget was spent on diabetes. Yet people with diabetes are still not receiving all the care they need.

80% of this NHS spending is going in to managing expensive and heart breaking but potentially preventable complications.

Diabetes is one of the biggest health challenges of our time.  By investing in and improving existing services to make them more effective, the Government could make a real difference to the 2.9 million people that have the condition and the 7 million that are at high risk.

Diabetes UK has identified some key changes that would save and improve lives and I am also enclosing a copy of their briefing for information:

• More effective risk assessment and early diagnosis to ensure people at risk or with diabetes get identified early and avoid developing diabetes or developing expensive and heart breaking complications

• Good patient education to ensure people with diabetes can effectively self manage their condition to prevent complications

• Implementation of the NICE quality standards for diabetes      

My constituents tell me that there has been a National Service Framework for diabetes for 11 years yet their personal experience suggests it has only been patchily implemented. 

Please will you tell me what action the Government intends to take to guarantee the delivery of a national implementation plan for diabetes that recognises and addresses the seriousness of the illness, identifies what needs to be done and makes sure it happens.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Lucas MP Brighton Pavilion

Read the ministerial response here.