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`Clear opportunity' to improve care for people living with Type 2 diabetes missed - auditor general

The number of people diagnosed with the condition has risen by 70 per cent, with 100,000 expected to be living with that form of diabetes by 2020
The number of people diagnosed with the condition has risen by 70 per cent, with 100,000 expected to be living with that form of diabetes by 2020 The number of people diagnosed with the condition has risen by 70 per cent, with 100,000 expected to be living with that form of diabetes by 2020

A "clear opportunity" to improve care for people living with Type 2 diabetes was missed after the Department of Health waited 13 years to introduce a comprehensive strategy in Northern Ireland.

A report published today by Auditor General Kieran Donnelly finds in this time the number of people diagnosed with the condition has risen by 70 per cent, with 100,000 expected to be living with that form of diabetes by 2020.

Complications from the disease include loss of sight and lower limbs.

Mr Donnelly's scathing assessment is that "serious healthcare outcomes for people living with it, and the costs associated with treating it have been increasing unchecked".

He warns that if it continues to rise at the same rates it will be financially "unsustainable".

His investigation was conducted into the prevention and care of Type 2 diabetes, which affects almost six per cent of the adult population in Northern Ireland.

"Type 2 diabetes is a matter of concern, both in terms of its impact on human life and its cost to the public purse," Mr Donnolly said.

"Already it is estimated that treating diabetes costs Northern Ireland £400 million annually.

"This is 10 per cent of the local healthcare budget and forecasts indicate this may rise to 17 per cent of health spending by 2035.

"The projected growth of Type 2 diabetes creates a real risk that the current model of care provision will become unsustainable."

Mr Donnelly highlights a 2003 review of diabetes care, which "pointed the way towards adopting many areas of best practice".

"Whilst a number of initiatives aimed at enhancing diabetes care were subsequently introduced, I was disappointed to note that there was limited implementation of the 2003 review and that the Department (of Health) did not introduce a comprehensive strategy until late 2016," he said.

"This was clearly a missed opportunity to slow the growing prevalence of the disease, and to reduce the numbers of serious complications which can arise, including blindness and lower limb amputations."

Mr Donnelly said that the current strategy "offers potential to secure real improvements" but questioned "why its development has taken so long".

In November 2016, the department published a `strategic framework' for diabetes care, with 31 proposed improvement measures to be implemented by 2019.

They are the same areas highlighted in 2003 as requiring improvement.

The 2014 review found:

* Potentially significant shortfalls in the numbers of dieticians, podiatrists, diabetes specialist nurses, psychologists and consultants

* Failure to introduce integrated systems means patient needs could not be properly assessed, and care outcomes could not be measured