Lack of centralised computer system in Wales could cause problems for diabetics

Fri, 23 Dec 2011
A charity has criticised the Welsh government for failing to use a centralised computer system to help improve treatment for diabetics. The national charity Diabetes UK Cymru has said that the lack of the SCI DC system, already adopted across Scotland, meant that diabetes patients were missing out on direct and specific treatment that the system helps to provide.

The government in Wales claimed that it was currently assessing if SCI DC was compatible with existing systems. A spokesperson commented "NHS Wales is actively exploring how an all-Wales diabetic record can be created and made compatible with the Welsh systems and standards that are already in place."

In Scotland, the SCI DC system has proved a success, with 98 per cent of diabetes patients registered on it, allowing for healthcare professionals to instantly access their medical records. With a recent report from England finding that up to 24,000 diabetes-related deaths could be avoided there every year if both patients and doctors better managed the condition, and around 160,000 diabetics in Wales, and a further 7,000 new cases being diagnosed each year, the need is great.

Dai Williams, director of Diabetes UK Cymru, commented "We cannot tell where treatment is working and where it's not working. All the different health boards use different systems so they don't 'talk' to each other."

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