Irish type 2 diabetics mostly treated by GPs

Approximately 60 per cent of Irish people suffering from type 2 diabetes are getting most of their treatment from their GP, new research reports in the Irish Medical Times.
The findings come from the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) Diabetes Task Group, who surveyed a study group of 567 General Practitioners in Ireland, with the aim of assessing GP based diabetes care . They found that 90 per cent of respondents provided 65 per cent of their patients with care. The results of the study are published in the Irish Medical Journal.
Several further facts were revealed by the study, all of which could prove interesting for diabetics in Ireland and the healthcare community in general. Only 27 per cent of practices have access to a diabetes nurse, and only 56 per cent of GP’s had had post-graduate training in diabetes.
The GPs also listed their perceived barriers to diabetes care. These included a lack of time, lack of support from health board and a lack of support from secondary care. All of the results and responses paint the picture of an Irish diabetes care system trying its hardest to fight the spread of the disease, yet being let down by an inadequate healthcare system and insufficient infrastructure. Ireland is by no means alone in this problem.