I believe that the problem we have with diabetes and other endocrine conditions especially at practitioners level is they have had no specialist training, even so called diabetic GPs and nurses are only taught so much. It is the system!
You go the doctors, you tell the doctor what is troubling you, the doctor, depending on resources, does the necessary services for how he believes is happening, hence usually hba1c test. Depending on results of the tests, he either uses the knowledge he has to either use drugs usually metformin to help, and advises dietary changes, probably the eat well plate. This is standard practice!
Unless you can get more tests and the doctor runs out of ideas or there is something serious, you do not have much chance to see a specialist endocrinologist, even if you do, you still might get one, like I did, who didn't have a clue!
Because of numbers of diabetics, there is not much chance to get a referral to someone who has the experience in conditions such as mine, I was lucky to get one second time around, but that was after a decade long battle with my health care providers and misdiagnosis and years of GPs who did not have the necessary skills for diagnosis of a rare condition.
It has improved over the last decade, especially the last couple of years, that the awareness of how carbs are part of the problem and the awareness that we are not the same, if we have T2! It has been recognised that there are many types of T2!
And that dietary advice is tailored to the individual!
Drugs are not the first call!
The system, the so called dietary advice, the NICE advice, the usual suspects in the media, the obstacles in getting better health care due to spending cuts (bloody Tories!) And the reluctance to change!
And the overriding concern is the lack of doctors, nurses, specialists that need to be in place, due the increasing number of patients!
Pick your favourite!!!!!