EDM 57 - DIABETES UK'S YOUR VISION CAMPAIGN AND ACCESS TO RETINAL SCREENING
That this House welcomes the Diabetes UK's campaign Your Vision; recognises that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the UK working age population; considers that all people with diabetes should have access to free annual retinal screening with a digital camera and that each primary care trust should have a systematic call and recall system to ensure that people with diabetes receive an annual letter inviting them for screening; notes with concern that Government targets, of all people with diabetes being offered free digital retinal screening by the end of 2007, were not met and as a result one in four, up to 470,000, people with diabetes in England, are needlessly being put at risk of losing their sight; further notes that retinal screening is one of the most cost-effective interventions known in medicine, with 90 per cent. of cases of retinopathy being treatable with early intervention; and calls on the Government to ensure that primary care trusts put in place the appropriate facilities and allocate the necessary budget to their screening programme to prevent people with diabetes from needlessly losing their sight.
EDM 61 - FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL SERVICE FRAMEWORK FOR DIABETES
That this House recognises the five year anniversary of the National Service Framework (NSF) for Diabetes; regrets that although good practice exists it is not universal and there are significant numbers of people with diabetes who do not have access to the best possible treatment and care; further notes that failure to deliver on the standards in the NSF will mean that people with diabetes face a higher risk of complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness and lower-limb amputation; and therefore welcomes Diabetes UK's report, Five years - Half Way There?, that highlights some of the gaps; and calls on the Government to conduct a national review of what has been achieved to date and what needs to be prioritised in the next five years.
EDM 74 - DIABETES UK MEASURE UP CAMPAIGN
That this House welcomes the Diabetes UK campaign Measure Up, which aims to raise awareness of diabetes; recognises that there are currently an estimated 750,000 people in the UK who have diabetes who are not aware of their condition; notes that the campaign aims to identify at least 25 per cent. of these people; further notes the seriousness of diabetes, which if left untreated can lead to blindness, kidney disease, heart attacks and other life-threatening complications; supports the key messages of the campaign that if you are a white or black male and your waist is 37 inches or more, a woman and your waist is 31.5 inches or more, or a South Asian man and your waist is 35 inches or more, you could need a test for diabetes; observes that keeping people with the condition healthier will also reduce the long-term impact on limited NHS resources; expresses its concern over Department of Health figures which show that only 72 per cent. of the diabetic population has been diagnosed across the UK; further notes that some primary care trusts have only diagnosed around half of their diabetic population; and calls on the Government to encourage primary care trusts to spell out their plans for early identification of people with diabetes in their local area.
EDM 76 - INFORMATION PRESCRIPTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DIABETES
That this House notes with concern that 65 per cent. of the two million people in the UK with diabetes are not taking their medications as prescribed because one in three do not understand what those medications are for, or how to take them; welcomes the work of a coalition of Diabetes UK, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Society and Ask About Medicines to facilitate understanding of medicines used to treat diabetes; believes that everyone with the condition has a right to expect a personalised information prescription expressed in an appropriate format as part of their care planning process; further believes that such a personalised prescription should help to ensure that access to clear and consistent information that is accurate, up-to-date and trustworthy will enable people with diabetes to understand their condition and treatment options regardless of their age, ethnicity, disability or postcode; further believes that people should be encouraged to seek information on medicines and other treatments by discussing their condition with and asking questions of a range of healthcare professionals and by accessing other forms of support and information tailored for each person in their particular situation; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure that the NHS at a local level provides diabetes care and support in line with these standards.
EDM 78 - ACCESS TO INHALED INSULIN PRODUCTS FOR DIABETICS
That this House disagrees with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's technology appraisal document which proposes the restriction of access to inhaled insulin products on the NHS to patients with a proven injection phobia diagnosed by a psychiatrist or psychologist; is concerned that diabetes sufferers often delay treatment for as long as four years due to a fear of injections, risking the complications of heart disease, blindness and kidney failure, a situation that will only be compounded by attaching the unfortunate stigma of mental illness to those with a phobia of needles; expresses concern at the additional workload that will be placed on already overstretched NHS psychiatric services; and believes that the judgement of expert clinicians should be trusted in managing each individual patient's condition.
EDM 92 - ACCESS TO INSULIN PUMP THERAPY FOR PEOPLE WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES
That this House welcomes Diabetes UK's campaign to end the postcode lottery for insulin pump therapy; believes that making a small change through providing the technology can make a big difference to the lives of people with diabetes; notes the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommendation that insulin pump therapy should be available as a treatment option for people with Type 1 diabetes in cases where multiple dose insulin therapy has failed, and the person is willing and able to use insulin pump therapy effectively; notes with concern that this guidance is not being adhered to locally in a uniform manner; is aware that currently only two per cent. of people with Type 1 diabetes use pumps in the UK, compared to 10 to 20 per cent. in other European member states and around 15 to 20 per cent. in the United States; believes that the use of pumps can have cost benefits to the local NHS through a reduction in primary care contracts and a reduction in hospital admissions and hospital outpatient contracts; and calls on the Government to oversee the implementation of NICE guidance by primary care organisations to end the postcode lottery.
EDM 104 - HEART CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH DIABETES
That this House recognises that coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in people with type 2 diabetes - affecting 75 per cent. of patients; further recognises that people with diabetes have up to a fivefold increased risk of CHD due to prolonged, poorly controlled blood glucose levels; notes that patients are not receiving the optimal medical treatment as cardiovascular disease is not being properly identified; welcomes the willingness of cardiologists and diabetologists across the UK to assess and adopt the best treatment options for patients with diabetes; and calls on the Government to consider expanding its collaboration with healthcare professionals to ensure all patients with diabetes are screened for CHD and receive the most suitable medical and revascularisation therapy.