Diabetes care consultation launched in Wales

People in Wales are being given the chance to help shape the future of the nation’s diabetes care services.
The ‘Together for Health – A Diabetes Delivery Plan’ consultation has been launched by the Welsh Government in an effort to get the public’s opinions on how to help tackle the growing problem of diabetes in Wales.
Around 7 per cent of adults in the country are being treated for diabetes, mainly type 2 diabetes, and health experts predict this figure will climb to 10.3 per cent by 2020 and 11.5 per cent by 2030 as obesity rates continue to rise.
In the consultatio, the Welsh Government outlines its expectations for NHS health managers, which include improving blood glucose control, especially for child diabetics, reducing rates of diabetes complications, cutting incidence of type 2 diabetes, and lowering rates of diabetes-related hospital admissions.
It also aims to significantly improve the number of people receiving diabetes education within a year of diagnosis, especially children.
Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said: “The clear aim of the Welsh government is for the people of Wales to have every possible chance of minimising their risk of developing diabetes by encouraging healthy lifestyles.
“However, when needed, they must have access to diabetes services of the highest quality regardless of where they live, or how these services are delivered in the community, in primary care or in hospitals.”
The consultation will last 12 weeks.