Ensuring you get the right care when you are diabetic is essential. The blood disorder is incurable and has to be managed through diet and medication. Now a new campaign has been launched in the UK to ensure diabetics across the country are receiving the right standards of care for their condition.
Diabetes UK is behind the campaign, which highlights the 15 Healthcare Essentials that the national charity says every person with diabetes should expect to receive. The essentials are based on the recommended standards of care established by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellent (NICE).
NICE recommends that diabetics should receive nine specific health checks every year to help them manage their condition. However, figures from Diabetes UK have revealed that almost half of the more than 3 million people diagnosed with the condition are failing to get those health checks.
The 15 Healthcare Essentials include:
- Getting blood glucose levels, cholesterol and blood pressure checked at least once a year;
- Having eyes screened for signs of retinopathy annually;
- Having feet checked for any sign of problems such as circulation and nerve supply;
- Having kidney function monitored, weight checked and waist measured;
- Receiving care tailored to individual needs, along with emotional and psychological support when required.
There are other healthcare complications associated with diabetes and the charity is keen to ensure patients with the condition are fully aware of other problems that might affect them, such as blindness, foot problems, heart disease and stroke. The charity says education is hugely important so that patients are better equipped to manage the condition on a daily basis and suggests free education courses as part of its essentials checklist.
Leaflets on the 15 Healthcare Essentials will be available in GP surgeries, pharmacies, hospitals and dentists in England and Scotland.
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