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Sunday 18 August 2013

Diabetes care is about to get even worse me thinks.

Problems in A&E wards are “overshadowing” a crisis in general practice, family doctors have warned, as 80 per cent of GPs say they no longer have the resources to provide high-quality care. In the latest of a succession of polls to reveal widespread discontent within the profession, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) found that 70 per cent of GPs are forecasting longer waiting times over the next two years, as surgeries cut staff and services in a response to a slow-down in Government funding.


Dr Clare Gerada, chair of the RCGP, said that general practice needed an emergency funding package, like the one announced to sure-up struggling accident and emergency wards last week.

“GPs are grappling with a  double-whammy of spiralling workloads and dwindling resources, and big cracks are now starting to appear in the care and services that we can deliver for our patients,” she said. “We are particularly concerned about the effect this is having, and will continue to have, on waiting times for GP appointments.”

More on this story here.

When you consider how bad diabetes care is for many reporting on forums and blogs, and the diet of slow death being pushed by most healthcare pro’s, can it actually get much worse ? OK it is going to get much worse check out story two on this post.


'Largest-ever’ diabetes awareness campaign to urge high-risk patients to visit their GP

"People at high risk of of type 2 diabetes will be urged to see their GP to get a blood test under a £2m campaign run in thousands of pharmacies that will begin next month.  The Diabetes UK campaign - backed by supermarket giant Tesco - will use radio and digital advertising, as well as ‘outdoor’ publicity, such as on bus routes and in shopping centres, to encourage people to take an online risk assessment at pharmacies and then go to their GP for a blood test if they are deemed to be at risk.

The two-week campaign - the largest the charity has ever run - will be rolled out in September through over 5,000 pharmacies in areas with populations known to be at high risk of type 2 diabetes, in particular those with large black and ethnic minority populations and high levels of deprivation. Areas targeted include several inner and outer London boroughs, a number of cities in the midlands and the north of England as well as Cardiff, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Diabetes UK estimates there are around 850,000 people with undiagnosed diabetes in the UK and many more who are likely to go on and develop the condition in the next few years, yet awareness of the condition and its complications remains very low amongst those most at risk."

More on this story here.

So, a system already creaking at the joints, and unable to effectively deal with diabetes at present, wants to find more. Diabetes care is about to get even worse me thinks. Who knows, this might turn out for the best. One day soon there will be no money for junk type two diabetes meds. Already many cannot get a test strip on prescription. With the economic climate many diabetics cannot afford to buy test strips. How long before lack of money and the ever rising number of diabetics force the NHS to recommend low carb, because there will be no alternative.

 How many of the 850,000 do they need to find to completely overwhelm the system ?

Eddie


7 comments:

Lowcarb team member said...

Regarding your last comment. I have been thinking the same thing for a while now, its all about money.
At present Big Pharma hold all the cards but this must be finite. At some stage enough will be enough and less expensive ways of treating patients will have to be found. I am just one of many I am sure who did not find that their diagnosis did them any favours - just the reverse.

DUK are cynically wanting to add to the number of diagnosed diabetics to give them more "pull".They tend to go for these high profile large scale campaigns, which sound good but achieve very little of use to diabetics.
IMHO the best thing anyone can do for T2s is to forget all the regimentation of past years and treat each patient as an individual just providing what that patient needs. We are people not numbers whatever they like to think.
It has concerned me for a long time that many GP s are losing touch with their diabetic patients because they are leaving all contact with them to the nurses. This can't be in anyone's interest. Reversing the current system might ultimately save money. I feel this has to happen eventually.

I am speaking of T2s as I am T2 but I am aware that some T1s who used to be treated at hospitals have also been "relegated " to the care of the GP's which again often means the nurse. While this nurse may have been trained in diabetes it is not the same as a trained specialist nurse in a hospital diabetic clinic.

Kath

Anonymous said...

Should we not applaud this? The average person will probably think what a brilliant idea, well done Diabetes UK and Tesco. "Every little helps" is Tesco motto and guess what, rather a lot of their larger Tesco stores have pharmacies within. Now there's a thought boost profits please feel free to use our pharmacy!
Oh YUCK or similar phraseology.

Diabetes is one of the silent unknown killers but far more could be done to let the average person know their every day diet of cereals, bread, pasta and the like are the enemies.

Jean

Unknown said...

Shame they don't include a questionnaire asking a simple question of the newly diagnosed: "would you be willing to give up carbs for a better treatment outcome?". Then they'd know immediately whether it was worthwhile prescribing strips to the person.

I never ceased to be amazed by people on diabetes forums moaning about their weight, retinopathy and yada yada, yet finishing by saying "but I couldn't possibly give up my bread". Seriously, your carbs are more important than your eyesight?!?

Sorry team, but I'm feeling very cynical today :-(

Lowcarb team member said...

"Sorry team, but I'm feeling very cynical today :-("

Hi Jill,

Not cynical at all and the word I'd use is "Realist"
So many times on forums I read the same stories of doom and gloom but all of them seem to have a common denominator..carb addiction,denial or "My doctor said so it must be right.." *sigh*

Regards

Paul

Lowcarb team member said...

Tough love time is well overdue isn't it folks? If only "they" were as afraid of denying people the vital information which could save their lives limbs and organs as they are of recommending a diet which they think is not sufficiently tested. Will we be able to sue when they have to admit the damage done by the recommended diet? Was that fully tested? Bah! Humbug!

Kath

Anonymous said...

I'm trying to reach Eddie...

Eddie--do you know what happened to CarbSaneR blog? It was my favorite and now its down. I know you were an active contributor.

Could you do a post on it if you know anything? I'm sure there are a lot of people like me who are wondering what happened.

Thank you!

Lou

Lowcarb team member said...

Hi Lou, we don't have any information about the CarbSaner blog, Eddies away for a couple of days but if we hear anything we will do a post.

Graham