Diabetes postcode lottery
Almost a million diabetics face a postcode lottery of care on the NHS, missing out on vital health checks that could stop them going blind, facing amputation or having a string of severe illnesses.
Patients are not getting key checks on cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index, as well as eye and foot examinations, according to a damning report.
The scandal is affecting 852,000 people living with diabetes in England.
The report, from The NHS Information Centre, found that 60 per cent of England’s 1.42million diabetics were not getting all the nine annual checks that are recommended for sufferers.
Simon O’Neill, of the charity Diabetes UK, described the findings as “appalling”.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said more people were getting the full set of tests and measurements but admitted there was “a lot more to do”.
She added: “We want to build on this progress and are working closely with NHS Diabetes and Diabetes UK.”