Latest news from Diabetes UK

Diabetes UK calls on next Government to make diabetes a priority

29 March 2010

Diabetes UK is calling on the next Government to make diabetes a key priority for the forthcoming Parliament.

Political leadership is critical to ensure that diabetes services are prioritised at both a national and local level. Diabetes UK is, therefore, asking political parties and prospective parliamentary candidates to make diabetes a priority at the next election and throughout the forthcoming Parliament to ensure the NHS can cope with the increasing demands it will face from people with diabetes.
Top ten priorities

We are asking the UK government that forms after the general election to work with us to:

1. Defuse the diabetes time bomb and identify diabetes early
2. Ensure children with diabetes have a future
3. Make diabetes services world class with true accountability
4. Prevent life-threatening complications and support self-management
5. Improve emergency and inpatient care
6. Ensure equal access to insulin pumps and other innovations
7. Protect the health of pregnant women and their unborn babies
8. End discrimination at work
9. Improve care for older people
10. Prioritise diabetes research
One of the biggest health challenges facing us today

“Diabetes is one of the biggest health challenges facing the UK today," said Donna Castle, Public Affairs Manager at Diabetes UK. "If diagnosed late, left untreated, or poorly managed, it can lead to devastating complications such as heart disease, stroke and blindness.

“Diabetes costs the NHS 10 per cent of its annual resources – £9bn a year or £1m an hour. In the next 15 years these costs will escalate significantly as diabetes prevalence increases. That is why Diabetes UK is urging the next UK Government to make diabetes a key priority and to work with us to tackle this growing health epidemic.”