Diabetes UK believes that people with diabetes should have equal access to the best diabetes care and health outcomes available on the basis of clinical need and appropriateness, not on their or the NHS’s ability to pay. It is unacceptable for people with diabetes to be deprived of (new) developments because of ‘postcode prescribing’ where access to treatment depends on where the individual lives or from whom they receive their diabetes care.
Commitment to a modern and responsive health service requires that healthcare professionals are able to prescribe effective treatments to meet the individual needs and choices of those with diabetes. Diabetes UK will continue to lobby to ensure that all people with diabetes have equal access to safe and effective treatment for which there is a good evidence base on the basis of need, no matter where they live, who they are or from whom they receive their care.
Diabetes UK is aware that many people with diabetes, on occasions, may find it difficult to access the medication, treatment and medical devices they need to manage their diabetes successfully. In order to reduce the impact of diabetes on the individual, their carers and the NHS, early and effective treatment is needed. To this end people should, in consultation with their healthcare team, be able to choose the treatment which gives them the best control of their diabetes and the best quality of life.
The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study1 (UKPDS) and Diabetes Control and Complications Trial2 (DCCT) have provided conclusive evidence that the devastating complications associated with diabetes can be significantly reduced by appropriate treatment and diabetes management. New generations of treatments available to people with diabetes are continuously developing as pharmaceutical companies invest in research and technologies. The individual nature of diabetes means that not all treatments will be appropriate for all people with diabetes. The
ultimate decision to embark on any form of treatment rests with the individual with diabetes who requires a full understanding about the treatment and its possible side effects and the opportunity to consult with relevant healthcare professionals in making the decision as part of a team.
References
1. UK Prospective Study Group (UKPDS). Effect of intensive blood glucose control with metformin on complications in overweight patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 34) The Lancet. Vol 352, September 12, 1998
2. Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) Research Group. The effect of intensive treatment of diabetes on the development and progression of long-term complications in insulin-dependent diabetes melllitus. The New England Journal of Medicine. Vol 329: 14. September 30, 1993
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