Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Diabetes Treatments

29 October 2024 · 1 other contributor · 3,526 words

Opened by Sarah Bool Con South Northamptonshire

Responding minister: Karin Smyth

NHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Sarah Bool raised concerns about diabetes treatments in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • The speaker is concerned about the stigma surrounding diabetes and its complications, noting that over 5 million people in the UK are diagnosed with diabetes.
  • Only 54% of constituents in South Northamptonshire received all eight essential diabetes checks last year.
  • The total cost to the NHS for diabetes care is 10.7 billion, with 60% spent on complications such as heart failure, amputations, strokes, and heart attacks.

Key requests to Government

The speaker asks for an end to the postcode lottery in diabetes treatment, greater access to technology like hybrid closed loop systems, awareness of type 1 diabetes treatments in schools, expansion of early testing for type 1 diabetes, national roll-out of new drugs such as teplizumab and increased support for those at risk of T1DE (disordered eating).

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Sarah Bool Con South Northamptonshire

The speaker is concerned about the stigma surrounding diabetes and its complications. She highlights that over 5 million people in the UK are diagnosed with diabetes, including 4,329 in her constituency of South Northamptonshire. Only 54% of her constituents received all eight essential checks last year. The total cost to the NHS is £10.7 billion, with 60% spent on complications such as heart failure, amputations, strokes, and heart attacks. She emphasizes that early detection can prevent these complications.

Other contributors (1)
  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Commends the hon. Lady for securing the debate and declares his type 2 diabetes diagnosis, noting disparities in NHS treatment across different UK areas. Highlights that diabetes should not be a death sentence but also does not have to adversely affect quality of life.

Government Response

Karin Smyth

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris. I welcome the hon. Member for South Northamptonshire (Sarah Bool) to this place and thank her for securing the debate and sharing her personal experience. With over 4.9 million people in the UK having diabetes and 2 million at risk of type 2 diabetes, tackling preventable ill health is crucial. The Government aims to ensure best possible care for those with types 1 and 2 diabetes, supporting healthier lives regardless of location. Annual diabetes reviews cover eight processes recommended by NICE; however, only 42% received all checks in 2019 before the pandemic. NHS invested £14.5 million over two years to support up to 140,000 people aged 18-39 with additional tailored health checks for diabetes management and stigma reduction. Technology such as real-time continuous glucose monitoring and hybrid closed loop systems are critical in managing type 1 and type 2 diabetes; NHS England has developed a national strategy with guidance for phased uptake of these life-changing technologies, prioritizing children, young people, pregnant women, and adults using pumps. The Minister addressed concerns about access to GLP-1 medications like Ozempic by stating the Government works closely with manufacturers to resolve global supply issues. On prevention, Healthier You NHS diabetes prevention programme supports lifestyle changes reducing risk of type 2 diabetes by 40%. A focused engagement campaign raises awareness among high-risk groups, and the type 2 diabetes path to remission programme provides a low calorie diet for recent diagnoses. The Government looks forward to future policy making informed by ongoing studies like ELSA and University of Bristol's research.

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