Long-term Strategy for diabetes needed
- Task force to develop a 10-year National Diabetes Strategy required
Labour’s Health Spokesperson Duncan Smith TD has called on the Government to establish a 10-year National Diabetes Strategy and a National Diabetes Registry.This comes on November 14th, World Diabetes Day.
Deputy Smith said:
“Today, on World Diabetes Day, I am calling on Government to establish a taskforce to develop a 10-year National Diabetes Strategy. The taskforce could advise Government on best-practice policy to ensure optimum care for every person living with diabetes in Ireland.
“In addition, Government must also establish a diabetes registry, which will enable the health service to better understand the scale of care requirements. It is incredible that right now neither the Minister for Health or the HSE is able to accurately tell us how many people in Ireland are living with diabetes. This is a no-brainer.
“We know that for those living with diabetes, frequent daily glucose monitoring is essential. Continuous glucose monitors (CGM) technology is absolutely life-changing for people with diabetes. Finger pricking multiple times a day can be exhausting and for many young children and those with special needs, it can be traumatising.
“In Scotland, 92% of people with diabetes use a CGM sensor, whereas in Ireland it is approximately 50%. This is unacceptable. We need to widen the access to CGM technology so more people can access it.
“In Labour’s alternative budget, we called for more resourcing for people with diabetes and other chronic diseases to reduce pressure on acute hospital services. If the Government is serious about saving money in the health service, we need long term thinking.
“I urge the Government to listen to the voices of people with diabetes and establish a 10-year National Diabetes Strategy and a national diabetes registry.”