Dr David Lipscomb, Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has contributed to the recently published All Party Parliamentary Group report on Diabetes.
Dr David Lipscomb at the House of Commons
He spoke to the group at the House of Commons about the role of clinical networks and the importance of using education to champion improvement.
The report entitled ‘Levelling Up: Tackling Variation in Diabetes Care’ is a result of a year-long inquiry into the causes and solutions to the variation in diabetes care across the country. The report makes recommendations for how better diabetes care can be secured for everyone.
Dr David Lipscomb, Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology said, “It was a great privilege to present evidence to the All Party Parliamentary Group. The increasing number of people with Diabetes presents a serious challenge to the NHS. There is a lot of great work going on to help people to manage their diabetes – but far too often, the quality of care someone receives, and consequently the outcomes they can achieve, depends on where they live. We must focus our attention on ensuring that everyone living with diabetes has the necessary skills and support to manage their condition effectively and reduce the risk of avoidable long term complications.”
There are over 4.5 million people living with diabetes in the UK and. Every week, diabetes leads to over 140 lower limb amputations, 450 heart attacks, 540 strokes and 460 early deaths.