Education to ‘play vital role’ in reducing number of excess diabetes deaths

A renowned international diabetes centre believes that “education is a key weapon” in the battle against diabetes after a new report has revealed thousands of excess deaths in people living with the condition.

Leicester Diabetes Centre (LDC) is now urging individuals living with the condition to become more aware of diabetes and how to reduce their risk of complications.  

National programmes such as the Desmond programme can offer a wealth of knowledge to people living with the condition enabling them to feel more confident in their approach to their health, after a report published by Diabetes UK has identified a significant increase in diabetes deaths and a deeply alarming number of missed checks.

Education for healthcare professional is also critical as the report shows there were more than 7,000 excess deaths involving people with diabetes in 2022, a rise of 13 per cent from pre-pandemic levels – with data suggesting the majority of these were not attributable directly to COVID-19.

Worryingly, the situation has only worsened in the first part of 2023, with 1,461 excess deaths between January and March, three times as high as the same period in 2022. 

Laura Willcocks, at LDC, said: “This report highlights the urgent need for educating people with diabetes and healthcare professional alike, as it is a key weapon in the fight against diabetes.

“The findings underscore the critical role that education can play in helping individuals manage their condition effectively.”

She added: “By providing people living with diabetes access to education programmes, they can learn how to make informed decisions about their health, improve their self-management skills, and reduce the risk of complications.”

People with diabetes are supposed to have a series of checks, known as care processes, every year. These include things like blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, and are key to preventing serious diabetes-related complications.

Diabetes UK’s report maps just how slowly diabetes care is recovering in some parts of the country following the pandemic. It reveals:     

·       Less than half (47 per cent) of people with diabetes in England received all eight of their required checks in 2021-22, meaning 1.9m million people did not receive the care they need. 

·       Compared to the year before the pandemic (2019-20), almost 300,000 fewer people with diabetes received all eight checks.  

·       Regional variation in the delivery of these checks is huge, ranging from 25 per cent in the worst performing Integrated Care Board to 63 per cent in the best. At Primary Care Network level, the variation was even more stark, ranging from 10 per cent in the lowest performing to 86 per cent in the best. 

·       In a survey of more than 11,000 people with diabetes in England carried out by Diabetes UK, almost half (48 per cent) said they experienced difficulties managing their condition in 2022.       

Chris Askew OBE, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said: “Diabetes is relentless, and people living with diabetes need the close support and monitoring of healthcare professionals. This routine care can be lifesaving, and help prevent other serious complications such as amputations, strokes and heart disease.”

“Yet far too many people with diabetes are being left to go it alone managing this challenging and potentially fatal condition, with deeply alarming numbers of checks either missed or delayed. The Government must commit to tackling this diabetes care crisis in its Major Conditions Strategy, while local health systems should make it a priority in their plans.”

Leicester Diabetes Centre is answering the global challenge of type 2 diabetes and long-term conditions through world-leading research, education and innovation.

Based at Leicester General Hospital, the 3,000m2 centre is a unique collaboration between the University of Leicester and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Founded in 2012, the centre is home to the award-winning DESMOND and EDEN programmes; that ensure the findings of LDCs innovative research continues to achieve impact beyond the research setting.