Diabetes: Children ‘not getting recommended checks’
BBC News | 31 May 2016
Almost 75% of older children in England and Wales with diabetes are not getting key health checks, a study suggests.
Data from 27,682 children and young people showed 25.4% of 12-year-olds have the seven recommended annual health checks, such as eye screenings.
However, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, which carried out the audit, says the overall picture is one of improving care.
Charity Diabetes UK said young people must be supported in early life.
Future complications
The report looked at data from children and young people with diabetes up to the age of 24 who attended paediatric diabetes units in England and Wales between April 2014 and the end of March 2015.
Nearly all had type 1 diabetes requiring daily injections of insulin.
The 2014/15 National Paediatric Diabetes Audit of youngsters in England and Wales found that those achieving “excellent diabetes control” – equivalent to a blood glucose level of less than 7.5% – rose from 15.8% in 2012-13 to 23.5% in 2014-15.
It showed that 23% were now reducing their risk of future complications from the disease.
