Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd
Blue Sky Offices Shoreham, 25 Cecil Pashley Way, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5FF, UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44 (0)1273 434 943
Email: [email protected]
NHS England plans to add more diabetes incentives to the GP contract, as part of a new push for earlier diagnosis and treatment of the condition, according to Pulse.
The commissioning body disclosed the plans today as part of its ‘Action for Diabetes’ plan, a 32-page reference sheet for the NHS drawing together all the strands of work to tackle the ‘growing problem of diabetes’.
The plan includes a pledge to bring in new tools for earlier diagnosis in primary care, as well as the launch of an online survey on diabetes care that GPs will be expected to invite patients to complete.
NHS England added that it will continue to focus on improving diabetes management, which will see GPs scrutinised on their performance not only through QOF, but also through publication of practices’ achievement of diabetes checks and admissions data on the NHS Choices website.
Want fewer people developing type 2 diabetes
It also said it was committed to continue the rollout of the NHS Health Checks Programme. The document read: “Over the next few years we will continue to develop the GP contract and incentives to help identify those at risk, earlier diagnosis and incentivising active management of risk factors identified in NHS Health Checks, wherever they took place.”
It added: “NHS Improving Quality is working with primary care services to trial and roll out case-finding and decision-support tools in primary care to support earlier diagnosis across a range of conditions including diabetes.’
Dr Jonathan Valabhji, national clinical director for obesity and diabetes at NHS England, said: “The UK was recently show to have the lowest rates of early death due to diabetes out of 19 comparable countries, however, there is much more we can do to reduce the numbers of people getting type 2 diabetes and to improve the care that all people with diabetes receive.
“In the future, we want to see fewer people developing type 2 diabetes, and we want to see all people with diabetes having the support to manage their condition, with access to specialist care when they need it.’
Give each GP practice or two a diabetes specialist nurse attending regularly . That is what you are supposed to do to improve diabetic care in community. Of course, it means more investment not more odious scrutiny through QOF.