E-news: Test diabetes patients in GP surgeries to slash hospital bills, says DoH tsar

The government's diabetes tsar has urged practices to spend more time on vital diabetes checks in order to improve management of the condition and avoid hospital admissions.

GPs should be taking advantage of regular contact with these patients to carry out the full set of nine NICE-advised tests, according to Dr Rowan Hillson, the DH's national clinical director for diabetes.

Speaking at a diabetes seminar in London, Dr Hillson said: ‘These tests are not rocket science. Why are people not getting them?’

Ensuring the tests are done could cut the numbers presenting to hospital as emergency admissions, she said.

Her comments follow last year’s National Diabetes Audit, which showed that while 86.6% of type 2 diabetes patients had their BP measured, only 52.9% had all nine of the key health tests in 2009/10.