Experts call for EU-wide strategy to stem huge increase in diabetes

Mary Dundon, Political Reporter

The World Health Organisation has estimated the number of diabetes sufferers will have doubled by 2020.

This will prompt politicians to call on the EU today to put diabetes firmly on the public health agenda and set up a co-ordinated approach to it.

The conference is being organised jointly by the International Diabetes Federation and the Diabetes Federation of Ireland and will be officially opened by Health Minister Micheál Martin.

There are 200,000 diabetes sufferers in Ireland but most of them have to wait at least 17 months for a first appointment with a consultant.

Junior Health Minister Ivor Callely promised yesterday to secure funding for one GP pilot project in Dublin that has so far treated 720 patients waiting to se a consultant.

A group of Dublin GPs set up the scheme seven years ago but said yesterday they would have to cut the service at the end of April because their local health board could not fund it.

Dr Jim Kealy, one of the GPs running the scheme said the Northern Area Health Board officials had told them they did not think funding would be forthcoming after they put the proposal to the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA).

The Department of Health knew this project needed funding two years ago. "If someone does not stand up and say enough is enough nothing will be done," Dr Kealy added.

Most diabetes suffers are waiting 17 months to see a specialist and there has been a threefold increase in the number of patients referred to Beaumont Hospital, Dublin in the past seven years, according to consultant Dr Chris Thompson.

"The Share Care Scheme is vital to patient care until we get sufficient staff," Dr Thompson added.

Junior Health Minister Ivor Callely said the department is waiting for a proposal from the ERHA on funding for the pilot scheme.

"I would be confident that if we receive a proposal to continue the current scheme ... costed on a realistic and pragmatic basis, there would not be any difficulty in the scheme continuing," Mr Callely said.

An ERHA spokeswoman said she expected a submission for funding would be forwarded to the Department shortly.