Plans for diabetes treatment stalled
The Government’s own diabetes expert advisory group identified the introduction of screening as a priority to prevent blindness among those already identified as suffering from the disease.
The HSE Expert Advisory Group framework document published last November points out that savings can be made by treating patients to prevent complications. The document represents two years of collaboration between the Health Service Executive, medical specialists, hospital staff and GPs.
It proposes a treatment system that would allow patients with diabetes to live five to 10 years longer and avoid costly ill-health.
The HSE allocated €750,000 to commence the retinopathy screening programme in the west this year, but no additional staff have been recruited.
The Diabetes Federation of Ireland’s spokesperson, Dr Anna Clarke, said the stalling of the programme would result in the needless loss of sight and poor quality of life.
“Since the publication of the EAG recommendations on a framework for diabetes care six months ago, there has been a lot of talk but no action,” she said.
“The whole focus was the prevention of diabetes and its complications.
“People with diabetes need to be diagnosed promptly and access the appropriate level of care.
“Failure on either of these means the development of complications.”
Both the federation and the Irish Endocrine Society met with Health Minister Mary Harney on Monday to try and get the plan back on track.
Dr Clarke said she was hopeful that someone would be given overall national responsibility for implementing the plan.
Fine Gael’s health spokesperson, Dr James Reilly, said that while the money was available, there was a recruitment embargo so the plan could not proceed any further.
“My understanding is that it is stalled; that the recruitment ban is being used as an excuse not to roll this out,” he said.
Dr Reilly said it was a disgrace that, after three years of funding being available, the plan had fallen victim to the HSE’s ineptitude. “It is another kick in the teeth to people whose eyesight is threatened by diabetes.”
The HSE said the €750,000 was allocated to commence the national diabetic retinopathy screening programme and appoint eight staff.
The health authority claimed work was progressing on the development of the programme in the west.
It also pointed out that additional funding had been sought for the roll-out of the programme to other areas of the country but had not been approved to date.
