Preseli Pembrokeshire Assembly Member, Paul Davies is supporting calls from Diabetes UK to ensure that all people with diabetes in Wales receive the full nine annual health checks from their GPs, as previously recommended by the Assembly's Health and Social Care Committee. Currently, over 6,500 people have diabetes in Pembrokeshire, a figure which has increased by a quarter in the past five years; and the delivery of these checks is patchy across west Wales.
Mr Davies said, "Sadly, not all diabetes patients across west Wales are getting their full annual health checks, which means that they are not receiving the safest and most effective diabetes service. With the number of people with diabetes set to rise, and at a current cost of £500m each year to the Welsh NHS, this is a problem that simply cannot be ignored."
He added, "The Welsh Government must be ensuring that all GP surgeries are offering health checks to diabetes patients and monitoring health board performance in this area. More could and must be done to ensure people with diabetes have access to services effectively and efficiently."