Scottish readers (and I know you exist) will be interested that Scotland’s SIGN Diabetes Management Guidelines Consultation is now taking place. Aileen at IPAG Scotland reminds us that any responses from the pancreatically challenged hoards need to be submitted before 16th October 2009.
In particular, the section on pump therapy (4.3.1) looks like it was written back in the Dark Ages of diabetes care and isn’t all that helpful to anyone in Scotland considering taking up pump therapy in the next ten years.
So have a look at the draft guidelines at http://www.sign.ac.uk/guidelines/drafts/diabetes.html (especially that thrilling 4.3.1 bit) and bash in a response giving them your views. Our beloved health authorities need our help and guidance to make sure they get it right!
iPAG’s official response can be viewed here
http://www.ipagscotland.co.uk/component/content/article/37-general/67-sign-draft-guidance-on-diabetes-management-now-available-for-comment
We are extremely concerned with the content of the draft guidance and are contacting MSP’s alerting them that if something along the lines of the draft is passed it would greatly reduce the number of adults and children in Scotland that would be eligible for pump therapy.
We are also worried that the decision-making process cannot be entirely transparent, as we believe neither the submitted responses nor their consideration will not be put in to the public domain.
@Aileen Thanks for posting Aileen – anything stricter than the NICE guidlines is a bit mad really.
Yeah it is. What is worrying me the most is that technology is coming on leaps and bounds and Scotland will fall deeper into the Dark Ages in diabetes treatment, if we can’t even get a basic pump. It won’t be financially viable for new companies to invest in services and support to have their products available here. Wish I could see a bright side to all this, but I just can’t 🙁