When the Committee reported on adult diabetes services in 2012 it found that
"progress in delivering the recommended standards of care and in achieving treatment targets has been depressingly poor. There is no strong national leadership, no effective accountability arrangements for commissioners, and no appropriate performance incentives for providers."
The percentage of the adult population in England with diabetes has more than doubled between 1996–97 and 2013–14. Since 2012, the number of adults with diagnosed diabetes has, on average, increased by 4.8% a year. The number of people with diabetes is expected to rise to 4.2 million people by 2030, affecting almost 9% of the population. The estimated cost of diabetes to the NHS in England in 2010–11 was £5.6 billion, 69% of which was the cost of complications, such as amputation, blindness, kidney failure and stroke.
NHS performance in delivering the nine recommended care processes in the National Service Framework for Diabetes has not improved since the Committee reported on diabetes services in 2012. There are still 22,000 people estimated to be dying each year from diabetes-related causes that could potentially be avoided.
The Committee is concerned that performance in delivering key care processes and achieving treatment standards is no longer improving. This inquiry challenges the Department of Health, the NHS and Public Health England on the lack of progress in improving patient care and support.