Tom Gordon MP demands action from the Government to improve Diabetes care
Tom Gordon, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has attended a drop in event in Parliament about Diabetes across the UK, and for the launch of Diabetes UK’s 10 year vision. Diabetes UK also provided constituency-level data on diabetes in Harrogate and Knaresborough, revealing that there are over 5 and a half thousand people living with diabetes in the constituency.
Having formerly worked with the Type 1 Diabetes charity Breakthrough T1D, and now serving as chair of the Diabetes APPG, Tom takes a keen interest in the topic. 1 in 5 adults in the UK live with either diabetes or pre-diabetes, and the increasing number has been described as an “epidemic”.
Diabetes UK was also joined by MPs and diabetes patients to hand in an open letter petition to 10 Downing Street urging the Government, and in particular the Prime Minister and Health Minister, to take action to improve diabetes care on the NHS. The letter also calls on them to ensure that diabetes care is integral to its 10-year plan for the NHS.
Diabetes UK have also highlighted the need for more wrap-around care, to integrate services so that diabetes patients can access all necessary care in one place. This would be similar to the T1DE pilot services that have been operating around the country over the last couple of years. In Parliament, Tom successfully campaigned to have these services extended and provided with more funding to keep them going.
Commenting, Tom said:
“Diabetes levels are only going up, and improving the services available is an absolute necessity. As the Government looks to launch a new 10-year plan for the NHS, ensuring that more integrated diabetes care is included is essential.
“Diabetes UK have produced a vision that lays out the groundwork for improving care for patients, and the Government must learn from it. All healthcare is essential.
“I will continue to work with the diabetes charities in my role as the chair of the Diabetes APPG to pressure the Government to act to improve diabetes healthcare for the millions of people living with this disease across the country, and the more than 5,000 in Harrogate and Knaresborough.”
ENDS
