Thank you very much for contacting me about Diabetes Cymru’s new report on diabetes prevention and care improvement.
I am deeply concerned that diabetes is already a leading cause of premature mortality, doubling an individual’s of cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, it’s clear that poor treatment and late diagnosis of diabetes can lead to a whole host of other conditions including sight loss, nerve damage, kidney disease and stroke, as well as heightening the risk of getting some cancers.
My colleagues and I in the Welsh Conservatives are also troubled by the number of people who are currently waiting over a year for treatment in Wales, currently running at 1 in 4 of those on a waiting list, and I appreciate that many of these will be waiting for vital diabetes diagnosis and treatment. While the Welsh Government announced £6.5 million in March to help those with pre-diabetes and obesity, this doesn’t support the 210,000 people already living with diabetes in Wales, and those waiting for treatment.
I realise that managing diabetes can also be difficult and isolating at times, and research has shown that there are a number of ways the Welsh NHS can make it easier living with diabetes – one of which is providing more support for emotional and physical health.
It was also incredibly concerning to learn that, pre-COVID-19, access to mental health services for people with diabetes was worse in Wales than in England. Given that the UK Conservative Government not only provided £8.6 billion to Wales for the fight against COVID-19, an extra £2.1 billion in the 2021/22 Budget and announced £1.9 billion for the Welsh NHS over three years, we will continue to push the Welsh Labour Government to spend this money on improving vital health services, including proper provision for COVID-19 recovery and mental health, including for those who have diabetes in Wales.
I absolutely agree that people with diabetes should and must be able to access the routine care and support that they need, and that care should prioritised as part of the Welsh NHS’s recovery from COVID-19. As a result, my colleague, Russell George MS, the Shadow Minister for Health, will raise your concerns directly with the Health Minister, Eluned Morgan MS.
Thank you again for taking the time to write to me about this important matter.