<p>Improving Diabetes Services</p>

Part of 2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport – in the Senedd at 2:23 pm on 15 June 2016.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 2:23, 15 June 2016

I thank the Member for his follow-up question. Of course, we have two types of diabetes: type 1, which is not related to lifestyle factors at all, and type 2, which is, frankly, lifestyle-factor related. So, we need to deal with both of those issues. A number of children at varying ages understand that they will have type 1 diabetes and we do need to make sure that the care and support that they receive is appropriate, and also, for type 2 diabetes, we’re much more into the field of prevention. So, let me just address both of those points. On type 2, it goes across a range of public health measures; it’s not just a health and social services or even sport responsibility—there’s a whole range of other people with an issue here, for example the work that we do on healthy schools and the way that schools engage. In every school I visit in my own constituency and around the country, you see a very clear healthy eating and healthy drinking message and in particular an awareness of sugar. So, a range of things that we do to encourage people to make different choices are important. We do have to work with parents as well, because we do know that whatever children have in school, a much bigger influence takes place outside of the school gates too.

Just to reiterate the serious consequence of diabetes, yesterday Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board highlighted a woman in her 50s who’d lost her sight in one eye; she had type 1 diabetes. She didn’t manage her condition well in her 20s and 30s and had now lost sight in her eye. She’s encouraging people to take advantage of the patient education programmes that are available. There’s a broad range of people at risk, a broad range of messages and actions that we all need to take. It’s a complex issue, but one we cannot avoid.