I wanted to concentrate my remarks today on type 1 diabetes, which accounts for only 10 per cent of all people with diabetes, but accounts for 96 per cent of all children and young people who have diabetes. I know the Minister, in his introduction, did make very clearly the point that type 1 diabetes is not associated with any of the lifestyle issues that we have discussed here already today. That fact, I think, does sometimes get lost in the drive to encourage children and adults to take up healthier eating and exercise habits to avoid getting type 2 diabetes, which I think is absolutely essential, but I think that the issue of type 1 diabetes is sometimes lost in that debate.

I want to draw attention today to a constituent of mine, Beth Baldwin, who tragically lost her son Peter in 2015 when he was only 13 because of undiagnosed type 1 diabetes. This, of course, is a terrible tragedy for Peter’s family and friends and it’s even more awful when you think a simple finger-prick test that would have cost pennies could have diagnosed his diabetes.

Beth has thrown herself into campaigning to raise awareness of this silent disease that strikes so suddenly in our young people. The symptoms can be masked by flu-like symptoms, as was the case with Peter. She is working with Diabetes Cymru UK to urge health practitioners and the general public to be more aware of the symptoms, which can be easily remembered as the four Ts—about being thirsty, needing the toilet, being more tired and being thinner.

Around 25 per cent of young people diagnosed late with type 1 diabetes end up in intensive care and tragically, as in Peter’s case, for some of them, this is too late. The test kit that can diagnose the diabetes is often given to GP practices free by pharmaceutical companies, but there is no culture of routine testing as there is for blood pressure, for example.

The diabetes delivery plan takes into account type 1 diabetes and says:

‘Type 1 diabetes requires prompt diagnosis and treatment to reduce the harm associated with diabetic ketoacidosis. This is imperative for children with possible type 1 diabetes; any child who is unwell and has any features of diabetes should have an urgent capillary blood glucose check and should be referred urgently (to be seen the same day) to specialist services if diabetes is suspected.’

What my constituent would like to know from the Cabinet Secretary is: what practical measures are put in place to reinforce this message? Because I think the important issue about type 1 diabetes is education and awareness so that action can be taken swiftly. Simple things like posters, reminders, training events and maybe social media campaigns could perhaps be undertaken, and maybe are undertaken by Public Health Wales, so that the symptoms can be promoted and so that people at the primary care level are aware of what the symptoms are that can lead to such tragic results.

Is it possible to outline in what way this is being measured or evaluated to ensure that the process for diagnosing type 1 diabetes outlined in the diabetes delivery plan is being followed? What commitment have health boards made to ensure that staff are being given the knowledge and equipment they need to recognise and test children with suspected type 1 diabetes quickly to avoid the serious complications of the late diagnosis?

With the support of the Baldwin family, Diabetes UK Cymru will be launching a campaign to raise awareness of the symptoms of type 1 diabetes to the general public and healthcare professions, and I was wondering whether any support could be provided to aid this public campaign. I think, talking about type 1, it is essential that we do get this message across—that there are specific symptoms that can be recognised. We want to ensure that healthcare professionals are well aware of that and are able to act swiftly to do what they can to help prevent tragedies such as what happened to the family in my constituency.

I’d just like to end by paying tribute to the Baldwin family and the way that the tragic death has led them to campaign to try to ensure that more recognition is given to the symptoms of type 1 diabetes.