Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about diabetes care and prevention.

Diabetes is one of the most serious public health challenges facing our country. Diagnoses have doubled in the last 15 years and the number of people living with the condition is estimated at close to five million. A further 13.6 million people are now at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Concerted action is needed to improve care and treatment, alongside better access to technologies that will support self-management. Investment in public health and measures to support the prevention of type 2 diabetes are also crucial.

COVID-19 has had a huge impact across society. Diabetes UK research shows a third of people with diabetes had no contact with their healthcare professional team during the pandemic and one in three people are waiting for a cancelled appointment to be rescheduled.

NHS waiting lists stand at a record 6.1 million and hundreds of thousands of patients are waiting more than a year for treatment. While the pandemic has taken its toll, I believe the reality is twelve years of Government underfunding and mismanagement weakened our health service and left it exposed as COVID-19 hit. We entered the pandemic with a record 4.5 million people on waiting lists and 100,000 vacancies across the NHS.

As a result of years of underinvestment, the Government is raising taxes to pay for health and care. But I am concerned this is the wrong decision at the wrong time as families in our constituency and across the country face a cost of living crisis. Ministers have also refused to guarantee that their plan will be sufficient to clear NHS backlogs.

In my view, the taxes that pay for health and care should be fair across the generations and all forms of income; those with the broadest shoulders should pay more.

I urge the Government to ensure diabetes care and prevention is a priority in the recovery from COVID-19. We need a credible strategy to bring down waiting lists and tackle backlogs, alongside a long term workforce strategy to recruit, retain, and train the staff we need to ensure everyone living with diabetes receives the care and treatment they deserve. This should be supported by improved access to new technologies that will allow people living with diabetes to better manage their condition.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this issue.

Yours Sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP