§ Mr. McGradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will make it his policy that the Department of Health Services and Public Safety implement the CREST Taskforce Report on Diabetes in full; [129902]
(2) when a regional implementation group, as outlined in the CREST Taskforce Report on Diabetes 2003, will be established; [129903]
(3) what resources will be allocated to take forward the implementation of the CREST Report; and on what timescale. [129904]
§ Angela SmithThe Department recognises the importance of the need for high quality care and early detection for people with diabetes and the need for prevention, and welcomes the publication of the CREST report. The report contains a wide range of recommendations covering the full spectrum of the condition from screening for people with a higher risk of developing diabetes to the prevention and treatment of the disease.
The prevention of diabetes through the health promotion message of healthy eating, physical activity, not smoking and greater public awareness of diabetes, its symptoms and associated health risks is extremely important. I am confident that existing health strategies such as Investing for Health, the Physical Activity Strategy and Nutrition Strategy will contribute significantly to this. I have also emphasised the need to secure improvements in the management of chronic disease and I have asked local health and social care groups to develop projects within their locality to secure improvements in conditions such as diabetes. I have also made resources available to improve the detection and treatment of diabetes-related eye disease and this is being taken forward by a regional working group. These significant steps underline my desire to improve services for people with diabetes.
My Department is currently considering how it can best address the other recommendations in the CREST report within the current and planned resources available to it.
§ Mr. McGradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what cross-border co-operation projects have been planned on improving the quality of life for people with Type II diabetes. [130799]
§ Angela SmithThe Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland and the Department of Health and Children in the Republic of Ireland are to jointly support a project aimed at improving the management and quality of life of Type II diabetic patients through community pharmacies and raising public awareness of the condition.
The project, which is expected to run until December 2005, is to be funded through the INTERREG IIIA Community Initiative.
§ Mr. McGradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of each local health and social care group plans in relation to diabetes as outlined in Priorities for Action 2003–04. [130800]
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§ Angela SmithOne of the key actions set out in Priorities for Action 2003–04 was a requirement for each of the 15 local health and social care groups to develop at least one project to increase the capacity of primary care to address chronic diseases such as asthma or diabetes in the primary care setting and reduce pressures in the hospital sector. It is a matter for each group to decide which area of chronic disease management should be targeted in the light of local priorities. In the event, 14 groups are taking forward projects which focus on diabetes. The exact nature of the projects varies from group to group and they are at different stages of development.