§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of diabetics were offered screening for diabetic retinopathy in the last year for which figures are available. [130326]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThese data were not collected prior to April 2003. Since this date, information on screening for diabetic retinopathy is being collected from the national health service. Annual figures will not be available until May 2004.
§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the NHS is taking to develop support and promote the management of insulin-dependent diabetics by means of dose adjustment for normal eating. [130469]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonDose adjustment for normal eating (DAFNE) is an educational programme aimed at people with type 1 diabetes to enable them to take better control of their diabetes and to teach them how to adjust their insulin injections to fit their life and food rather than the other way around. The Department provided £500,000 to support the development of the DAFNE programme in the financial year 2002–03. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has recommended that 1279W structured education be offered to all people with diabetes at the time of diagnosis and then, as required, based on a formal, regular assessment of need. They also considered that the DAFNE programme may be a suitable option for individuals with type 1 diabetes, being one means of enabling people to self-manage this condition.
§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average intervals were between follow-up appointments at diabetic clinics in each primary care trust in the last year for which figures are available. [131032]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThis information is not collected or recorded centrally.