Treatment for diabetic patients is a postcode lottery with a massive variation in quality of care from one region to another, according to a report which reveals that East Anglia is faring better than most areas.

In some regions, only 6pc of people with diabetes received the recommended levels of care compared to 69pc in the highest-achieving primary care trusts (PCTs), a National Audit Office (NAO) report found.

But not a single PCT delivered the nine basic care processes, which reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications such as blindness, amputation or kidney disease, to 100pc of patients.

In Norfolk, 61pc of patients were given the nine tests which are recommended by the Department of Health (DH), which put it in the highest percentage bracket of between 60pc and 69pc for trusts in the country.

Cambridgeshire and Suffolk were placed in the second highest-performing group of PCTs, with between 50pc and 55pc of patients receiving the tests. Great Yarmouth and Waveney was in the same group, with 57pc of patients.

The worst offenders were Mid Essex and Swindon PCTs, where less than 9pc of patients received the tests in 2009 to 2010.

The report said that the DH is not holding poorly performing PCTs to account.

NHS Norfolk and Waveney says diabetes is a condition which patients routinely manage themselves, supported by their GP or practice nurse.

Dr Alistair Lipp, medical director of NHS Norfolk and Waveney, said: 'We do not rest on our laurels; all GP Practices in England are offered financial incentives to deliver all of these care processes and there are clinically-led networks across Norfolk and Waveney which promote good practice.

'We would advise all patients to attend for diabetes check-ups when invited to do so by their GP.'

Without regular monitoring and treatment, diabetics can experience complications such as blindness, amputation and kidney disease.

The authors of the report recommend that services for the growing number of people suffering from the disease are 'adequate' to help minimise additional costs which are generated by diabetes-related complications.

NHS Suffolk has been holding regular sessions to help GPs learn how to better manage difficult cases of diabetes with Ipswich Hospital diabetes consultants offering them advice.

Dr Mark Lim, a public health doctor for NHS Suffolk, said: 'Diabetes care is really important which is why we have enhanced the GP contract to include more services at locations closer to patients and why we have been buying time from hospital consultants to advise GPs on better management.'

South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon said: 'The National Audit Office couldn't be clearer. Having set standards for care way back in 2001, the Department of Health has been failing diabetes patients for over a decade.

'Only half of diabetes patients have received the recommended levels of care and estimates show that up to 24,000 people die each year of avoidable diabetes-related complications.

'This isn't good enough. The NHS's treatment standards have been in place for over a decade and it is unacceptable that they still are not being met. The Department of Health needs to do more to ensure that people with diabetes get the care they need.'

The NAO is warning an expected 23pc increase by 2020 in the number of people in England with diabetes will have a major impact on NHS resources unless the efficiency and effectiveness of existing services are substantially improved.

Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: 'It has been clear for the last 10 years what needs to happen to fix the problem, but the plan the government published on this has never been implemented.

'Action is needed now and escalating diabetes costs threaten to wreck the NHS budget so this is an issue that affects all of us, not just people with diabetes.'

kim.briscoe@archant.co.uk

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