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Foreword

The Diabetes National Service Framework and its subsequent Delivery Strategy lay out standards of service and ways of achieving them that will result in a world-class diabetes service for patients in England. It was recognised at the outset that this would not be achieved overnight and that a ten-year time scale would be required for the existing inequalities in service provision and outcomes to be overcome.

When the Diabetes NSF was published it was, and remains, in the vanguard of moving the patient to the heart of the NHS. It describes a system of care where the person with diabetes is at the centre of decision making. One where healthcare professionals work in true partnership with people with diabetes - jointly designing and delivering individual care to meet individual needs and choices.

However, diabetes is for life. The central role that people living with diabetes have in managing it day by day, 365 days a year is also recognised within the NSF. This approach to all long-term conditions is reflected in Supporting People with Long term Conditions and the Choosing Health White Paper, published last year. These acknowledge not only the role that health services and other agencies play in providing good care but also in providing the information and support to enable people to become more responsible for the way they live their lives and the possible impact on their own health.

Taken together the focus on patient involvement and self-management require considerable change to the way many services are delivered. An evolutionary approach is required that builds on the existing excellent work that is being done but that transforms itself to meet the requirements of the new agenda.

It is heartening that this report contains so many examples where this approach is producing considerable improvements in the services provided to people with diabetes. Where patients are becoming truly involved in their own care, where they are joining with clinicians and managers to redesign services to meet new demands, where the need for new skills and ways of working are being identified and met, and where multi-disciplinary working is tackling the often complex health requirements of people with long-term conditions.

All of this is a tribute to the skills, experience and commitment of those working in the diabetes community. I am confident that the year ahead will see even more progress made towards attaining the NSF Standards and improving the care of people with diabetes.

The RT Hon John Reid MP
The Secretary of State for Health

• Download Improving Diabetes Services - The NSF Two Years On (PDF, 1385K)