Developing the diabetes workforce: no longer a priority?

The 2004 publication of the Wanless Report, Securing serviceable Health for the Whole Population, highlights emblem 2 diabetes to be a major health belong to as all of us working with clan with diabetes are so keenly aware (Wanless, 2004) This report forceed diabetes as being a major public health relate to of 2006. 'At last!' we may vociferate 'thank goodness diabetes care is getting a certain number of national recognition!'

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It is with astonishment, therefore, that in a certain number of areas we are witnessing a lack of investment in ongoing learning opportunities for practitioners. Anecdotally at least, these restrictions take the form of inquiry leave embargoes (mentioned in British Medical Association, 2006) and constraints in workforce disentanglement funding. These measures appear to be cost-cutting exercises attributed to the NHS's well-documented financial deficit or to have their foundations in the re-configuration of Strategic Health Authorities earlier this year. In my opinion, this state of affairs is not ameliorated by means of a Health Secretary who appears to be disconnected with the rife NHS employee's concerns--let me remind you of the famous phrase 'the NH has just had its best year ever' (BBC 2006)

Diabetes prevalence

Diabetes is a growing moot point Recent evidence suggests that nation with diabetes will account for 505% of the population in England by the agency of 2010 (Yorkshire & Humber Public Health Observatory [YHPHO] and the National Diabetes Support Team [NDST] 2006) and that there are 12 times as many family with type 2 diabetes than stamp 1, with type 2 diabetes making up 92% of the total diagnosed population of diabetes (YHPHO and NDST 2006)

Against this backdrop, and given the restriction in ongoing educational opportunities, in what manner can we maintain a dynamic and informed workforce for diabetes care where practitioners are beneath pressure? Is diabetes not sexy enough for workforce investment, other than through the pharmaceutical giants? Currently, for many practitioners, this source of funding is the sole one which enables further research However, this support cannot alleviate the leave embargoes apparently enforced by the agency of many trusts.

This situation is of particular frustration at a time when the pilot stage of the national diabetes specialist nursing stage is around halfway to completion (see the progres report article written through Clare MacArthur and myself that begins upon page 208).

Access to education

As diabetes gains national public health recognition (and certainly the majority of healthcare practitioners will have contact with someone with diabetes upon a virtually daily basis), on what account is investment not being made to shelter and support the workforce in developing distinction in care and maintaining care upon the cusp of evidence-based delivery? like short-termism in NHS planning affects and frustrates us all in our diabetes care delivery (Buchan and Edwards, 2000)

Education should not be seen as a luxuriousness but a necessity, as part of the clinical governance agenda of life-long learning (Thomas et al, 2005) Having access to good-quality education for healthcare practitioners is an essential composing of the clinical governance agenda of engaging with life-long learning and supporting and developing beneficial practice and a quality marker for employer to gauge practice against.

It will assuredly benefit people with diabetes, in their rencounters with practitioners, to know that the care they receive is informed and the best options for them are provided. For education providers also, it is vital to make secure that the currency, vibrancy and vitality of the programme is suitable and clinically focused to exhibit good diabetes care skills within the participants.

It is for these reasons that all healthcare practitioners, as part of the multi-professional approach to diabetes delivery, ne more support to continue to disentangle their practice and also to hold fast engaged and dynamic under a collection of vapor of current NHS bureaucracy.

BBC (2006) NH 'enjoying best year'-Hewitt. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4935358. stm (accessed 29062006)

British Medical Association (2006) discourse of Staff and Associate Specialists 2006--agenda. http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/SASConf06agenda (accessed 29062006)

Buchan J Edwards N (2000) Nursing numbers in Britain: the argument for workforce planning. British Medical Journal320(7241): 1067-70

Thomas P McDonnell J McCulloch J et al (2005) Increasing capacity for innovation in bureaucratic primary care organizations: a whole a whole participatory action research project. Annals of Family Medicine 3(4): 312-7

Wanless D (2004) Securing advantageous Health for the Whole Population. Her Majesty's Treasury, London. Available at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/consultations_and_legislation/wanless/consult_wanless04_final.cfm (accessed 29062006)

Yorkshire & Humber Public Health Observatory, National Diabetes Support Team (2006) Diabetes: lock opener Facts. Yorkshire & Humber Public Health Observatory, York