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Diabetes: Orthopaedics

Volume 494: debated on Tuesday 16 June 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase awareness of the risk of amputations for people diagnosed with diabetes. (279731)

Reducing the number of amputations resulting from diabetes relies on good management of and services for people with diabetes. The Diabetes National Service Framework sets out the overall strategy for preventing long-term complications of the condition. This has also been supplemented by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance, which recommends that people with diabetes should be offered foot examinations by trained personnel as part of their annual review. It also recommends that local national health service organisations have systems in place to identify people who may be at risk of developing foot complications and to offer them preventative foot care.

However, it is for local NHS organisations to commission a comprehensive service for people with diabetes that includes podiatry services.