Written question asked by Bob Spink (Conservative) on Friday, 6 October 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 9 October 2006. It was answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Labour) on Monday, 16 October 2006 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Diabetes

Question: (1) To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give advice to primary care trusts on the number of glucose sticks diabetic patients should be prescribed in order to maintain proper control over their blood sugar levels; and if she will make a statement;

Answer: There are no national clinical guidelines on the number of times a person should test their blood glucose using blood glucose testing strips.As with any medicine or appliance the responsibility for deciding what treatment is best for the patient rests with the clinician concerned, in consultation with the patient, informed by the patient's clinical history.Individual need, choice and circumstances dictates the most appropriate form and frequency of testing as, given the clinical nature of diabetes, there are times when it is appropriate for people to test more frequently than is usual for them.There are two key trials evaluating the efficacy of blood glucose monitoring in the management of diabetes. The Oxford trial, sponsored through the NHS Health Technology Assessment process, is due to report in 2007 and the DESMOND (Diabetes Education and Self-Management for Newly Diagnosed) trial, sponsored by Diabetes UK, is due to report in the winter of 2009.The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is also currently reviewing its guidelines for Type 2 Diabetes–Management of blood glucose–which will be published early next year.

Secondary information