Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14411 on 9 February 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Officials meet regularly with Diabetes Scotland in order to identify areas of shared interest and opportunities for collaboration. Representatives from Diabetes Scotland sit on the Scottish Diabetes Group (SDG) and its sub-groups.

The Scottish Government has funded the ALLIANCE to develop a network of people living with diabetes. The experience of people within this network is key to the success of implementing the Diabetes Improvement Plan.

People living with diabetes are represented on SDG sub-groups and are co-producing specific pieces of work such as the diabetes education pathways and prescribing guidelines.

In 2021, the Scottish Diabetes Group commissioned a short life working group to produce recommendations on mental health screening and pathways for people living with diabetes. They published their recommendations in February 2022 and the Scottish Diabetes Group continues to work with clinicians, NHS Boards and wider Mental Health policy teams to determine the best routes of implementation.

Mental health and wellbeing awareness for health professionals will also form part of the ‘Once for Scotland’ Diabetes Education Pathways, which are currently being developed by a short life working group formed through the Scottish Diabetes Education Advisory Group (SDEAG).

As part of the Scottish Diabetes Group, we have a sub-group focusing on projects specific to pregnancy and gestational diabetes. This group, alongside SCI-diabetes leads, are working on linkage opportunities with the maternity app, BadgerNet. This is an ongoing project and requires collaboration between many technical and operational teams.

Most women with pre-existing diabetes, be it Type 1 or Type 2, can anticipate a successful pregnancy and birth of their baby. However, having diabetes does require careful planning before conception and extra appointments throughout pregnancy due to higher risks involved for both mother and baby. Some NHS Boards already offer counselling within Combined Diabetic Antenatal Clinics (CDANC), and we have established networks for diabetes specialist teams and health psychologists to share good practice in this area.

Data to determine rates of improvement is held on SCI Diabetes. Discussions are ongoing to determine whether this should become part of future annual Diabetes Surveys.

As part of the Scottish Diabetes Group, we have a sub-group working specifically on pregnancy related projects. The pregnancy group are working closely with SCI-Diabetes leads to develop specific measures for the dashboard. These will help us to identify where and when improvements are being made and ensure we utilise the data to identify future opportunities or risks.

As part of the Scottish Diabetes Group, we have a Scottish Diabetes Foot Action Group (SDFAG) which is comprised of clinicians from across the country with an interest in diabetic foot complications. We have also funded a part time role of National Diabetes Foot Co-ordinator.

SDFAG has worked closely with the SCI-Diabetes team to develop an Ulcer Management System to record and manage all episodes of Foot Ulceration occurring in individuals with Diabetes. The SDFAG supports teams to record all episodes of new foot ulceration , by completing a series of mandatory fields.

These mandatory fields must be completed, as a minimum requirement, for every new diabetic foot ulcer at first presentation. Standards across Scotland ensure that every individual with diabetes who develops a new foot ulcer should be seen within a multidisciplinary foot clinic or by a Podiatrist within 2 working days and must be recorded on the SCI-Diabetes system. This pathway is known to reduce the risk of major amputation.

The information requested is not held centrally.

This information is not held centrally. However, the Scottish Diabetes Education Advisory Group (SDEAG) has been working with undergraduate medical education partners in order to ensure that appropriate education on diabetes is included in the curriculum. The Inpatient Sub-Group of the Scottish Diabetes Group has also been working to improve the ‘Think, Check, Act’ training module hosted by Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

The Type 2 Prevention Framework has also provided opportunities for several professional groups to participate in continued professional development, including training on trauma informed care and the psychological impact of overweight and obesity on diabetes management.

Some of the information requested is not held centrally. The Scottish Diabetes Survey records the information requested from 2015 onwards and can be found at: https://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/publications/#survey-docs.

The Scottish Diabetes Survey 2021 is due to be published this month, February 2023.