Hansard

I congratulate Clare Adamson on securing this debate on a very important issue that touches the lives of and impacts on so many, especially here in Scotland, where more than 6,000 families are known to be affected.

At the beginning of December last year, I attended an event at Dynamic Earth to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the JDRF. I did so to support my constituents Helen and Malcolm Taylor, who in 2012 tragically and needlessly lost their teenage daughter Claire to undiagnosed type 1 diabetes. The Taylors, in seeking to ensure that some small good emerged from a tragedy that has impacted the lives of all the family, have organised events to fundraise for the JDRF and to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes. Let me take this opportunity to express my admiration for the way in which Helen and Malcolm have gone about that and how they have conducted themselves, especially given the specific circumstances around Claire’s passing.

I also note how struck I was by two contributions that were made to the 30th anniversary event at Dynamic Earth. The first of those contributions was from the First Minister, who has very clearly maintained a passion for tackling type 1 diabetes from her days as health secretary. The second came from a 12-year-old type 1 diabetes sufferer called Katie Shaw, who captivated the audience as she explained how research has helped her and her younger sister.

I came away from Dynamic Earth genuinely uplifted because what we heard all round was a story of progress and hope—a story firmly rooted in Tayside. As Clare Adamson’s motion mentions, the JDRF is funding research into type 1 diabetes at the University of Dundee, as is the Scottish Government.

The main project is initially receiving $1.7 million from the charity. The scientists involved in the project are conducting the biggest study of its kind in Europe. They are looking at a new hypothesis that an inexpensive drug with a simple treatment regimen can prevent type 1 diabetes. The study aims to contact all 6,400 families in Scotland affected by the condition, with a view to expanding into England at a later date. Children aged five to 16 who have a sibling or parent with type 1 diabetes will be invited for a blood test to establish whether they are at high risk of developing the disease. If they are, they will be asked to take part in the trial. Researchers will then examine the impact of administering metformin, the world’s most commonly prescribed diabetes medicine, to young people in the high-risk category. If successful, the large-scale trial could explain why the incidence of type 1 diabetes has risen fivefold in the last 40 years and provide a means of preventing it.

Another area in which Dundee is at the forefront of tackling diabetes is the SCI-Diabetes system, which is based in the city. The JDRF, as we have heard, cites this as the jewel in the crown of Scotland’s arsenal to fight type 1 diabetes. SCI-Diabetes provides a fully integrated shared electronic patient record to support treatment of NHS Scotland patients. With the right safeguards in place, it can also be a great tool for researchers studying patterns in type 1 or looking to recruit people to trials.

There is much to be optimistic about in getting to the root cause of type 1 diabetes and finding a cure, but we are not there yet and as long as there is no cure, we must do what we can to make the lives of those with diabetes easier. That is why I so warmly welcome the recent announcement of £10 million of funding from the Scottish Government for insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring equipment. There are now 3,200 insulin pumps in use in Scotland, which is an increase of 400 per cent since 2010 and is thanks to £7.5 million in previous funding from the Government. The new tranche of funding will build on that over the next five years and will help people to better manage their diabetes. Beyond that, the JDRF states that, one day, there will be

“a world without type 1 diabetes”.

I will conclude on those positive and hopeful notes.