Hansard

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this evening's debate and congratulate David Stewart on securing a members' business debate on this important topic.

Some members may recall that I, too, secured a members' business debate on diabetes a few years ago. That debate was the first time—and, I think, the last time—that the then Lord Advocate spoke in a debate in this chamber on a topic that was outwith the justice field. Colin Boyd wanted to participate to highlight the effect that diabetes had had on his life. His speech clearly demonstrated the wide-ranging impact of diabetes in our society. There cannot be a family that has not been touched by diabetes in some way.

I know only too well the difficulties and challenges that diabetes can cause within a family. Those difficulties are why it is vital that our NHS provides support, care and clinical treatment to those who suffer from the illness. Previous initiatives such as the launch of the Scottish diabetes framework and the associated action plan, as well as the ban on smoking in public places, have all been positive but, as others have said, we can still do much more to improve diabetes services in Scotland. Today's debate highlights just one way in which we can do that.

Insulin pumps will not be suitable for all diabetes sufferers. The treatment requires commitment on the part of the patient, as well as proper support from clinicians. It is also true to say that substantial costs are associated with this form of treatment. However, as the briefings from Diabetes UK and Roche Diagnostics clearly demonstrate, considerable savings to the NHS can accrue as a result of people using an insulin pump. The savings come from a reduction in the need for on-going clinical interventions for problems such as severe recurrent hypoglycaemic episodes and hyperglycaemia. Diabetes UK estimates that such a reduction could result in savings of up to £23,500 per patient over two years. That can be offset against the cost of maintaining a patient on an insulin pump.

Not only are we not delivering on that potential saving and improved service, we are not even achieving the number of people that NICE estimates should be accessing the service in Scotland. That point has already been made, and I am sure that it will be made again.

Unfortunately, Lanarkshire, where I live and part of which I represent as an MSP, has some of the worst health statistics in Scotland. That is certainly true with regard to type 1 diabetes; the number of people in Lanarkshire who suffer from the condition is 18 per cent above the Scottish average. However, the percentage of those people with an insulin pump is only a quarter of the figure for the rest of Scotland and a tenth of the UK figure. In short, Lanarkshire has one of the worst problems with diabetes and one of the poorest records in supplying insulin pumps. That situation must be addressed and I urge the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing to work in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire to ensure that the people of Lanarkshire are not disadvantaged in comparison with other parts of Scotland or the UK.

I very much welcome the steps to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes in Scotland, but in the provision of insulin pumps we are clearly lagging behind the rest of the UK and are far behind many other parts of the world. It is important that the cabinet secretary listens to Diabetes UK's concerns and provides funding and resources to ensure that the Scottish people get the very best possible care and treatment for their diabetes.