So it has come to pass. A doctors strike. I will be very honest – I don't like it, I don't want it and I sincerely hope the future ones won't go ahead. But we are where we are – and plenty of rainforests have been burnt down already trying to justify or refute the reasons for the dispute – so let's not go there.
One has seen on Twitter and elsewhere a lot of conjectures as to what will happen on the strike days – some genuine, some political, some trying to show themselves as neutral – a whole lot of reasons – so thought I would make an attempt at doing a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions – in case you didn't know) as to what will happen to patients.
To start with a clear statement... there is NO precedence of this. So all theories, scare stories are only conjectures at best – as are the opinions below. They are based on experience to a degree and an assumption that seniors will do their bit to help their junior doctor colleagues. To read more, click here.
An annual health check which is used to diagnose type 2 diabetes has helped prevent 2,500 heart attacks or strokes in the last five years, according to new figures. To read more, click here.
More than four million people now have diabetes in the UK mainly due to a rise in type 2 diabetes, according to a leading charity. To read more, click here.
A major type 2 diabetes prevention drive is set to help 100,000 people once it is rolled out nationally, according to a leading doctor for the condition. To read more, click here.
Shorter needles provide “better outcomes” for obese people with diabetes, according to new research.
The study, compiled by Bergenstal et al, has dispelled the widely held belief that longer needles were the best way for overweight people to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. To read more, click here.
In November I was honoured to have been invited to the World Diabetes Congress (WDC) in Vancouver to deliver a presentation about the Diabetes Online Community (DOC), in particular peer engagement. To read more, click here.
Laser treatments could provide “future alternatives” to conventional therapies for diabetic retinopathy, a study has suggested. To read more, click here.
People with type 2 diabetes should be given exercise “prescriptions” that are adapted to the individual and specify the type, duration, intensity and frequency of workouts, according to a new review. To read more, click here.
Reducing the amount of sugar in sweetened drinks by 40 per cent could prevent 300,000 cases of type 2 diabetes over the next two decades, according to new research. To read more, click here.
People with diabetes are being invited to help set the agenda for a conference which is hosted by people who have the condition.
Attendees of the 2016 People With Diabetes Conference (PWDC16) will be asked to put forward suggestions for discussion topics, which they will then chair themselves. To read more, click here.
