When a GP suspects a child or young person has diabetes, they should immediately be sent to hospital and seen by a specialist on the same day. Immediate referral for suspected diabetes in children is one of the six quality statements in the newly published NICE quality standard.
NICE quality standards are a concise set of prioritised statements designed to drive measurable improvements in the 3 dimensions of quality – safety, experience and effectiveness of care – for a particular area of health or care. The new quality standard states that children and young people with suspected diabetes should be referred immediately by their GP and seen on the same day by a multidisciplinary paediatric diabetes team. The quality standard also sets out that children and young people with type 1 diabetes should be offered intensive insulin therapy to help them maintain near normal blood glucose levels.
In addition, diabetes management should include education, support and access to psychological services.
The full guidelines can be viewed on the NICE website here.
