Plans to encourage more competition in the NHS and the fragmentation of services could have an adverse impact on people with diabetes, a charity has warned.
Changes proposed by the government in the new Health and Social Care Bill could mean that patients will no longer be able to hold a single healthcare body accountable for their care, Diabetes UK said.
The charity has called for changes to be made to the bill to require bodies to co-operate to give patients integrated care. It also wants diabetes experts to be involved in the commissioning of care.
Chief executive of Diabetes UK Barbara Young said continuity of care was important for patients with diabetes.
She said: “Under the new proposed arrangements, different aspects of diabetes care could be commissioned by different bodies and services could fail to be joined up round the patient.
“The continuity of care which is vital to people with diabetes risks being damaged by fragmented commissioning arrangements and competition policy that could undermine partnership working and integrated care.”
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