Diabetics claim ACT's service failing them

Frustrated Canberra diabetics have spoken about what they describe as sub-standard services operated by ACT Health, with many saying they are now resorting to accessing medical care from interstate public hospitals.

Several people with diabetes have told The Canberra Times that follow-up care for people who have suffered major diabetes-related health incidents was difficult to access.

They also complained about long waits for endocrinologist and diabetes educator appointments and said that services were inadequate for young adults. The Canberra Times revealed last month that some senior doctors believe the ACT's performance in combating diabetes was shameful in comparison to other parts of the country.

Vashti Biffanti, of Amaroo, who has Type 1 diabetes, said public services were not meeting the needs of diabetics. ''You'll hear favourable comments about specific people within the system,'' Ms Biffanti said.

''But as a system as a whole, nobody's got anything good to say about it. They are failing the diabetes community because they do not have the resources.''

Several diabetics, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they travelled to interstate public hospital diabetes outpatient clinics where services were more timely and of a higher standard than those offered in Canberra.

They said that that interstate services were able to offer faster access to programs for diabetics who wanted to switch from using needles to battery-operated pumps to inject insulin.

''The type of services offered to us at [The Canberra Hospital] is minuscule,'' one woman said.

''We get a very poor service compared to almost anywhere else.''

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times

Source: The Canberra Times