Every year on 14th November, World Diabetes Day raises awareness of diabetes in the UK. With around 4.3 million people in the UK currently living with a diagnosis of diabetes and almost 1.3 million people potentially living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, early detection, awareness, and education are more important than ever.
What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic condition in which your blood glucose (sugar) level is too high. This may be due to one of the following reasons: –
- Your body is failing to produce enough insulin
- The insulin produced is not effective
- Your body cannot produce any insulin
There are two main types of diabetes:
- Type 1 diabetes is where your body cannot produce any insulin
- Type 2 diabetes is where the insulin your body produces is not effective, or where your body cannot produce enough insulin
Gestational diabetes can develop during pregnancy, causing excessively high blood sugar levels. This usually goes away after giving birth.
What Are Some of The Potential Symptoms of Diabetes?
- Urinating more often than usual
- Drinking a lot more fluids than usual
- Feeling more tired than normal
- Unexpectedly and unintentionally losing weight
Diabetes can be diagnosed with a quick finger-prick test. It is vital that diabetes is diagnosed early to avoid any complications arising from it.
Diabetes UK, the British Diabetic Association, provides valuable information and advice about treatment, practical guidance on managing the condition, and support services for people living with diabetes: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/living-with-diabetes.
Potential Medical Negligence and Diabetes
All too often, individuals experience medical negligence related to diabetes due to one or more of the following factors:
- Delay in the diagnosis of diabetes
- Misdiagnosis
- Inadequate treatment or ongoing care
- Failure to refer to a secondary care provider
If diabetes is mismanaged, the consequences can be devastating, causing further complications and serious or even fatal health conditions, such as:
- Loss of eyesight
- Kidney failure
- Amputation
- Strokes
- Heart disease or heart attack
If you believe your medical care was compromised, legal support may be available.
How Bridge McFarland LLP Medical Negligence Solicitors Can Help
At Bridge McFarland LLP, our medical negligence specialists support clients who believe their diabetes diagnosis has been delayed or mishandled. If you or a loved one has experienced delays in diagnosis or treatment of diabetes, our team is here to support you and provide legal guidance.
Please seek the answers you deserve, and telephone our experienced medical negligence team on 0800 987 8800, or make a free online enquiry here, and we will contact you. Alternatively, email us at medneg@bmcf.co.uk.