A CHARITY has criticised health bosses for an investment freeze that has denied diabetics in some parts of the region access to a vital patient education programme.

The programme is popular with patients and is credited with reducing hospital re-admissions and complications, including potential limb amputations.

Since October, the programme has been suspended in the Weardale, Teesdale and Sedgefield areas of County Durham, while it is available to patients in Darlington, Durham City, Chester-le-Street and Derwentside.

Linda Wood, the manger of Diabetes UK in the North-East and Yorkshire, said of the decision: “We know people who attend these course do benefit. It prevents illhealth and saves the NHS thousands of pounds in the long run.”

A few years ago Diabetes UK, the leading diabetes charity, developed a programme called Diabetes Education and Self-Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed people (Desmond).

Aimed at helping people with diabetes manage their condition more effectively, it has been credited with improving care for patients and reducing the number of people needing hospital admission.

As long ago as 2003, it was backed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which recommended that Desmond should be available for all patients with diabetes at the time of diagnosis.

In 2006, Desmond courses were funded across all areas of County Durham. New funding plans were agreed in September last year, but in October NHS County Durham, the group that commissions healthcare for County Durham residents, stopped all new funding.

It has led to the suspension of Desmond programmes in the Durham Dales and Sedgefield areas, while the programmes offered in the rest of County Durham and Darlington are currently running without proper funding.

Peter Giggins, 63, from Darlington, who has benefited from the Desmond programme, said: “It really does help. It gives you lots of good tips on how to look after yourself and what food you should eat.”

A spokesman for NHS County Durham and Darlington said: “Due to the success of the Department of Health cardiovascular risk screening programme, we are identifying an increasing amount of people with diabetes across County Durham and Darlington.

“This has resulted in an issue with increased demand upon the Desmond diabetes educational programme.

NHS County Durham and Darlington remain committed to improving the lives of people with diabetes and aim to have the situation resolved in 2010.”