PEOPLE with diabetes could soon be able to have their cake and eat it, thanks to a pioneering North-East scheme.

The project has proved such a success that it could become the standard approach to managing people with insulin-dependent diabetes.

More than 50 people with diabetes took part in a pilot scheme at North Tyneside General Hospital called Dafne (Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating).

It works by teaching people to control their diabetes by adjusting their insulin dose so that they can eat whatever they like.

This approach to treating people is already established in Germany but it is unknown in the UK.

Dr Sue Roberts, a consultant at Northumbria Healthcare's Diabetes Resource Centre, said this new approach to managing patients was so successful it could transform the lives of people who need regular injections of insulin.

"The preliminary results in the 141 people who took part in the original trial showed many benefits for the patients. Not only could they eat more flexibly, but they also felt more in control, had a better quality of life and were more satisfied with their treatment.

"This is a great benefit for the patients and, we believe, for the NHS, because it will reduce the number of expensive long-term health problems."

About 200 people with insulin-dependent diabetes are being trained to adjust their medication.

Northumbria Healthcare co-ordinated the pilot, which also included patients in Sheffield and London.

It is now up to the National Institute of Clinical Excellence to decide whether the new approach should be made available nationally.