The last two years have been incredibly difficult for people with pre-existing medical conditions due to the nature of the pandemic. With no one knowing how badly Covid-19 would affect people who already suffer from a health condition, many were advised to shield and protect themselves from the virus as best they can.

Now that vaccinations and boosters have been administered and life is beginning to feel a lot more “normal” than it has done over the last couple of years, we are witnessing a huge backlog in NHS services. After the unprecedented pressure that doctors and nurses have faced, it’s no surprise that people are waiting on surgeries and appointments to go ahead now that the influx of Covid patients has reduced.

When you have diabetes, whether that be type 1 or type 2 diabetes, managing the condition, making changes to diet or routine and fitting these changes into your lifestyle can be challenging at times.

Working closely with your diabetes healthcare team is vital for effective diabetes care. Worryingly, new reports that have been published this week by Diabetes UK show that one in six patients have had no contact with healthcare professionals since before the pandemic.

The numbers prove just how disruptive Covid-19 has been for the NHS in all areas, not just A&E and the respiratory wards.

Diabetes Care & Covid: The Statistics

Due to the amount of people still waiting to see a professional, either with an issue or for a health check, if you have diabetes it is so important to be monitoring your levels yourself.

Thousands of lives are being put at risk due to delays and disruption in diabetes care. According to Diabetes UK chief executive, Chris Askew, ‘life-saving care’ such as regular blood tests must get ‘back on track’.

According to the survey, there are 4.9 million people living with diabetes in the UK, and almost half of these have had difficulties managing their condition last year. Diabetes UK conducted a survey of 10,000 patients.

More than 60% of them attributed this partly to a lack of access to healthcare. This healthcare can prevent serious illness and early mortality from the cardiovascular complications of diabetes.

In the most deprived areas of the country, this rose to 71%.

One in three had no contact with healthcare professionals about their diabetes at all throughout 2021.

1 in 6 have still not had any contact since before the pandemic.

NHS figures show that just 36% of people with diabetes in England received all their recommended checks in 2020-21, compared with 57% in 2019-20.

What does Diabetes UK say?

Diabetes UK have said that whilst the government have focused on tackling the elective surgery backlog, diabetes patients have been pushed to the back of the line.

Because diabetes patients have lost out, there is now an urgent need to get services back on track before lives are “needlessly lost”.

Chris Askew, the chief executive of Diabetes UK has called for a national diabetes recovery plan.

He said: “Diabetes is serious and living with it can be relentless. If people with diabetes cannot receive the care they need, they can risk devastating, life-altering complications and, sadly, early death.

“We know the NHS has worked tirelessly to keep us safe throughout the pandemic, but the impacts on care for people living with diabetes have been vast. While the UK government has been focused on cutting waiting lists for operations and other planned care, people with diabetes have been pushed to the back of the queue.”

Living with Diabetes

If you have diabetes yourself, or support someone who does, you will know that people can live healthy lives when they have diabetes.

However, if the condition is not managed well, people can develop high blood sugar levels, high blood pressure and high cholesterol which can then lead to vascular system issues. From there, serious complications can arise. Diabetes leads to more than 190 amputations, 770 strokes, 590 heart attacks and more than 2,300 cases of heart failure weekly.

Reducing the risk of complications is helped by self managing the condition. This can include monitoring Hba1c readings regularly, following a diet plan, losing weight, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake, reducing cholesterol and lowering your blood pressure.

However, it is also helped by support from healthcare professionals through routine care, including blood sugar measurement (HbA1c), foot checks, and blood pressure monitoring.

Research shows that the delivery of these regular checks is associated with better health outcomes, including fewer deaths, and a reduction in emergency admissions and amputations.

Diabetes and Life Insurance

The Insurance Surgery is a leading Diabetes Life Insurance expert. We understand that every circumstance is different and specialise in all types of life insurance.

We pride ourselves on finding life insurance policies for people who may have struggled in the past to get a policy through different providers. We know the best provider to approach if you have a medical condition or a dangerous profession, including finding life insurance for diabetics. 70% of customers who apply for life insurance elsewhere and get declined manage to get accepted through us.

People are often unsure if they can get life insurance if they have diabetes. However, those with diabetes are eligible for life insurance as long as the right provider is found, which is why it’s important to use a specialist broker.

It can be obtained at very reasonable premiums, meaning you can get the policy that you and your family deserve.

Our expert team can assess your individual case and find the best option for you. It’s important for anyone with dependent children, debts, or a mortgage, to have the right cover in place should anything happen.

When applying for a life insurance policy, you may be asked for the following information:

• Latest Hba1c/Mmol reading (your blood sugar level)
• Medication / treatments (e.g. diet, tablets, Insulin)
• Cholesterol readings
• Blood pressure readings
• Date of diagnosis
• Diabetes complications (e.g. Retinopathy, Neuropathy or Nephropathy)
• Height/ Weight

You can read more about diabetes life insurance and how The Insurance Surgery can help you here.

If you have diabetes and you are looking for a life insurance policy, our team of experts can help. We offer impartial advice to help you find the right provider for you.

To begin the process, fill in our online quote form here. The sooner you do, the more likely your premiums will be affordable and your application will be accepted.

If you have a mortgage or a family dependable on your wage, a life insurance policy will ensure they are financially looked after.