Parents forced to leave their jobs to provide care

MANY parents of youngsters with diabetes have been forced to quit work or cut their hours to provide care, according to a report published today.

Almost half (46 per cent) of primary pupils questioned by Diabetes UK said their mother or father had stopped working or cut their hours.

Type 1 diabetes usually develops in adolescence and youngsters rely on vital insulin jabs that must be given at certain times of the day.

Almost one in three (29 per cent) secondary school pupils questioned also said a parent had reduced their hours or given up work.

A total of 661 children with Type 1 were questioned for the report, which also revealed that 65 per cent of primary and 87 per cent of secondary pupils think school staff do not have enough training in diabetes.

If blood glucose levels fall too low or get too high due to missed injections, people with Type 1 diabetes can fall into a coma and are at risk of death.

Douglas Smallwood, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said lessons must be learned from the case of Sam Linton, who died this year following an asthma attack at school during which no teacher called 999.

He said: "The tragic death of Stockport pupil Sam Linton illustrates the urgent need for the new government to address the long-standing failings in support of children with long-term medical conditions in UK schools."

He added: "It is completely unacceptable that parents of children with diabetes are forced to forfeit their careers and risk financial hardship because of medical policy failings in schools. It is vital pupils have the correct support to control their condition within the school setting if they are to protect their short and long-term health."

Around 20,000 children under the age of 15 have Type 1 diabetes in the UK and an estimated 2,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.