AQW 52379/11-16 Written question to the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (i) the number of people with diabetes broken down by Health and Social Care Trust; and (ii) how many are currently enrolled in a specialist chronic condition self-management programme.
Asked by Claire Sugden MLA on 4 January 2016
- Answered
- Written
- After due date
- Tabled
- 4 January 2016
- Answer due by
- 19 January 2016
- Answered
- 14 March 201670 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
(i) Diabetes is one of the disease registers in the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), the purpose of which is to reward General Medical Services contractors for the provision of quality care. Further information on the QOF can be found at https://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/articles/quality-and-outcomes-framework-qof-statistics-annual-report, whilst all available QOF data can be accessed on the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety’s website at https://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/articles/qof-achievement-data.
In relation to diabetes, the contractor establishes and maintains a register of all patients aged 17 or over with diabetes mellitus, which specifies the type of diabetes where a diagnosis has been confirmed. The total number of people on the diabetes register in Northern Ireland, at 31st March 2015, was 84,836. This data is collected at LCG level, as shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1 Number of people on the QOF diabetes register in Northern Ireland, 31st March 2015
| LCG | Number of people on the QOF diabetes register, at 31st March 2015 |
| Belfast | 18,786 |
| South Eastern | 14,536 |
| Northern | 21,749 |
| Southern | 16,016 |
| Western | 13,749 |
| Northern Ireland | 84,836 |
Source: Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF)
(ii) Information on the number of people with diabetes who are currently enrolled in a specialist chronic condition self-management programme is not available. Information on structured patient education programmes delivered in Northern Ireland by both statutory and third sector providers is collected by my Department on an annual basis. The most recent summary report for structured patient education programmes was published in March 2015 and provides information on structured patient education programmes delivered during 2013/14. The report can be accessed via the DHSSPS website at https://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/dhssps/pesmp-ltc-ni-13-14.pdf.
A total of 318 condition specific structured patient education programmes for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes were delivered in 2013/14, with 2,738 participants.
An exercise is currently being undertaken by my Department to collect information for patient education programmes delivered in 2014/15.