The incidence of diabetes has increased exponentially over the last 50 years, meaning that the management of diabetes solely by specialist healthcare professionals is no longer feasible. Since the 1970s, primary and community healthcare professionals have increasingly treated patients with diabetes. Advances in diabetes equipment and new treatments have further enabled patients to be treated more conveniently and this has enhanced their quality of life. There has also been an evolution in health service strategies for diabetes — notably growing acknowledgement of the benefits of intensive treatment for patients with type 2, as well as type 1 diabetes, and the now well-recognised importance of effective shared care programmes between primary and secondary healthcare professionals. Thus, the organisation and delivery of care for patients with diabetes has improved dramatically since 1952.
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