Patients will now be routinely screened for diabetes
In a national first, patients at Blacktown and Mt Druitt hospitals will now be routinely screened for diabetes as part of their overall medical assessment.
A pilot program in Blacktown Hospital Emergency Department last year revealed 70 per cent of patients who did a blood test had a high blood sugar level.
Nola Roche, 40, recently discovered she had diabetes during a routine screen at Blacktown Hospital.
The Mount Druitt resident has a family history of diabetes but had no idea she had also developed the condition. “I think the routine testing is a good idea; I would never have found out I had type 2 diabetes otherwise,” she said.
Western Sydney Local Health District chief executive Danny O’Connor said early detection is vital in improving health outcomes and quality of life for people with diabetes.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE – 12 Jul 2016 St Marys Star, Sydney
