Over the next 40 years, ministers have warned, a doubling in the amount of elderly suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and lung disease will take place. Additionally the NHS will have a hard time coping with increased costs from the treatment of those with long term illnesses that are required to have regular GP appointment and at times admitted to hospitals.
A rise to 38 million sufferers of arthritis, high blood pressure, lung disease and diabetes, from the current 15 million is expected by 2050 says the Department of Health. Currently accounting for more than 70% of hospital beds and over 50% of GP appointments the proportions for these patients will rise significantly in the coming years.
The Government is proposing that patient’s monitor, at home, their conditions by checking their breathing, blood pressure and sugar levels instead of appointments every few weeks with GP’s. They claim the number of unnecessary appointments could be greatly reduced if these people with long tern conditions could text or email their results every day.
Ministers also say that the likelihood of these patients needing admission to the hospital would be less since a daily check would give them indications as to whether they needed to treat themselves before their conditions worsened.
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