ABSTRACT
Diabetes mellitus is common, especially in certain ethnic groups such as Asians and Afro-Caribbeans, and those of Middle-Eastern origin. In some racial groups, such as Pima Indians, the problem reaches enormous proportions, up to 30-50% of the population eventually developing diabetes. In the UK, diabetes is of great medical and economic significance. Diabetic retinopathy is, for example, the commonest cause of blindness in the UK. Some 25% of patients requiring renal replacement therapy by dialysis and/or transplantation have renal failure due to diabetic nephropathy. With the increasing tendency to accept older and more dependent patients for such treatment, there has been a marked increase in the percentage of diabetics on renal replacement programmes. Both nephropathy and retinopathy in diabetes can be alleviated and, to some extent, prevented by good medical care. Self-evidently, medical care which falls below an acceptable standard may have disastrous consequences for the patient and may lead to successful claims for compensation.
