Diabetes Services

Merchant City Medical Practice offers diabetes services that are suited to the needs of individual patients, and not compromised by target-setting.

NHS clinics are bound by strict “Quality and Outcome Framework” targets, where your doctor may encourage you to aim for control that may be inappropriate for your type of diabetes – one major example being an HbA1c target of 7 or less which is not only difficult to achieve, but can also result in potential harm and significant weight gain. Doctors often prescribe patients with multiple medicines in order to adhere to the QOF targets, and these patients are at risk of a high pill burden and weight gain. Merchant City Medicine also believes that these targets are unnecessary, even harmful. There is little evidence to point out the physical benefits of having HbA1c of less than 7.5, despite the aim of the NHS contract to push patients’ HbA1c less than 7. Some drugs used to treat diabetes have been shown to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and it is the opinion of our practice that these should be avoided at all costs.

Here at Merchant City Medical, we also believe that the treatment of hypertension in association with diabetes needs very careful and specific management and we are able to consult patients on suitable treatments.

Merchant City Medical provides an annual diabetic check-up that includes blood tests, weight assessment, urinary protein testing, blood pressure checking, pure blood sugar level checking, cholesterol checking, physical examinations and eye examination. This comprehensive service costs £250.