The Independent Diabetes Trust (IDDT) Announced Today That It Has Joined Forces With The MedicAlert Foundation To Help Save The Lives Of People with Diabetes

Online, October 2, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The two charities have teamed up to help raise awareness of the need to wear medical identification, to help people live with diabetes safely.

The Trust aims to encourage more people with diabetes (particularly those who are taking insulin), to wear identification bracelets that provide details of their condition and the treatment that they are receiving. In an emergency situation it is vital that paramedics and hospital staff know immediately what medication a patient is using, and wearing a MedicAlert identification bracelet will help them to do so.

As part of the charities' collaboration, they will be running a joint awareness campaign and training programme which supports MedicAlert's Medical Services Team. They will update the medical staff on the latest diabetes issues, treatments and medication and any other relevant information that will be useful in emergency situations.

Jenny Hirst, the Trust's Chair commented; 'as a patient-centred organisation, we are very aware of the need for people with diabetes to be safe, especially in an emergency situation. It is essential that people with diabetes wear identification that provides details of their condition and the treatment they are receiving. While everyone hopes that an emergency will never happen, it may and in this situation, those administering treatment need to know about the insulin regime and/or medication that is being taken.'

Tanya Butler, MedicAlert's Commercial Director agreed, 'diabetes is our largest condition area, so people with this condition are very important to us. Our joint campaign with the Trust will go far beyond just encouraging people to wear our identification bracelets. It will also give people with diabetes (or any other 'hidden' medical condition), complete peace of mind. As we know, in an emergency, every minute counts, so being able to give emergency staff detailed medical information about the patient means that they can treat them without any unnecessary delays, which could save the patient's life.'

The two charities will be providing free patient leaflets and further information on their joint websites. The medical staff training programmes will begin in September 2012.

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Notes to Editors

The Trust is an independent charity, supporting people with diabetes and their carers. It produces a wide variety of free patient support materials and is reliant totally on voluntary donations.

For more information contact:
Bev Freeman : Telephone: 01604 622837 Email: [email protected] / www.iddtinternational.com

The MedicAlert Foundation is a global charity that provides medical ID jewellery for people with 'hidden' medical conditions or allergies. The bracelets, etc. display the International medical symbol to quickly identify the patient's condition to speed up treatment in an emergency. A detailed medical record is also held on our secure database, which can be accessed 24/7 by emergency services.

For more information contact:
Tanya Butler: Telephone: 0800 581420 Email: [email protected] / www.medicalert.org.uk