A Positive Step Forward for People with Type 1 Diabetes Travelling by Air
We are delighted to share an important development for our campaign and something I have been working on with Professor Partha Kar who has now announced the below to the NHS National Diabetes Programme Team.
A standard Diabetes Travel Medical Letter has now been issued by Professor Kar on behalf of the NHS National Diabetes Programme Team, which can be made available through the NHS App, giving people with diabetes easy access to this important documentation whenever they travel.
The template letter can be added by your GP to the Documents section of your GP health record, where it can then be viewed through the NHS App.
Secondary care teams can also share documents through their hospital's Patient Engagement Portal, enabling patients to access them through the NHS App in a similar way to other medical documents.
This may sound like a relatively simple change, but it could make a real difference for people living with Type 1 diabetes. It means having important medical confirmation readily available on your phone when travelling, while reducing repeated requests for travel letters and the associated workload for both patients and healthcare professionals.
The letter (read here) can also be used alongside the Medical Device Awareness Card, providing additional reassurance and supporting smoother journeys through airport security for people travelling with diabetes technology.
This is another encouraging step towards making air travel simpler, safer and less stressful for people living with Type 1 diabetes and travelling with medical devices.
A huge thank you to Professor Partha Kar for continuing to support positive change.
Please share this with anyone living with Type 1 diabetes who may benefit.
Kind regards,
RACHEL CRAWFORD
rachel@mdacard.com