Each year, hundreds of thousands of Australians face a life-changing diagnosis: prediabetes, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, type 3c diabetes, gestational diabetes, LADA, MODY, steroid induced diabetes and cystic fibrosis related diabetes. These numbers continue to grow, reflecting a national health challenge that demands urgent and coordinated action.

Yet behind these diagnoses lies a quieter, deeply concerning reality - many of these individuals, particularly those living in rural and remote communities, are never referred to a Credentialled Diabetes Educator (CDE). For countless Australians, the diagnosis is delivered, but the ongoing, personalised support needed to truly understand and manage the condition is missing. CDEs are not often called upon until it’s almost too late – when people have experienced a heart attack, lost a limb or needing dialysis. Referring to a CDE is preventative medicine.

It is difficult to comprehend how, in the face of such a widespread and complex condition, so many people are not referred to a health professional specifically trained to provide holistic diabetes education and care. Many patients simply do not know that CDEs exist. At the same time, many general practice clinics do not employ or have access to CDEs, despite strong evidence demonstrating their critical role in improving health and wellbeing outcomes.

Research consistently shows that access to diabetes education leads to significantly better outcomes. People who receive holistic, person-led, structured support from a CDE are more likely to achieve optimal glycaemic profiles, reduce their risk of diabetes-related complications, and experience enhanced quality of life. Diabetes education has been associated with reductions in hospital admissions, better self-management behaviours, and improved mental wellbeing - outcomes that benefit not only individuals, communities, but the broader healthcare system.

And yet, in the midst of this growing epidemic, we face a paradox that is both frustrating and deeply disheartening. There are many newly qualified CDEs - passionate, skilled, and ready to serve - who are unable to secure employment because they are deemed to lack experience or are told they aren’t needed. At the same time, communities across Australia, particularly in rural and remote areas, are constantly advertising for CDEs whilst they watch diabetes diagnoses and related complications peak at an all time high. And during all this, the CDEs currently working clinically are so stretched they cannot see all those living with diabetes because the person with diabetes to CDE ratio is very unbalanced and unfair, to both the people with diabetes and the CDEs.

How can it be that we have both an underserviced population and an underutilised workforce?

This disconnect represents a missed opportunity to address diabetes more effectively at both an individual and population level. It is not just inefficient - it is unjust. People living with or at risk of diabetes deserve access to the right care at the right time, regardless of where they live. And healthcare professionals who have dedicated themselves to specialising in a profession that is in demand deserve the resources to contribute to impacted communities meaningfully.

Dear Honourable Mark Butler MP, all those that have signed this petition urge you to consider the following actions:

• Increase funding and incentives for general practices, particularly in rural and remote areas, to employ CDEs

• Support structured pathways for newly qualified CDEs to gain experience through supervised and funded placements 

• Raise awareness among both healthcare providers and the public about the role and value of diabetes education

• Ensure equitable and funded access to diabetes education services through telehealth and community-based programs

Addressing diabetes requires more than diagnosis - it requires lifelong education, empowerment, and ongoing support. CDEs are central to this mission, yet their potential remains underutilised.

We have the workforce. We have the evidence. What we need now is the political leadership and commitment to bridge this gap.