Patients need more help, it is admitted

Experts have called for the quicker diagnosis and better management of the disease.

Researchers argued it would lead to the lives of patients being improved and curb the level of health problems which develop.

The treatment was "too fragmented" and services should be better co-ordinated.

The review found, though, that most health boards provided a good service for patients who had developed the complications which can arise from the disease.

I agree entirely that more needs to be done to involve patients in their own care Malcolm Chisholm Health Minister

It said there should be better organisation in an effort to help people with diabetes lead as normal a life as possible and patients needed to be more involved in their own care programmes.

Researchers also called for a switch from crisis intervention and for the management of patients' treatment to be boosted.

Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm welcomed the conclusions but said: "The Scottish Executive takes diabetes very seriously.

"I am pleased that the report's findings show that the care of people with diabetes in Scotland is generally of a very high quality.

'Dedicated' staff

"The report also praises the commitment, enthusiasm, dedication and hard work of staff involved in providing diabetes services."

But he admitted: "There is clearly room for improvement.

"The most significant message is that services are too fragmented and need to be better co-ordinated in order to address the complexity of care needed by people with diabetes."

Mr Chisholm added: "I agree entirely that more needs to be done to involve patients in their own care."

Some 150,000 people in Scotland suffer from diabetes.

Another 90,000 may have the condition without knowing it and that is said to be putting a strain on services.