Over a third of school children with type 1 diabetes do not have access to an appropriate individual healthcare plan, according to a survey by Diabetes UK.
The survey found that 34% of children with type 1 diabetes in schools did not have an individual healthcare plan, which Libby Dowling, the clinical advisor at Diabetes UK said was 'vital to a child's needs'.
She added that it was 'crucial for school nurses, paediatric diabetes nurses and the child's parents to sit down and create a plan appropriate to the child's needs while they are at school'.
'School nurses can act as a liaison between parents and the paediatric diabetes team to achieve this,' she said.
The Diabetes UK survey also found that diabetes can affect a child's social development. It showed that 14% of children had been excluded from extra curricular activities such as sports and field trips as a result of their condition.
Ms Dowling also said that there was 'certainly a large role for school nurses to play in not just caring for children with diabetes in schools, but also in raising awareness of the condition.' The charity has created a pack of resources for school nurses to help them achieve this and ensure that children with type 1 diabetes are not at risk while at school.
Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: 'Every single child with diabetes who fails to get the care they need is being held back at a time when they are already facing the huge challenge of coming to terms with a serious lifelong medical condition, which can greatly affect their health and wellbeing, so it is essential that all schools get this right.'
The Independent Diabetes Trust has created a 'passport' for parents with diabetic children to help school staff understand the condition and to be aware of potential warning signs.