Practices should be able to keep money saved from putting patients on low carbohydrate diet, GP says

GPs who advise patients on the benefits of a low carbohydrate diet to manage type 2 diabetes should be entitled to keep all or part of any resulting savings in their drugs bill, an independent forum of MPs and peers has heard.

David Unwin, a GP in Southport and the Royal College of General Practitioners’ champion for collaborative care and support planning in obesity and diabetes, made the proposal on 28 March at the All Party Parliamentary Food and Health Forum. The forum is conducting a hearing on diabetes and diet, chaired by the Labour peer and former London GP Nicolas Rea.

Unwin said that his practice’s spending on type 2 diabetes drugs (excluding insulin) was £4194 (€4940; $5260) less per 1000 …