"I am worried about my son's diabetes care - or lack of it"

My son has type 1 diabetes and is under the care of the Queen's Medical Centre. He is not looking after himself properly despite everything we have tried to do.

He has now stopped going to appointments after poor experiences at the diabetes clinic at the QMC, e.g. continually being kept waiting by the doctor even though he was the first appointment in the evening clinic, being spoken down to, the doctor even heavily insinuated that I had lied for my son once when I went with him when he was younger.

My son changed jobs and had to work until 10pm each evening. I rang the diabetes unit to ask for a change to a morning clinic and was told by a 'professional' that my son would have no choice in his clinic time once he turned 25! But, she said she would send a morning appointment date: this has never arrived.

I approached our GP to ask that they take over the HbA1c test, the yearly blood tests and care of my son to ensure he was being monitored but they refused. I then rang the hospital consultant's secretary to explain the difficulties I was having just getting my son to agree to go back to the clinic after his experiences but despite leaving two messages on her answering machine she did not return my call.

I then called the diabetes unit at the QMC again and told the lady who answered the telephone how worried and concerned I was about my son not being checked for over a year. I told her about his previous experiences and that he would not take time off work to attend evening clinics. I begged her to help me and she promised she would call me back after speaking to the consultant but she didn’t.

I have even driven to the Stapleford clinic, as I was told they had a diabetes unit, but they refused to take him as he was not in the catchment area.

My son lost faith in his diabetes care several years ago and now I understand why. As a mother, I am frightened and scared of my son’s future without some professional support. I don’t know what to do now or where to turn.