Inpatient diabetes care requires adequate support, not just HbA_1c screening

Routine admission screening of patients is desirable, but financial and personnel support for diabetes services is essential

Hyperglycaemia is common among hospitalised patients and is associated with increased complication rates, longer admissions, more frequent re‐admissions, and higher mortality.1,2,3,4 Its detection can also be an opportunity for identifying undiagnosed diabetes. Trials have confirmed that improving inpatient glycaemic control reduces complication rates,2 and guidelines recommend that the blood glucose levels of all patients be checked on admission; if hyperglycaemia is detected, glycated haemoglobin (HbA_1c) should also be measured.2,5 HbA_1c assessment can help differentiate stress‐induced hyperglycaemia from undiagnosed diabetes, and also aids evaluation of treatment adequacy in people with known diabetes. Nevertheless, the identification of undiagnosed diabetes in hospitalised patients is sub‐optimal.