Table 3.

Recommendations suggested by focus group participants to overcome barriers faced by those with diabetes and/or hypertension

Target	Recommendations
Self	⇒ Practice moderation, allowing occasional indulgences
Practitioners	⇒ Improved attitude ⇒ Take the whole patient into account ⇒ More empathy for patients dealing with lifestyle challenges ⇒ Provide more information
Health Care System	⇒ Better customer service especially at polyclinic pharmacies and with appointment scheduling. ⇒ Improve continuity of care ⇒ Special care and priority for patients with diabetes and hypertension comparable to that given to asthmatics ⇒ Patient education to improve self-management skills ⇒ Introduction of a patient version of diabetes and hypertension guidelines
Wider society	⇒ Lower cost "healthy" foods such as fruits and vegetables ⇒ Access to exercise facilities -affordable, available and supervised exercise programmes ⇒ Support and education groups aimed at patients and their families ⇒ Education of the general public so that they may assist people with diabetes e.g. in emergencies, and as a means of primary prevention (school programmes to influence eating habits, prominent bill boards like those for AIDS prevention)