Diabetes cases more than double in a decade

The number of people living with diabetes in the UK has soared by almost 60 per cent in a decade, according to a new study by leading charity, Diabetes UK.

The charity has warned that the exponential growth in numbers reflects an urgent need for effective care and prevention for people living with diabetes.

Chief executive of Diabetes UK, Barbara Young, commented: "Over the past decade, the number of people living with diabetes in the UK has increased by over one million people. With a record number of people now living with diabetes in the UK, there is no time to waste – the Government must act now.

“We need to see more people with diabetes receiving the eight care processes recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). It is unacceptable that a third of people living with the condition do not currently get these, putting them at increased risk of developing complications, such as amputations, a heart attack or stroke.”

According to the National Health Service (NHS), diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high. Statistics have revealed that there are 3.9 million people, at present, living with diabetes in the UK, with an estimated five million people by 2025.

The NHS has identified that Type 1 accounts for roughly 10 per cent of all adults living with diabetes and can be treated with daily insulin doses. Although it can be developed at any age, Type 1 diabetes usually appears before the age of 40, while becoming increasingly common in children.

Furthermore, Type 2 diabetes currently accounts for between 85 and 95 per cent of all people living with diabetes, and can be treated with a healthy diet and increased physical activity.

However, findings from Diabetes’ UK study have suggested that only six in ten people living with diabetes in England and Wales receive the eight care processes recommended by NICE. These process checks are essential for high quality care and include blood pressure and blood glucose level measurements, as well as kidney function monitoring.

The study found that if the checks are withheld, poorly managed diabetes can lead to devastating and expensive health complications such as kidney disease, stroke and amputation.

In response, Diabetes UK has urged the Government to take action to ensure that individuals living with diabetes receive the eight care processes, reducing their risk of further health complications, while minimising NHS healthcare costs.

Ms Young, added: “Diabetes already costs the NHS nearly £10 billion a year, and 80 per cent of this is spent on managing avoidable complications. So there is huge potential to save money and reduce pressure on NHS hospitals and services through providing better care to prevent people with diabetes from developing devastating and costly complications.

“The NHS must prioritise providing better care, along with improved and more flexible education options, for people with diabetes now, and give them the best possible chance of living long and healthy lives. Until then, avoidable human suffering will continue and the costs of treating diabetes will continue to spiral out of control and threaten to bankrupt the NHS. Now is the time for action.”