Soaring cases of diabetes threaten to “bankrupt the NHS”, charity Diabetes UK warns.
Cases of diabetes in England and Wales have risen by nearly 60 per cent in the past decade; an additional 1.2 million adults now live with the condition compared to 10 years ago.
The figures have been extracted from NHS data by the charity, and show that 3.3 million people have now been diagnosed with the disease.
Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: “Over the past decade, the number of people living with diabetes in the UK has increased by over one million people, which is the equivalent of the population of a small country such as Cyprus.
“With a record number of people now living with diabetes in the UK, there is no time to waste – the government must act now.”
While reasons for the increase in type one diabetes are unclear, the increase in type two diabetes has been blamed on poor lifestyle.
Diabetes UK says six in 10 people in England and Wales receive the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommended eight care processes, such as monitoring blood pressure and glucose levels as well as kidney function.
The charity warns that more people with diabetes should get this standard of treatment, or risk “devastating and expensive health complications” including amputation and stroke.
“Diabetes already costs the NHS nearly £10bn a year, and 80 per cent of this is spent on managing avoidable complications,” Ms Young said.
“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.”
The charity predicts that if current trends continue, 5 million people will have diabetes by 2025.