£1bn diabetes crisis amid surge in cases

Number of sufferers is now at record levels

RECORD numbers of Scots suffer from diabetes fuelled by obesity and lack of exercise – costing the NHS up to £1billion a year.

Figures from the Scottish Diabetes Survey 2014, released at the start of Diabetes Week, show there were 276,430 people registered with several forms of the illness in 2014, up by 8,200 on the previous year.

Around one in ten sufferers in Scotland (29,802) live with Type 1 diabetes while 88 per cent – 244,050 – have Type 2.

Type 2 can be caused by obesity but Type 1 diabetes is thought to be genetic and means the body cannot produce its own insulin, stopping proper regulation of blood sugar.

An estimated 45,500 Scots are also thought to be living with undiagnosed Type 2.

Last night Scottish Tory health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said: ‘As the numbers continue to grow, we are likely to see more people suffer potentially dangerous health complications linked to the disease.

‘The fact that the number of cases in Scotland is rising at an alarming rate year-on-year cannot be ignored.’

Jane-Claire Judson, national director of Diabetes Scotland, which released the figures, said: ‘Since 2008 there has been a 25 per cent increase in the number of people living with diabetes in Scotland.

‘A major issue facing people living with diabetes is the lack of provision and access to good diabetes education.

‘Managing diabetes without this education is like asking someone to drive a high-performance car without any instruction.’

People with diabetes can develop serious health complications – including lower limb amputation, blindness, and stroke.

But up to 80 per cent of complications could potentially be avoided through better management of the condition.

Currently, NHS Scotland spends £1billion a year treating diabetes, most of it on avoidable complications. Now Diabetes Scotland is calling on the NHS to ensure people living with diabetes are given effective support.

Recent NHS figures show Scotland getting fatter, with the average dress size for women now 18, while men’s waists have hit an average of 38.6 inches.

The rapidly soaring number of plus-sized Scots could see thousands die an early death from cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Meanwhile, separate figures last year showed soaring numbers of diabetes sufferers have had feet and legs amputated – up by 31 per cent from 521 in 2011 to 683 in 2013.

These operations come at a high risk, as 139 patients suffering from diabetes and a build-up of fat in the arteries have died on the operating table in just four years.

Last night, Public Health Minister Maureen Watt said: ‘We know that the number of people living with diabetes in Scotland is increasing.

‘However it is important to recognise that there is no definite increase in the number of new cases of diabetes which suggests people are l i ving longer with the condition.

‘We absolutely recognise the importance of good quality information and education to help people control their condition.’

‘Alarming rate year-on-year’