Diabetes UK warns there is urgent need for more effective diabetes care after NHS figures reveal cases of the disease have soared by 59.8 per cent in a decade.

There are now 3,333,069 people diagnosed with diabetes – an increase of more than 1.2 million adults compared with 10 years ago. But at present only six in 10 people with diabetes in England and Wales receive the eight care processes recommended by the National Institute for Health Care and Excellence (NICE).

The eight care processes are the checks identified as essential in high quality care for people with diabetes and include monitoring blood pressure, blood glucose levels and kidney function. Poorly managed diabetes can lead to devastating and expensive health complications such as kidney disease, stroke and amputations.

Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK said: “We need to see more people with diabetes receiving the eight care processes recommended by 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, heart attack or stroke.”

Around 90 per cent of diabetes cases are type 2 – the form of the disease closely linked to diet and obesity. This highlights the importance of preventative methods and improving education options for patients so they understand how they can give themselves the best chance of living a healthy life.

Barbara 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.”