Our new data shows that an urgent intervention is needed in diabetes care and type 2 diabetes prevention to lower the number of people living with diabetes or prediabetes.
One in five adults in the UK now live with diabetes or prediabetes, and we are calling on the government to address the hidden health crisis we are facing.
Our new diabetes prevalence figures show that there are now 4.6 million people in the UK who have a diagnosis of diabetes. This is an all-time high. This figure is up from 4.4 million people last year.
Additionally, an estimated 6.3 million people live with non-diabetic hyperglycemia, more commonly known as prediabetes, but some are not aware of this. If left untreated, prediabetes can develop into type 2 diabetes.
A further 1.3 million are living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.
This means that more than 12 million people in the UK, or one in five adults, have either diabetes or prediabetes.
We want to see investment in better care for all diabetes types
We have written an open letter to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer and the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, to ensure early intervention in diabetes care and the prevention of type 2 diabetes are at the heart of the government’s plans.
As the government finalises its 10-Year Health Plan for England, this is the perfect opportunity to tackle this crisis head on.
We want to see the government commit to continued and increased investment in better care for all types of diabetes, including more support for people newly diagnosed with the condition as well as better provision of annual diabetes health checks, which are critical to catching complications early.
There are several serious complications that can develop if type 2 diabetes remains undiagnosed and untreated. These complications are the same and as serious for people with type 2 as they are for those living with type 1 diabetes.
Of the 4.6 million now living with a diagnosis of diabetes in the UK, about 8% have type 1 diabetes and 90% have type 2. The remaining 2% have different, rarer types of diabetes.
The right support at the earliest possible opportunity
We also want to ensure that people who are unaware they are living with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes have the right support at the earliest possible opportunity. One way this could be achieved is through the government improving the delivery of NHS health checks and ensuring they reach those most at risk.
Additionally, we want the government to further invest in vital prevention support for those identified with prediabetes or at high risk of type 2 diabetes, such as through the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme.
We made these calls in our submission to the government’s NHS 10-year plan at the end of last year where we also included a clear focus on issues needing sustained improvement in type 1 diabetes care including access to technology and diabetes care for children and young people.
The open letter to the Prime Minister and Health Secretary calls on the government to take action to tackle the diabetes crisis. Add your voice to this call and sign the letter.
Colette Marshall, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK said:
“These latest figures highlight the hidden health crisis we’re facing in the UK, and underline why the government must act now. There must be better care for the millions of people living with all types of diabetes, to support them to live well and fend off the risk of developing devastating complications.
“With more people developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes at a younger age, it’s also critical that much more is done to find the missing millions who either have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes but are completely unaware of it. The sooner we can find and get them the care they need, the more harm we can prevent.”
You can check your risk of type 2 diabetes by using our free, online Know Your Risk tool. It takes just a few minutes to complete and advises you on your risk and suggests next steps to help reduce your risk.
