Diabetes warning for North East despite low spend on drugs for condition

By Craig Thompson

North Tyneside has the lowest amount of money spent of drug prescriptions for diabetes.
New figures on Thursday reveal the near-doubling cost of diabetes drugs to the NHS in England over the last decade.
Experts claim this exposes a dire need for prevention of the condition and is an indictment of “years of inaction” by governments.
Around £2.6 million is spent every day on prescriptions, making diabetes the most expensive of all drug sectors.
Over the last financial year 49.7 million items were prescribed to treat and manage the condition, up from 27.1 million 10 years ago - almost one item for every person in the country.
New figures show that £956.7 million was spent on drugs for diabetes prescribed by GPs, nurses and pharmacists in 2015/16 - some 10.6% of the cost of all primary care prescriptions in England.
This is almost double the cost of 10 years ago, when it was £513.9 million, or 6.6% of the overall spend on drugs.
In the east London borough of Newham, 17.9% of money spent on drug prescriptions was for diabetes, the highest percentage of all clinical commissioning groups in the country.

That is more than double the spend in North Tyneside, which at 7.4% was the lowest.
In Warwickshire North, the cost per person treated in 2014/15 was £415, the highest in England, compared with the lowest of £239 in Northumberland.
Despite the seemingly little amount spent on prescriptions for the drugs, there has been a worrying increase in the number of people living with diabetes in the North East, prompting a major health warning for 2016.
More than 6,000 new cases of the condition were diagnosed in the region during the past 12 months compared to the previous year.
Around 90% of diabetics have Type 2, where the body does not produce enough insulin or that which is produced does not work properly.

It is linked to lifestyle factors such as being overweight, and health campaigners say a huge proportion of the near-£1 billion cost to the taxpayer is being spent on a condition that could be prevented.
Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum charity, said: “Individuals with Type 1 diabetes (when the body cannot produce insulin) need treatment. There is no doubt about that.
“But a significant part of the near-£1 billion will have been spent treating people with Type 2 diabetes - with the root cause of that condition, obesity, being entirely preventable.
“The cost of treating Type 2 is an indictment on years of inaction by successive UK governments to stem the epidemic we now have. Undoubtedly the figures will escalate until Whitehall produces a workable strategy to help curb more people from getting fat.”
The Royal College of Nursing also called for a “greater focus” on preventing Type 2 diabetes.
Helen Donovan, its public health professional lead, said: “There is a close association between the increase in obesity and Type 2 diabetes and the prevention of both is essential. Encouraging healthier lifestyles would not only save the NHS money, it would improve countless lives.”
Not properly managed, diabetes can lead to sight loss, limb amputation, kidney failure and stroke.
The Department of Health said it is taking “strong action” on tackling the condition, establishing the world’s first diabetes prevention programme.
A spokeswoman said: “We know childhood is the best place to start with a healthy lifestyle. Our comprehensive childhood obesity strategy will build on measures we are already taking, like the soft drinks industry levy.”
More than 4,500 people are diagnosed with diabetes across the UK every week, according to Diabetes UK, with 235,000 over the last year.”

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/diabetes-warning-north-east-despite-11702352