South Shields MP throws support behind diabetes screening campaign

Residents of the coastal town of South Shields will be screened for diabetes today as part of a nationwide campaign aimed at raising awareness of the disease and preventing complications through early diagnosis and treatment .
A mobile diabetes testing unit will be parked up at the junction of King Street and Ocean Road between 11am and 4pm to provide a free check-up service for people in the borough.
Quick and simple tests will be conducted in privacy by qualified professional health staff. And joining local residents will be South Shields MP David Miliband who, along with South Tyneside Council and NHS South of Tyne and Wear, is supporting the health campaign.
“It is great news that the screening for diabetes bus is in South Shields,” the Labour Party politician said.
Latest regional figures show that rates for both types of diabetes mellitus – type 1 and type 2 – are rising, with an estimated 7,821 people living with either condition in the South Tyneside area. This equates to 5 per cent of the regional population, which is higher than the UK average of 4.3 per cent.
Type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity, accounts for around 85 per cent of all diabetes cases in South Tyneside, while type I (or insulin-dependent) diabetes accounts for the remaining 15 per cent.