City hit by 1000 new cases of diabetes each year

Diabetes is becoming a rising problem for health officials in the city of Plymouth, with new figures showing that around 1,000 new cases of the disease across the local population are being reported each year.
Latest data from the Retinal Screening Register revealed that 12,409 people in Plymouth – or 5% of the city’s population – have either type 1 of type 2 diabetes. Of those, 1,074 were diagnosed with their condition in the last financial year alone.
In addition, a further 3,072 people in the area are estimated to have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, putting them at increased risk of developing serious complications such as heart disease or diabetic retinopathy.
“Getting people diagnosed as soon as possible means they can begin treatment and avoid these devastating health problems,” said Graham Cooper, South West regional manager for Diabetes UK.
“Making sure that people at risk of type 2 diabetes are aware of this and of what they can do to reduce this risk can cut down the number of people who will go on to develop the condition.”
Lizzie Moore, lead nurse and diabetes services co-ordinator at Derriford Hospital, said: “The Plymouth Diabetes Centre at Derriford Hospital is working very hard to reduce the risks of diabetes . We have a team of consultants, diabetes specialist nurses, a diabetes dietician and a specialist podiatrist who work with colleagues within the hospital and in the community.”
“We run specialist clinics here in Derriford Hospital, dedicated to supporting those with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and we also provide monthly clinics in our local community.”