Number of amputations rising amid diabetes fears

New data from Public Health England has shown that the number of major lower limb amputations has once again risen, with 7,545 major amputations over the past three years.

The figure, taken between the years 2015-2018, is compared with a figure of 6,957 between 2012-2015. The overall number of major amputations is increasing, as the number of people with diabetes rises, but PHE says that the rate among people with diabetes is not significantly increasing.

The rate of major amputations caused by diabetes is greatest in white males, with the data also showing that there is significant variation in the risk of amputation across the country.

The findings reveal that: patients from England had 147,067 hospital stays for diabetic foot disease during the three-year period of 2015-2016 up to 2017-2018; the average length of stay in hospital over the same period was eight days and the total number of days spent in hospital for diabetic foot disease was 1,826,734; 85,837 individual patients were admitted for foot disease and 33 per cent of these had more than one stay over the three years; and the rate of major amputations was greatest among men (male rate 10.5/10,000 population-years compared with females 4.9; and the white population rate of 9.6/10,000 and non-white 2.6).

The NHS Long Term Plan, launched in January, included a commitment to double the NHS DPP over the next five years, therefore supporting 200,000 people each year to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Jenifer Smith, Programme Director at PHE for the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, said: “It’s a tragedy that so many people are unnecessarily having to face the life-changing consequences of diabetes, such as amputations. Survival rates and quality of life for people following such major surgery can often be poor. This shouldn’t be happening when the condition is preventable.

“The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme has been hugely successful in providing help and support to those at risk of developing the condition, which is why it’s now being doubled in size. It’s important that those providing the service need to work closely with their local public health teams who know their community, to ensure they’re reaching and meeting the needs of those at greatest risk. Type 2 diabetes remains the greatest health challenge in this country and many adults are in danger of developing this deadly but preventable disease.”