NHS data reveals diabetes hotspots

Data published by the NHS has show that the prescriptions for type 2 diabetes has risen by a third in England in the last five years, with the London borough of Newham having twice the national average of prescriptions.

The research highlighted that the London borough had three of highest prescribing areas, with Tower Hamlets and Harrow and Newham in the top 10.

Other areas on the list included East Lindsey, South Holland, Tendring, Nuneaton and Bedworth, North Warwickshire, Oldham and Sunderland.

In an interview with the BBC, Krishna Sarda, the engagement communities manager for Diabetes UK, said: "In London and the East Midlands there is a very large BME (black and minority ethnic) population and ethnic minorities are between two to four times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes."

“One of the consequences of doing a lot of prevention and raising awareness is people go to their GPs to get a blood test done.

"So the greater the numbers in the population demographically - and the campaign work that's happened in London and East Midlands - you'll have more people coming into the register as being diagnosed with type 2.

"It's a very positive thing that people are picking up in the media, our campaign and other campaigns going on. I think GPs are becoming more aware that maybe one of the things they should do for their patients when they come in among other things is to get a HbA1c test done for them.

"Which means we don't have people walking around silently carrying that condition and sometimes only realising when it's too late sadly."