169 amputations a week as a result of diabetes

Analysis by the charity Diabetes UK has found that 169 people a week are having to undergo amputations as a result of diabetes.

Diabetes affects almost 3.7 million people in the UK. Between 2014 and 2017, 26,378 people had lower limb amputations linked to diabetes marking a 19.4 per cent increase on the three years previous. The charity says that unhealed ulcers and foot infections are the main cause of diabetes-related amputations.

Diabetes UK is urging NHS England to maintain its £44 million diabetes ‘Transformation Fund’ beyond 2019, which aims to improve patients’ access to specialist foot care teams to help avoid amputations. The charity is also reminding those with diabetes to look after their feet and checked them regularly to look out for the signs of problems, as a matter of hours could make the difference between losing and keeping a foot. Previous analysis found that diabetic foot ulcers led to more than 80 per cent of amputations linked to the condition.

Dan Howarth, head of care at Diabetes UK, said: “The shocking number of lower limb amputations related to diabetes grows year on year. An amputation, regardless of whether it’s defined as minor or major, is devastating and life-changing. A minor amputation can still involve losing a whole foot.

“Many diabetes amputations are avoidable, but the quality of foot care for people living with diabetes varies significantly across England. Transformation funding since 2017 is working and will help to reduce these variations, but much work still needs to be done.”

Prof Jonathan Valabhji, NHS England’s national clinical director for diabetes and obesity, said: “The chance of someone with diabetes having a major amputation is actually going down, with far lower amputation rates than in countries such as Germany. But, as the absolute number of people with diabetes goes up, the number of people at risk of amputations goes up too.”