Call for urgent action to combat diabetes spread By Sarah Boseley, health editor, The Gardian Wednesday June 12, 2002 The growing epidemic of diabetes in the UK could run out of control if the government does not take rapid action to improve services for those with the disease and prevent more people from getting it, according to some UK experts. There are already 1.4 million people in the UK with diabetes, but the numbers are growing rapidly, especially among those with what is known as type 2 diabetes, which affects people in later life and is often linked with obesity. Type 1 diabetes develops usually in children and young adults and leads to a lifetime of insulin dependence. Diabetes can shorten life and can cause heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and foot problems. The government has published the first part of a national service framework (NSF) for diabetes, setting out standards for the care of patients in England, but the second part of the strategy on how the standards will be implemented will not be published until later this year. According to doctors questioned by the Consumers' Association publication Health Which?, the problems are urgent and not enough is being done. "Diabetes will probably be one of the biggest curses visited upon mankind in the next century," said Gareth Williams, professor of medicine and director of the diabetes and endocrinology research group at the University of Liverpool. "If they really want to tackle this, they need to come out with recommendations that will stem the epidemic of obesity." Julian Neal, a member of the British Medical Association's GPs committee, said the workload imposed by the three other NSFs published by the Department of Health was already taking its toll of doctors. In his view, the NSF for diabetes underestimated the task of tackling obesity that was growing in the UK: 17% of men and 20% of women in the UK were now classified as obese. The government has said the annual cost of implementing the NSF will be £750m a year, but, says Health Which?, that money will have to plug a lot of existing gaps in the service. Last year the charity Diabetes UK reported that 92% of hospitals had fewer than the recommended number of diabetologists. Special reports Aids Anthrax BSE crisis Medicine and health Smoking Interactive guides Cloning Smoking Useful links Aids.org Ash (anti-smoking site) British Medical Association Department of Health General Medical Council Health on the Net Foundation Institute of Cancer Research Medical Research Council NHS Direct World Health Organisation