BBC Reports Amputations Increasing and are 8 Times More Likely in Parts of England

The BBC reports this week that some people living with diabetes in parts of England are eight times more likely to suffer amputation. Scarborough in North Yorkshire had the highest rate with 4.9 per 1,000 adults with diabetes, a rate eight times higher than Brent (north-west London) with only 0.6 per 1,000 patients in the past three years. Mansfield and Nottinghamshire closely followed Scarborough in terms of the highest rates of amputation. Overall, the number of patients having an amputation was found to be on the increase.

Katherine Speak, the lead clinician for diabetes and high-risk podiatry services in North Yorkshire, says people with diabetes may not always be getting the right treatment at the right time. “We are not seeing the patient soon enough,” the BBC quotes Speak as saying, Sometimes they feel that they can deal with things themselves and once it’s got out of control there is very little we can do to get it back.”

Preventive care and vigilance are key in preventing complications for diabetic patients, especially those at risk for foot ulcers. Stephen Ryan, Regional Head of Diabetes UK, noted, “We know that up to 80% of amputations can be avoided with good diabetes care and improved foot care.

Read the full BBC article here.