A VICTORIA Road GP says doctors need to set aside their fear of often difficult conversations with diabetes sufferers.

Febin Basheer, a doctor at Victoria Cross Surgery, said: “The number of people suffering from diabetes continues to grow, which is why talking about it openly and honestly is so important.

“Yes, it can often be difficult to bring up the topic of living healthily with patients, but only by having these frank discussions can we get more people thinking about the impact their lifestyle is having on their overall wellbeing.”

Type 2 Diabetes is usually caused by lifestyle factors like obesity.

Dr Basheer backed new NHS guidance for nurses and doctors worried about having tricky conversations with their diabetes patients.

Dr Partha Kar of NHS England said of the new guidance: “Language Matters provides useful advice on things such as alternatives to commonly used phrases which may cause offence to some - it is a practical handbook for healthcare professionals, designed to be used and referred to in a clinical setting, rather than sit on a shelf.”

In Swindon, an estimated 7.7 per cent of people are living with diabetes, according to the latest figures from Public Health England.

Chris Askew, Diabetes UK chief executive, said: “It’s important we make sure that people talking about diabetes feel safe to explore the issue, and that first and foremost that they are being treated and respected as a human being.”