SPENDING on diabetes medication in Swindon has jumped by almost half a million pounds in three years, figures show.

It came as 45 diabetes sufferers and their families met at a town centre event, learning about different aspects of the disease and how to manage it.

Diabetes is on the rise in Swindon and the country more widely, charity Diabetes UK has said.

According to Public Health England estimates more than 13,000 people suffer from diabetes, the equivalent of 7.4 per cent of the town’s population. The number of people with diabetes has risen by a fifth in five years. Swindon has the highest diabetes rate in the south west.

The Swindon NHS clinical commissioning group spent £4.15 million on prescribing medicines for the condition between April 2017 and March 2018. In 2014-15, prescriptions cost £3.71 million.

Diabetes drugs accounted for more than a tenth of money spent on prescriptions in Swindon. Last year, £788,000 was spent on high-tech kit like blood sugar monitors and fitness trackers.

Prof Jonathan Valabhji, national clinical director for diabetes and obesity at NHS England, said: "Thanks to better diagnosis and treatment, the NHS is caring for more people than ever before with diabetes and this new data highlights the urgent need to prevent Type 2 diabetes from developing in the first place.”

Matt Robert, Diabetes UK improving care manager for the south west, said: “Diabetes is on the rise, especially Type 2 diabetes.”

Speaking at an event held at the Pilgrim Centre ahead of National Diabetes Day yesterday, he added: “We’ve got people here today who haven’t been diagnosed with diabetes, they’re on the borderline.”

With obesity-related Type 2 diabetes on the up, Mr Robert urged people to make small changes to help reduce their risk of developing the condition or worsening its effects.

“Make lifestyle changes,” he said. “Diet and exercise is always the first part of it all. Everyone can exercise, even if it’s a bit of gardening or going out with a walking stick.

“There’s a lot today about how to look after your feet. It gets worse and worse and down the line it ends up getting amputated.” Swindon has one of the highest rates for diabetes-related limb amputations in the region.

He also warned about the negative impact diabetes can have on the mental health of diabetes patients’ parents or carers: “Diabetes doesn’t just affect the person living with condition. A diagnosis will change the life not only of the person diagnosed, but also their friends, loved ones and those that provide them with care.”

A survey by Diabetes UK found that three quarters of carers, feel unhappy because of their family members’ diabetes.