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Diabetes

Volume 451: debated on Monday 6 November 2006

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) adults and (b) children have been (i) diagnosed with and (ii) treated for diabetes in the last five years. (97041)

Information on the number of children and adults with diabetes is not available in the exact form requested. The following information is available for diagnosed diabetes.

Estimates of the number of people aged 16 and over with doctor-diagnosed diabetes is available from the annual health survey for england. The most reliable estimates are for 1998 and 2003 when the survey concentrated on cardiovascular disease and these are as follows:

People aged 16 and over with doctor-diagnosed diabetes in England

Number

1998

1,070,000

2003

1,550,000

The health survey for England estimated that in 2003, around 90 per cent. of those with doctor-diagnosed diabetes had type two diabetes1.

The number of patients diagnosed with diabetes identified by general practitioner practices in England in 2004-05 was 1.76 million people2. This is the first year of data from this source. Figures are not available for type one and type two diabetes separately.

The number of patients diagnosed with diabetes identified by GP practices in England in 2005-06 was 1.89 million people3. Figures are not available for type one and type two diabetes separately.

Information on all diagnoses count of finished consultant episodes for diabetes in national health service hospitals, England 1997-98 to 2004-05 is provided in the following table. It is difficult to accurately quantify hospital activity that is directly related to diabetes as all persons admitted with diabetes have it recorded in their diagnoses, irrespective of whether that was the reason for their admission. Conversely, a significant number of hospital admission may result from diabetes co-morbidity but never be recorded as diabetes related.

Sources:

1 Self-reported prevalence estimates published in 2003 health survey for England.

2 2004-05 quality and outcomes framework data published by the information centre for health and social care.

3 2005-06 quality and outcomes framework data published by the information centre for health and social care.

All diagnoses count of finished consultant episodes for diabetes NHS hospitals, England, 2000-01 to 2004-05

Adults (18+)

Children (<18)

Unknown

Total

2004-05

815,036

13,690

395

829,121

2003-04

717,060

13,131

517

730,708

2002-03

653,383

12,966

1,003

667,352

2001-02

572,477

12,162

1,132

585,771

2000-01

530,064

11,869

1,934

543,867

Source:

Hospital episode statistics, the information centre for health and social care