AN MP has backed calls from a charity for ‘sustained funding’ in the battle against diabetes.

Ribble Valley’s MP Nigel Evans and Diabetes UK hope the money will help improve treatments and care for people with diabetes.

They have urged the government to radically improve health outcomes for people with diabetes, by committing to sustaining transformation funding at current levels of £44million until at least 2021.

The calls follow a consultation carried out by Diabetes UK with 9,000 people of different ages, ethnicities and backgrounds from across the UK, who shared their experiences of living with diabetes today, and what their hopes and fears were for the future.

People said they hoped in the future to see more research into a cure, better treatments for all types of diabetes, and to see more done to prevent type two diabetes.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said: “For someone living with diabetes, the condition affects all aspects of their lives: at home with family, mealtimes, work, exercise and socialising.

“It can make it hard to live with spontaneity and hope.

“Lack of understanding about diabetes in the health service, in the workplace, at school and in society generally can lead to people feeling isolated, misunderstood and stigmatised.

“We must listen to what people with diabetes are telling us.

“Their needs and experiences must be central to the care and support they receive.

“And by working together we can tackle the issues that matter.

“I will do all I can to ensure all my constituents are supported with their diabetes and that those at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes know what they can do to reduce this risk.”

Participants in the consultation identified several ways to make living with diabetes more manageable, including making support for emotional and psychological health more widely available, and better access to healthcare professionals, new technologies and treatments.

Diabetes UK has also called on the government to challenge the food and drink industry to make their products healthier, build on the work outlined by the ‘Childhood Obesity Plan’, and commit to specific measures on front-of-pack food labelling, and tackling junk food marketing to children.

It comes as Public Health England data shows there were 186 diabetes-related amputations in East Lancashire from the years 2013 to 2016.

The figure represent a rise of seven procedures compared to the previous three-year period.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "Diabetes, particularly type 2, has a massive impact on people's lives, but also on NHS resources.

"That's why we are delivering the world's most ambitious plans on childhood obesity and diabetes prevention.

"Significant additional funding has been made available to help to transform NHS services through to 2021, including for diabetes care and treatment.”