Type 2 diabetes could overwhelm NHS unless changes are made Leicester experts warn

Melanie Davies CBE (pictured), a Professor of Diabetes Medicine at our University and the Leicester Diabetes Centre, has commented on the rise in people suffering from type 2 diabetes.

In an article for the Express, Professor Davies discusses how obesity-related conditions are threatening to 'overwhelm' the NHS due to the sheer cost of treatment, with large amounts of money spent every year by the health service on drugs to combat type 2 diabetes, weight loss and indigestion.

Professor Davies said: “Unless we change our thinking on type 2 diabetes, the condition is going to overwhelm the NHS. There is a wealth of evidence supporting the benefits of the role of exercise in preventing and successfully managing type 2 diabetes.

"We are part of the National Diabetes Prevention Programme, which is aiming to steer 100,000 people a year away from the condition by 2020 through tailored, personalised help.”

The Leicester Diabetes Centre is an international centre of excellence in diabetes research, education and innovation led by Professor Melanie Davies and Professor Kamlesh Khunti.

Hosted at Leicester General Hospital, the centre is a partnership between the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and the University of Leicester