THE NHS in Southampton is spending £588,000 more on diabetes prescriptions than it did three years ago, new NHS figures reveal.

The area’s clinical commissioning group spent £4.27 million on prescribing medicines for the condition between April 2017 and March 2018.

In 2014-15, prescriptions cost £3.68 million.

Diabetes drugs accounted for more than a tenth of money spent on prescriptions in Southampton.

The charity Diabetes UK said the increasing expenditure on prescriptions was due to the rising number of diabetics.

Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body either cannot produce insulin or cannot properly use it.

If not controlled, it can lead to heart attacks and strokes, and problems with the kidneys, eyes, feet and nerves.

Overall, the NHS paid for 183,000 prescriptions for type-one and type-two diabetes in Southampton, for around 13,404 diabetic patients.

In 2014-15, 21,000 fewer prescriptions were issued.

Robin Hewings, head of policy at Diabetes UK, said: “The number of people diagnosed with type-one and type-two diabetes has doubled in the last 20 years, so it’s no surprise that the cost of medications has increased.

“The number of diabetes-related amputations in England is now at an all-time high, with more than 8,500 procedures being carried out each year. This equates to 24 minor and major amputations per day, or more than 160 a week.

“As well as helping people reduce their risk of diabetes through the NHS’s diabetes prevention programme, we should focus on spending more money now on helping people manage their diabetes well.”

Nationally, more than 90% of people dealing diabetes have Type 2, which in some cases can be m anaged with physical activity or planning meals.

Type-one is always treated with insulin, although meal planning can also help to keep sugar at the right level.

The data also revealed that the NHS spent £1.63 million on insulin in Southampton. Devices to monitor diabetic patients’ health, like glucose monitors or fitness trackers, cost £740,000.

There are now more than three million people in England with diabetes.