Diabetes in Sport

Gurinder Singh Josan Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Chris Bloore]

I thank my hon. Friend and neighbour for his contribution. He is absolutely right. It is incredible how sport can be used to reach people and inform them about health conditions in a way that many other areas of our public policy cannot.

The Equality Act 2010 provides legal protection against discrimination but a gulf remains between policy and lived experience. People with diabetes—often a hidden disability, as my hon. Friend said—face ongoing discrimination and a lack of adjustments in schools, workplaces, leisure centres and community settings. Diabetes is a major public health crisis with far-reaching consequences. Physical activity can prevent complications, improve quality of life and reduce the burden on our NHS, where diabetes prescriptions account for 15% of total medication costs. Health inequality is stark. People from the most deprived areas are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and are less likely to have access to green space and safe affordable places to be active. We need targeted support for these communities to close this gap.

[Gurinder Singh Josan (Smethwick) (Lab)]

My hon. Friend talks about health inequalities; we know that people of some ethnicities are more predisposed to diabetes, so as well as sports organisations focusing on improving information and support for people with diabetes, does he agree that they should also support people from different ethnicities to ensure that health inequalities are ironed out at every level?

[Chris Bloore]

I thank my hon. Friend for his contribution. I know he is a champion for reducing health inequalities in his constituency. I completely agree with him, and I hope that will be part of what we do on this.

In conclusion, the unpredictability of diabetes is a real obstacle to physical activity, but ignorance and stigma should never be. People with diabetes deserve to feel safe and confident participating in sport and exercise, and coaches, teachers and volunteers must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to support them. The status quo simply is not working, and I hope that the Minister, after today’s discussion, will be willing to meet me, community leaders and stakeholders, so that we can work together and plan how to deal with this. Together, we can put in place a clear pathway to ensure that everyone, regardless of their health condition, can participate in sport, and that as a nation, we can reap the rewards of improved health outcomes.