Diabetes and Obesity
(asked on 18th October 2023) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospital admissions were due to issues relating to obesity and diabetes in (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22 and (d) 2022-23; and what steps he is taking to reduce the number of these admissions.
The following table shows hospital admission data due to diabetes mellitus and obesity and other hyperalimentation episodes:
| Admissions | |
Year | Diabetes Mellitus | Obesity and other hyperalimentation |
2019-20 | 59,828 | 11,025 |
2020-21 | 54,811 | 4,095 |
2021-22 | 61,663 | 7,935 |
2022-23 | 61,796 | 8,970 |
Source: Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity, NHS Digital
The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme supports those identified at high risk of type 2 diabetes to reduce their risk. Latest figures in February 2023 shows a 20% reduction in risk for those who are referred to the programme compared to those who are not.
The weight loss drug Semaglutide (Wegovy) was launched in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2023 and will be made available on the National Health Service in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendations to ensure cost effective use. A two-year pilot backed by up to £40 million is being developed to explore ways to make these drugs accessible to patients living with obesity outside of hospital settings.