Hospitals in England are amputating more limbs than EVER because of diabetes

More people than ever are having parts of their legs amputated because of diabetes complications, figures have revealed.

More than 27,000 toe, feet and lower leg amputations were carried out by the NHS between 2015 and 2018.

This is 3,000 more than in the three years prior and is down to cases of type 2 diabetes – a weight-related illness – soaring.

The number of patients suffering from the illness has doubled since the mid-90s, putting hundreds of thousands at higher risk of stroke and heart disease.

Doctors are having to amputate more people’s toes and feet because of complications of type 2 diabetes, which is triggered by obesity and now affects more than 3million Britons (stock image)

Figures revealed by Public Health England show the scale of the ‘devastating’ operations.

The government body recorded hospital admissions and amputations among patients with diabetic foot disease, a condition caused by nerve damage in the legs.

Diabetes leads to high levels of sugar in the blood, which can damage nerves, and reduced circulation, which cuts off oxygen supply, potentially harming tissue.

Both slow the healing of wounds and allow them to spiral out of control and eventually lead to an injury or infection so bad only amputation can help.

The number of people with type 2 diabetes in England and Wales is around 3.4million, with more than 200,000 diagnosed in 2017.

In comparison, just 1.4million people had diabetes diagnoses in 1996, about 90 per cent of them with type 2.

The figure is expected to surpass 5.5m by 2030, Diabetes UK said – the condition is closely linked to being overweight, inactive and consuming too much sugar.

In total, England had 27,465 lower limb amputations among patients with diabetic foot disease between 2015 and 2018.

The figure was a rise from 24,181 in 2012-2015.

HOW CAN DIABETES LEAD TO FOOT AMPUTATIONS?

People with diabetes are far more likely to need their toes or feet amputated because their injuries do not heal normally.

High blood sugar can cause nerve damage which means patients cannot feel their skin as well and may not know when they have a wound, or feel how serious it is.

And diabetes restricts circulation in the legs, which slows down healing because oxygen and nutrients are in short supply.

The combination of these two factors means it can take longer for people to get over injuries and the healing time means there is more opportunity for it to become infected or for flesh to die because of gangrene.

If an injury becomes too infected or untreatable the affected part of the body may have to be cut off.

Source: American Podiatric Medicine Association

Some 7,545 of those in the most recent three years were major, meaning above the ankle, while 19,920 were minor – below the ankle.

Campaigners said action must be taken to curb rising diabetes rates and help people avoid the drastic surgery.

The statistics confirmed the number of amputations is rising because more people are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes – the individual risk for a diabetic person is not significantly increasing.

Nikki Joule, policy manager at Diabetes UK said: ‘The number of people with diabetes experiencing a lower limb amputation continues to rise as the number of people living with the condition grows.

‘It’s vital that action is taken to prevent as many people from developing type 2 diabetes as possible so fewer people are at risk of a devastating, and often avoidable, amputation.’

The rate per person of major amputations did not increase, but there was a slight increase in minor amputations.

Figures showed the areas worst hit by these operations, which involve removing part or all of the foot.

The area covering north, east and west Devon was worst affected, with 420 people having the ops – up from just 72 between 2012 and 2015.

It was followed by Somerset, with 404 between 2015 and 2018, and Birmingham and Solihull with 395.

Dr Jennifer Smith, diabetes expert for Public Health England said: ‘It’s a tragedy that so many people are unnecessarily having to face the life-changing consequences of diabetes, such as amputations.

Survival rates and quality of life for people following such major surgery can often be poor. This shouldn’t be happening when the condition is preventable.’

She added: ‘Type 2 diabetes remains the greatest health challenge in this country and many adults are in danger of developing this deadly but preventable disease.’

Diabetes UK’s Ms Joule added: ‘People with diabetes also need to ensure they are attending their free annual NHS foot check, and if they notice any issues with their feet, immediately see a healthcare professional.

‘[This] could be the difference between keeping and losing a foot.’

WHICH NHS AREAS HAD THE MOST MINOR LOWER LIMB AMPUTATIONS IN 2015-2018?
NHS area	Minor amputations 2015-2018	Minor amputations 2012-2015	NHS area	Minor amputations 2015-2018	Minor amputations 2012-2015
NHS Northern, Eastern And Western Devon CCG	420	72	NHS Mansfield And Ashfield	86	89
NHS Somerset CCG	404	81	NHS Canterbury And Coastal CCG	86	65
NHS Birmingham and Solihull CCG	395	66	NHS Southwark	85	89
NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire CCG	384	35	NHS North Durham CCG	85	N/A
NHS Kernow CCG	353	113	NHS Newham	83	69
NHS Leeds	299	33	NHS Brent	80	69
NHS Liverpool CCG	294	25	NHS Bromley	80	88
NHS Dorset CCG	264	82	NHS North East Hampshire And Farnham CCG	80	102
NHS Gloucestershire CCG	257	103	NHS North Hampshire CCG	80	36
NHS West Hampshire CCG	235	51	NHS Thanet CCG	80	96
NHS Sheffield	224	78	NHS Ealing	78	31
NHS West Kent CCG	213	96	NHS North Derbyshire	78	189
NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG	208	31	NHS North East Lincolnshire	78	76
NHS Sandwell And West Birmingham CCG	207	79	NHS West Essex CCG	78	102
NHS Doncaster	191	36	NHS Hartlepool And Stockton-On-Tees CCG	77	137
NHS Coastal West Sussex CCG	179	73	NHS Oldham CCG	76	107
NHS Wiltshire CCG	179	69	NHS Heywood, Middleton And Rochdale CCG	75	100
NHS Shropshire	175	62	NHS East Leicestershire And Rutland CCG	74	65
NHS North Cumbria CCG	167	49	NHS West Cheshire CCG	74	46
NHS Manchester CCG	167	24	NHS Warwickshire North CCG	74	61
NHS Nene CCG	165	69	NHS Hastings And Rother CCG	73	124
NHS Wirral CCG	158	91	NHS North Tyneside CCG	72	36
NHS Vale Of York	157	42	NHS Scarborough And Ryedale	71	87
NHS South Devon And Torbay CCG	153	62	NHS Bassetlaw	70	65
NHS Hull	152	45	NHS South Sefton CCG	70	60
NHS East Riding Of Yorkshire	146	30	NHS Greater Preston CCG	70	175
NHS Coventry And Rugby CCG	146	74	NHS Hillingdon	69	51
NHS East Lancashire CCG	145	38	NHS Cannock Chase	69	83
NHS Buckinghamshire CCG	144	42	NHS East Staffordshire	69	103
NHS Northumberland CCG	143	28	NHS North Lincolnshire	69	54
NHS Swindon CCG	143	53	NHS Wandsworth	68	80
NHS Mid Essex CCG	140	31	NHS Lincolnshire East CCG	68	70
NHS Oxfordshire CCG	136	46	NHS Isle Of Wight CCG	67	81
NHS Croydon	135	63	NHS Hounslow	66	32
NHS Southampton CCG	135	37	NHS Waltham Forest	66	103
NHS Walsall CCG	135	46	NHS South Cheshire CCG	66	45
NHS East And North Hertfordshire CCG	134	115	NHS Bury CCG	66	79
NHS Medway CCG	134	62	NHS Surrey Downs CCG	66	39
NHS Barnsley	133	78	NHS Tameside And Glossop CCG	65	126
NHS Durham Dales, Easington And Sedgefield CCG	133	86	NHS Harrow	63	49
NHS Newcastle And Gateshead CCG	133	107	NHS Herts Valleys CCG	62	53
NHS Stoke On Trent	129	59	NHS Halton CCG	62	N/A
NHS Nottingham City	126	23	NHS East Surrey CCG	62	33
NHS South Eastern Hampshire CCG	126	28	NHS Milton Keynes CCG	61	N/A
NHS Bolton CCG	125	125	NHS South Tyneside CCG	60	N/A
NHS Berkshire West CCG	125	93	NHS Airedale, Wharfdale And Craven	59	N/A
NHS Telford And Wrekin	123	143	NHS West Norfolk CCG	59	99
NHS South Tees CCG	123	36	NHS High Weald Lewes Havens CCG	59	61
NHS Southend CCG	123	120	NHS Tower Hamlets	58	60
NHS Greenwich	122	90	NHS Newark & Sherwood	58	82
NHS South Warwickshire CCG	120	54	NHS Kingston	57	110
NHS Bedfordshire CCG	118	76	NHS Norwich CCG	56	89
NHS Havering	117	25	NHS Guildford and Waverley CCG	56	121
NHS Castle Point And Rochford CCG	116	32	NHS Camden	54	152
NHS Ipswich And East Suffolk CCG	116	109	NHS Knowsley CCG	54	20
NHS Greater Huddersfield	115	78	NHS Eastern Cheshire CCG	53	195
NHS Wakefield	115	124	NHS Horsham And Mid Sussex CCG	53	33
NHS East Berkshire CCG	113	147	NHS Redditch And Bromsgrove CCG	53	63
NHS Calderdale	112	111	NHS Wyre Forest CCG	53	70
NHS North West Surrey CCG	110	54	NHS Hardwick	52	183
NHS Bexley	109	37	NHS West London (K&C & QPP)	51	28
NHS Herefordshire CCG	109	124	NHS Nottingham North And East	51	82
NHS South Worcestershire CCG	108	N/A	NHS Stafford And Surrounds	51	53
NHS Lambeth	107	54	NHS Warrington CCG	51	96
NHS Southern Derbyshire	107	40	NHS Merton	50	47
NHS Fareham And Gosport CCG	107	44	NHS Islington	49	76
NHS South Kent Coast CCG	106	99	NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire And Whitby	49	49
NHS Swale CCG	106	75	NHS Sutton	48	64
NHS Barking And Dagenham	105	205	NHS North Kirklees	48	79
NHS West Leicestershire CCG	105	153	NHS Harrogate And Rural District	46	131
NHS Salford CCG	104	92	NHS South Lincolnshire CCG	45	74
NHS Rotherham	102	106	NHS Fylde & Wyre CCG	45	50
NHS Blackpool CCG	102	17	NHS Hammersmith And Fulham	44	48
NHS Barnet	101	94	NHS Crawley CCG	44	66
NHS North East Essex CCG	100	74	NHS North Norfolk CCG	43	207
NHS North Staffordshire	99	62	NHS Chorley And South Ribble CCG	43	43
NHS Wolverhampton CCG	99	96	NHS Southport And Formby CCG	42	N/A
NHS Lewisham	98	41	NHS Lincolnshire West CCG	41	305
NHS Morecambe Bay CCG	98	62	NHS South West Lincolnshire CCG	41	118
NHS Dartford, Gravesham And Swanley CCG	98	36	NHS South Norfolk CCG	41	146
NHS City And Hackney	97	85	NHS Bath And North East Somerset CCG	41	207
NHS Great Yarmouth And Waveney CCG	97	133	NHS Nottingham West	39	298
NHS Portsmouth CCG	97	46	NHS Luton CCG	39	412
NHS Haringey	96	39	NHS Rushcliffe	37	300
NHS Bradford Districts	96	89	NHS Darlington CCG	37	114
NHS Leicester City CCG	96	27	NHS Richmond	35	N/A
NHS Brighton And Hove CCG	93	56	NHS Erewash	35	156
NHS Sunderland CCG	92	42	NHS Bradford City	35	79
NHS Dudley CCG	92	196	NHS Ashford CCG	34	71
NHS Enfield	91	57	NHS Vale Royal CCG	33	40
NHS South East Staffs And Seisdon Peninsular	91	63	NHS Central London (Westminster)	29	183
NHS St Helens CCG	91	32	NHS Basildon And Brentwood CCG	29	88
NHS Wigan Borough CCG	91	67	NHS Surrey Heath CCG	29	85
NHS Eastbourne, Hailsham And Seaford CCG	90	33	NHS Thurrock CCG	28	130
NHS Redbridge	88	81	NHS Trafford CCG	28	71
NHS West Suffolk CCG	87	78	NHS West Lancashire CCG	24	85
NHS Stockport CCG	87	116	NHS Corby CCG	19	50
NHS Blackburn With Darwen CCG	87	18	Source: Public Health England

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