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Health: Diabetes

Answer

Diabetes is a complex life-long condition that can affect every part of the body. There are a number of associated complications with the condition which makes it difficult to calculate the exact total cost to the National Health Service. The department's programme budget figures indicate £1.26 billion of departmental gross expenditure in England in 2008-09 was spent on diabetes. This figure does not include spending on prevention or on general medical services or primary medical services.

£000s
	Diabetes expenditure	DH gross expenditure	Diabetes as a proportion of gross expenditure
2004-05	687,402	71,922,179	1.0%
2005-06	866,000	80,185,241	1.1%
2006-07	1,043,021	84,193,209	1.2%
2007-08	1,151,183	93,183,426	1.2%
2008-09	1,262,066	96,814,987	1.3%

In England in 2008, according to the NHS Business Services Authority, about £595 million for diabetes-related items was spent on prescriptions dispensed in the community; ie by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered. Also included are prescriptions written in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man but dispensed in England.

Drug group	NIC(£000s)
Insulins	285,764.0
Antidiabetic drugs	165,323.6
Treatment of hypoglycaemia	3,092.1
Diagnostic and monitoring agents	139,147.6
Total	593,327.3

(Net Ingredient Cost (NIC) NIC is the basic cost of a drug. It does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income). Further expenditure will have taken place throughout the NHS system that is not possible to identify. Diabetes UK estimates spending in the United Kingdom is approximately £9 billion across the NHS.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

3021; 718 c405WA

Session

2009-10

Subjects

Costs Diabetes Health services NHS

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk