MORE than 10,000 people in the county are living with undiagnosed diabetes, it is feared.

The West Dorset Diabetes Support Group recently held a session for sufferers to get clinical advice at Weymouth College.

Henry Bartlett, chairman of the West Dorset Diabetes Support Group, was diagnosed with type two diabetes in 1997.

He said: “I found out I had diabetes after a visit to the optician who looked at my eyes and said I should see a doctor. I reported to the clinic a couple of days later and that was the start of a long journey.

“It was a journey that I didn’t want – that no one wants to have to go on.”

Graham Cooper, regional manager for Diabetes UK South West, said: “More than 10,000 people in Dorset have undiagnosed type two, which is a serious condition that can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and amputation if not managed in the correct way.”

The warning comes after Diabetes UK urged the public to get to know the symptoms of type two after it deemed the number of diabetes-related amputations in Dorset ‘unacceptably high’.

The number of amputations in the Dorset Primary Care Trust area is the third highest in the country and the charity launched the Putting Feet First campaign to end what it called a ‘postcode lottery’ of care.

Mr Cooper added: “A single preventable amputation is one too many and the number of amputations in Dorset is unacceptably high.”

Mr Bartlett said: “In this area, foot care is not as good as in other parts of the country.

“There are high levels of amputation that can be prevented with the right treatment.”

He added that early diagnosis can make all the difference to treating the illness and appealed to any of the 10,800 undiagnosed cases, who believe they may be suffering, to get help.

He said: “I had the classic symptoms. I was lethargic, falling asleep and not remembering what had happened.

“Have a chat with your doctor if you think you might be suffering – it’s a quick check that could help save your life.”

Rate is above average

NHS Dorset numbers for major amputations in people with diabetes are higher than average.

There are 1.47 major amputations per 1,000 sufferers compared with the average rate in England of 0.99 per 1,000.

The Putting Feet First campaign is highlighting examples of good practice and demanding a reduction in diabetes-related amputations by 50 per cent within five years Visit diabetes.org.uk/ putting-feet-first