Nearly 10% of the National Health Service’s drugs expenditure is now on managing diabetes. Seven out of ten prescriptions in 2013-14 were for type 2 diabetes medication, which is almost double the figure for 2005-06.

Prescriptions fulfilled in primary care cost £2.2 million every day in 2013-14 at a net ingredient cost of over £803million per year, according to a report published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) in August.

HSCIC chair Kingsley Manning noted that diabetes continue to be "one of the most prevalent life-threatening conditions in England" and that the data highlighted "the growing implications to the NHS and patients of managing this condition".