ONE in four new cases of type 2 diabetes were missed by GPs last year despite Brits piling on the pounds over lockdown.
The condition – which costs the NHS £10 billion annually – is closely linked to excess weight and poor lifestyle.
Around 254,000 Brits are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes on a normal year.
But a Manchester University study has found at least 60,000 cases have not been picked up since the start of the Covid pandemic.
It comes despite a fifth of adults gaining five or more pounds since the first lockdown – further fuelling numbers with the condition.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body loses the ability to process sugar, mainly as a result of obesity.
It is a leading cause of blindness, amputation, stroke and heart disease.
Experts warn the major drop in diagnosis rates means the NHS now faces a “huge backlog” of patients.
Presenting the study at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference, researcher Matthew Carr said: “Our estimate of 60,000 missed or delayed diagnoses may well be an underestimate if changes in lifestyle during the pandemic and its associated lockdowns have increased obesity rates or other risk factors for diabetes in the general population.
“It’s also likely the condition of patients with delayed diagnoses will have deteriorated further by the time [they are diagnosed], so this will inevitably increase the burden on both the patients and the health service.”
The study compared historic case rates and prescription data with figures from 2020.
Diagnoses fell by 70 per cent in April last year when GP visits plummeted as the Covid crisis took hold.
They then remained around a quarter below normal levels for the rest of 2020.
Researchers also found diabetics were up to 88 per cent less likely to get vital health checks than pre-pandemic.
Nikki Joule, of the charity Diabetes UK, said the figures were “incredibly concerning”.
“These results point towards reduced engagement with healthcare during the pandemic, and highlight the urgent need to ensure that those previously identified by their GP as being at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes receive their annual checks,” she said.
“Early diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is vital in reducing the risk of serious diabetes-related complications such as problems with the heart, kidneys and eyes.”
An NHS spokesperson said: “Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable and the NHS has continued to run our Diabetes Prevention Programme over the course of the pandemic, as well as putting extra measures in place to support people with diabetes, including digital consultations and online support for people to manage their conditions.”
