Ministers urged to improve diabetes checks

One in five people with diabetes are meeting targets to keep their condition under control, a charity has warned.

Just 20% of people in England and Wales hit the recommended levels for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, figures from Diabetes UK suggest.

It wants more people to get the recommended annual checks and action taken against parts of the NHS with the worst record.

The Department of Health said it wants to improve diabetes services in England.

The charity obtained the figures by analysing data from the National Diabetes Audit.

High blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar suggest the patient's diabetes is not well controlled and can lead to complications such as kidney failure and stroke.

The charity also said it goes a long way to explaining why 24,000 people with diabetes die early every year in England and Wales.