MORE Worcestershire diabetes patients are getting life-saving health checks and bucking the national trend, new figures show. 

Although the checks increased across Worcestershire and Herefordshire last year, checks have fallen dramatically across England during the coronavirus pandemic.

Diabetes UK said missing health checks can be "absolutely devastating", potentially leading to life-altering complications and early death.

The concerning figures come as Diabetes Awareness Week marks an annual campaign to inform the almost 5 million people with diabetes in the UK about the health risks it can cause.

To help limit the impact of diabetes, patients are expected to undergo eight annual health checks, including analysing their body mass index, smoking status, blood pressure and cholesterol.

NHS Digital figures show 25 per cent of 945 type 1 diabetes patients registered with GPs in the NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire CCG received all eight health checks in 2021 – up from 16 per cent the previous year.

For the 17,090 type 2 patients in the area, this figure rose to 38 per cent, from 24 per cent in 2020.

Nationally, just 26 per cent of type 1 and 39 per cent of type 2 patients completed the eight checks – respectively up from 19 per cent and 29 per cent in 2020 but still below pre-pandemic levels of 31 per cent and 50 per cent.

An NHS-commissioned report published this year said more than 3,000 people with diabetes in England died during the pandemic due to the drastic drop in patients receiving their annual check-ups.

The study measured a 15-week period in summer 2021 against the same period in 2019.

One of the authors of the report, Jonathan Valabhji, the NHS's national clinical director for diabetes and obesity, said the research "highlights the importance of annual reviews and ongoing supported management for people living with diabetes to manage their condition well".

Diabetes UK said the declining proportion of patients receiving necessary checks is hugely concerning and called on the Government to address the growing backlog caused by successive lockdowns.

Helen Kirrane, head of policy, campaigns and mobilisation at the charity, called for 'urgent action. She said: "While the UK Government was focused on cutting waiting lists for operations and other planned care, people with diabetes were pushed to the back of the queue."