MP highlights free diabetes screening service by Lloyds Pharmacy

23/08/2004

Mike Hancock, MP (Lib Dem – Portsmouth South) today highlighted the free diabetes testing service by the Lloyds Pharmacy chain as they announced that 500,000 customers throughout the UK have been screened for Type 2 Diabetes since the launch of their free in-store blood glucose testing service in June 2003.

Mike Hancock visited Lloyds Pharmacy’s Somers Road Branch, at 2pm on Monday 23rd August where he was given a demonstration of the Diabetes screening service on offer. Lloyds Pharmacy staff were on hand to answer his questions and explain their role in local diabetes detection and their contribution to the half million screenings now undertaken by Lloyds Pharmacy nationwide.

Mike Hancock said “Diabetes is a major illness affecting tens of thousands in the UK and one which touches virtually every family. The number of people with Diabetes who remain undiagnosed is a major concern and increasing public awareness of the condition and its symptoms is an important first step to health improvement. This needs to be backed up by screening services such as those that are now offered free by Lloyds Pharmacy and I very much welcome this initiative and I would urge people in Portsmouth to get tested."

The UK has one of the highest incidences of Diabetes in the world. The disease is currently the major cause of blindness in the UK in people aged under 65, and accounts for more than 16% of coronary heart disease related hospital admissions.

Mike Hancock said: "Half the battle is persuading people to go for a test. For every one person diagnosed with Diabetes, another goes undetected. Often the condition is not detected until complications have set in. If we can alert the public to the dangers of Diabetes and encourage those at risk to take a test, we can help prevent many of the health problems associated with Diabetes."