Child diabetes rate among highest

Diabetes UK said 24.5 per 100,000 children under 14 in Britain are diagnosed every year with Type 1 diabetes which, unlike the other main strand Type 2, is not linked to lifestyle or obesity factors.

Type 1 diabetes can lead to serious illness and even death if it is not diagnosed quickly.

Of the 89 countries included in the charity's data, only Finland, Sweden, Saudi Arabia and Norway have higher rates than Britain.

Venezuela and Papua New Guinea have the joint-lowest reported rates in the world - just 0.1 per 100,000 develop the condition a year.

Diabetes UK chief executive Barbara Young said the charity wants to highlight the need for good quality healthcare for children with diabetes. Only 6 per cent of children with the condition are recorded as getting the eight checks suggested by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Ms Young said: "Too many children are not getting the recommended checks and have high blood glucose levels.

"Another big issue is that young people are also being lost in the system when the time comes to transfer from paediatric to adult services.

"Type 1 diabetes is a serious condition that can lead to devastating complications and early death if not managed properly, and this is why children with Type 1 diabetes need to set off on the right path in terms of managing their condition well from the beginning. It is a tragedy that all too often this is not happening."