Redbridge continues to have the third-highest proportion of people with Type 2 diabetes across London with numbers increasing, according to the latest figures.

Almost 9pc of Redbridge's population is diagnosed with diabetes and the numbers increased from 21,503 to 22,511 in 2018/2019, according to figures released by charity Diabetes UK.

Not only does Redbridge have the third highest percentage in London but it's also the seventh highest across the nation.

In the UK 3.9million people are currently living with a diabetes diagnosis and almost a million more people living with Type 2 diabetes who don't know it because they haven't been diagnosed yet.

Councillor Mark Santos, cabinet member for health, social care, mental health & the ageing, said the high numbers in the borough reflect that they are identifying people with undiagnosed diabetes and getting them onto treatment which allows them to manage their condition.

He said: "This is largely in part from the improved case finding from local GP practices commissioned by the council through the NHS Health Check programme and national initiatives like the national diabetes prevention programme and other awareness raising actions.

"These programmes help to identify undiagnosed people with diabetes early in our population and ensure our NHS can manage them earlier to avoid complications such as heart attacks and strokes."

The prevalence in Redbridge of 8.9pc of the population having diabetes is higher than the London average of 6.6pc and the national average of 6.9pc.

While not every case of Type 2 diabetes is associated with excessive weight, it is the single greatest risk factor, responsible for 80 to 85pc of someone's risk of developing the condition.

Age, family history, and ethnicity can also contribute to someone's risk, with people of African-Caribbean, Black African or South Asian descent two to four times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than white people.

People with type 2 diabetes are 50pc more likely to die prematurely.

Roz Rosenblatt, Head of London at Diabetes UK, said: "Type 2 diabetes is an urgent public health crisis, and solving it depends on decisive action that's led by government, supported by industry and delivered across our society.

"More than half of all cases of type 2 diabetes ? and the accompanying risk of developing devastating complications ? could be prevented or delayed by supporting people to make healthier choices."