A NEW website shows that the prevalence of diabetes in York and Selby has increased.

The Diabetes Infobank, which has been launched by Diabetes UK, details the percentage of people with diabetes and gives information like how ethnicity affects the prevalence of diabetes and the ratio of paediatric diabetes specialist nurses to children.

Statistics on the website show that three per cent of the York and Selby population suffered from both Types 1 and 2 diabetes in 2004 and 2005 although precise figures from Diabetes UK show that the number actually increased over the period, with 8,272 people having the condition in 2004 compared with 8,876 the following year.

Ethnicity is also an important factor in the condition. Data for 2001 shows that six per cent of Asians had diabetes compared with five per cent of blacks and four per cent of whites.

The report aims to show the state of diabetes care across the nation and people using the website can compare local diabetes care with the treatment offered by other primary care trusts and the changes in local care year on year.

For example, it shows that in 2005, 67 per cent of children had access to a paediatric diabetes specialist nurse, but this had dropped to 50 per cent in 2006.

Mary Morrod, of Heworth Village, York, suffers from Type 2 diabetes.

She said she found the provision of diabetes care in the area to be excellent.

She was first diagnosed by luck. Going into hospital for a hysterectomy, the condition was discovered during the pre-med.

Mrs Morrod said: "I saw the diabetes nurse regularly when it was first diagnosed as my sugar levels were very high. The local doctor and nurse have been fabulous and now I go every three months for a check-up."

The report has been welcomed by Diabetes UK chief executive Douglas Smallwood.

He said: "This is an extremely valuable report as it allows us to identify gaps in service provision. We are very concerned that some children are struggling to see a specialist nurse. With the inevitable explosion of children with Type 2 diabetes, additional resources are needed or nurses will be faced with ever-increasing caseloads."

The Infobank can be found through the homepage of Diabetes UK at www.diabetes.org.uk