Fabian Hamilton MP wins Diabetes UK Parliamentary Champion Award

Tuesday, 20 December 2011 3:35 PM

Fabian Hamilton MP wins Diabetes UK Parliamentary Champion Award

Fabian Hamilton, MP for Leeds North East was announced as winner of the Diabetes UK Parliamentary Champion Award at the House of Commons on Monday 19 December. Barbara Young, Chief Executive of leading health charity Diabetes UK presented the award in recognition for his support and contribution to the charity.

Fabian, who has diabetes himself, has been an active supporter of Diabetes UK through his work to raise awareness of diabetes in parliament. He has also supported campaigns to demonstrate the importance of early detection screening and has raised significant amounts of money for the charity. Fabian cycled from London to Paris to raise funds for Diabetes UK last year.

Fabian said, “I am delighted to receive this award. Diabetes UK is an excellent charity which has helped me understand my own condition and live with it, which is why I wanted to do something to help them. So many people are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, often later in life, so it's important to understand just how it can be managed to reduce the risk of long term complications. Early diagnosis is the key to success in managing the condition. There is still a lot of work to be done in making people aware of information and specialist care needed for those living with diabetes”.

Barbara Young, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said: “Fabian’s contribution to fundraising and his commitment to raising awareness of diabetes in parliamentary circles has been invaluable. I would like to convey my sincere thanks to him on behalf of people with diabetes and Diabetes UK.”

The annual award aims to recognise politicians who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in raising awareness of diabetes in Parliament. In accepting the award, Fabian will make a commitment to continue to champion diabetes issues and keep them high on the political agenda.

- ENDS -

Further media information:
For further media information please contact Alexa Good in the Diabetes UK Media Relations Team on 0207 424 1165 or email pressteam@diabetes.org.uk.

For urgent out of hours media enquiries, please call 07711 176 028.

Notes to editor:

1 Type 1 diabetes develops when insulin-producing cells in the pancreas are destroyed. This type of diabetes usually appears before the age of 40 and accounts for around 10 per cent of all people with diabetes. Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, it is not known why it develops and it is not connected with being overweight. People with Type 1 diabetes have to take insulin either via a pump or by injections several times a day to stay alive.

2 Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly. Insulin acts as a key unlocking the cells, so if there is not enough insulin, or it is not working properly, the cells are only partially unlocked (or not at all) and glucose builds up in the blood. Type 2 diabetes usually affects people over 40 (over 25 in people from South Asian and Black backgrounds) and can be treated with a healthy diet and increased physical activity but medication and/or insulin is often required. In around 80 per cent of cases the condition is linked with being overweight and can go undetected for up to ten years.

3 Diabetes UK is the leading charity for over 3.5 million people in the UK with diabetes. In 2011, Diabetes UK aims to spend over £6 million on diabetes research to investigate the causes and prevention of diabetes, to improve care and treatment of diabetes and ultimately to work towards a cure. For more information visit www.diabetes.org.uk. In the UK, there are currently 2.8 million people diagnosed with diabetes and it is estimated that 850,000 people have Type 2 diabetes but do not know it.

4 One person is diagnosed with diabetes every three minutes in the UK.

Tags:
• charity
,
• fabian hamilton
,
• health