THE number of people dying from diabetes-related conditions in Wales has fallen by more than a quarter in four years, a report for the Welsh government has revealed today.

The report also highlights the total cost to the Welsh NHS of providing care for the disease is more than half a billions pounds a year.

In 2013, 300 people died from diabetes-related conditions. This has fallen from 420 deaths in 2009.

Half of all deaths from diabetes are the result of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes. In 2001, in Wales, almost 14,000 people died from cardiovascular disease, by 2011 this had fallen to just over 9,000 deaths.

The first all-Wales annual report about NHS diabetes care sets out the progress made against the Welsh Government’s Together for Health – a Diabetes Delivery Plan over the last 12 months.

Deputy Minister for Health Vaughan Gething said: “As a country we are facing a huge increase in the number of people with diabetes. The reality is much of the increase is type 2 diabetes is due to the aging population and more of us becoming overweight. This has serious implications for people’s health and the places further pressure on our NHS.

“To put this into perspective, we are now spending £500m a year on diabetes-related care out of a £6bn- a-year health budget.

“We are taking action to diagnose people with diabetes as early as possible and reduce the number of deaths associated with the condition. While we are making good progress, all of us still have a personal responsibility to look after our own health and not put ourselves at risk of falling victim to diabetes.”

Dr Andrew Goodall, chief executive of NHS Wales, said: “I am pleased we are making progress when it comes to diabetes, and much of this is thanks to the dedicated staff who work tirelessly to support patients and carers to manage their conditions. We need to build on this and look to make further improvements for the Welsh population.