NEWS RELEASE - for immediate publication
23rd June 2025
Type 2 Diabetes Rapidly on Course to Become the UK's Greatest Health Crisis in History
The UK is facing a looming national health catastrophe: Type 2 diabetes is rapidly escalating toward becoming the most devastating chronic epidemic in the nation's history.
Urgent action must be taken now to avoid a severe health crisis in the UK far worse than Covid.
The ONLY CURE is prevention in people with prediabetes, and remission in people with Type II through the use of Continuous Glucose Monitoring devices (CGM's); in tandem with the NHS's National Diabetes Prevention Programme education in Primary Care.
CEO of Urathon Europe ltd, Hugh Sims Hilditch, is calling for urgent action now and is meeting with MP's to offer a crisis strategy, offering his consultancy time free of charge to Wes Streeting.
Urathon Europe Ltd, has a proven track record as a VIP supplier to the NHS during Covid, supplying over 200 million facemasks; also providing product procurement consultancy, quality control consultancy for other products throughout the pandemic. Urathon now supplies the latest CGM to the UK market. This new device, the Anytime CGM, is being offered to the NHS at a cost of up to 50% less than other similar devices, presenting an affordable option to roll out wider access to CGM tech at the grassroots of the disease.
The Anytime would cost the NHS just £175 per person on the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, for a recommended three months' usage, a tiny fraction of the costs of medical treatment which would otherwise be incurred for these patients.
Alarming Scale & Growth - FACTS:
- Today there are5.2 million people in the UKwith Type II Diabetes
- There arean additional 6.3 million people in the UK with Prediabetes, who will go on to develop Type II without preventative intervention, accentuating the scale of the problem to worrying levels
- These 6.3 million prediabetics, without early intervention, WILL progress to Type II within 5 to 10 years
- There is predicted to be a further1 million cases of undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes
- In just the five years between 2018 and 2023 there was a huge59% increase in Type II diagnoses
- In the same years between 2018 and 2023 diagnoses of prediabetes more than doubled (over 100% increase)
- Latest data shows a terrifying increase in prediabetes of over 75% between the 2023 data and today! The rate of growth is spiralling out of control!
- The currentNHS Diabetes Prevention programme has poor uptake, resulting in saving just 18,000 people from progressing to Type II. This is a tiny percentage of the 12 million plus people who are at risk. If CGM is included in the programme, uptake, engagement would increase hugely, resulting in saving the health of millions and saving the NHS and economy £billions.
Health Impacts - FACTS:
- Type 2 diabetes contributes to soaring rates ofdisease and amputations...
- EveryWEEK, people with Type II suffer:
- 660 HEART ATTACKS
- 930 STROKES
- 2,990 HEART FAILURES
- 184 AMPUTATIONS
- Diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD)and end-stage renal disease in the UK.
Obesity: The Core Driver:
- Obesity is theprimary modifiable risk factorfor Type 2 diabetes: approximately90% of adults with Type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese, and obese individuals arefive times more likelyto develop the disease than those at a healthy weight
- As of 2022-23,64% of English adultswere overweight or obese, including26.2% clinically obese—a rising trend setting the stage for continued diabetes surge
Financial burden - FACTS:
- Treating Type 2 diabetes, costs the NHS an estimated£10.7 billion annually, with broader economic impacts estimated at£27 billion
- £8 billion of the £10.7 billion NHS spend is on the extremely serious complications, including renal failure, heart disease, loss of sight and amputations.
Campaign Medical Ambassador:
DR DAWN HARPER MBBS MRCP DCH DFFP, NHS GP, TV Presenter and author, who also lives with diabetes herself supports this campaign to attack Type II Diabetes through prevention and remission. She believes Diabetes can bankrupt the NHS in her lifetime is action is not taken now. She is available for media interview.
Conclusion:
Without the proposed urgent, comprehensive intervention, Type 2 diabetes threatens not only individual lives, but also the NHS, the economy, and future societal health.
Immediate investment in prevention is critical. Failure to act now risks cementing Type II Diabetes as the most devastating public health crisis the UK has ever faced.
ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT:
Jo Welch -jo@urathon.com+ 44 (0) 7767 416092.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About Urathon
Exclusive UK distributor
Urathon is an international manufacturing and supply chain organisation with headquarters in the UK. From there they operate a world class manufacturing facility and supply chain in China.
Urathon was a VIP supplier to the NHS during Covid for PPE, using their extensive Chinese supply chain and wholly owned Chinese factories.
Urathon services customers in the UK, Europe and rest of the world including Australia and the USA. Their main area of expertise is the production of Aids for Daily Living and Medical Devices, along with specialised parts for the automotive and other businesses.
In 2025 Urathon signed contracts with Yuwell in China to exclusively distribute next generation Continuous Glucose Monitoring system in the UK.
Urathon is celebrating its 35thAnniversary this year.urathon.com
About Yuwell
Global Manufacturer
Yuwell is headquartered in Nanjing, China, with subsidiaries, R&D centres, and manufacturing facilities across the globe. Their guiding principle is to focus on the needs of their users.
Yuwell has built a comprehensive medical service platform that brings professional medical technologies and advanced product solutions into everyday life, creating a health ecosystem that integrates homecare, clinical treatment, and digital solutions.
All of this is driven by one purpose: to alleviate patients' suffering and enhance the capabilities of medical professionals.
With nearly three decades of innovation, Yuwell has played a key role in setting industry standards and delivering outstanding products in the fields of homecare and chronic disease management. They serve 10 major medical sectors, including respiratory therapy, diabetes care, medical diagnostics, AEDs, medical imaging, traditional Chinese medicine, and more.
Yuwell has operated internationally for nearly 20 years, proudly improving the quality of life for people around the world. Their primary manufacturing hub is located in Danyang, Jiangsu, just over an hour by train from Shanghai. Covering approximately 700,000 square meters, the facility includes a CNAS-accredited national product lab, smart manufacturing technologies, digital workshops, flexible production lines, an unmanned warehouse and integrated digital user services.
Yuwell is a global leader in home healthcare medical devices, committed to meeting the needs of individuals worldwide. We believe that maintaining good health is essential to a high quality of life and that everyone deserves access to world-class medical technology.
Yuwell's vision is to become one of the top three home healthcare medical device groups in the world.
DR DAWN HARPERMBBS MRCP DCH DFFP
Dr Dawn qualified from Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School in 1987 and spent several years working in various hospital specialities during which time she became a Member of the Royal College of Physicians.
In 1995 she moved into General Practice and continues to work as an NHS GP today. She is passionate about promoting healthy longevity and alongside General Practice, she has set up and run weight management and women's health clinics.
At the Primary Care Show 2025 in the NEC, Dr Dawn delivered a hard hitting presentation on Type II Diabetes, which can be viewed here: https://www.drdawn.com/public-speaking
Dawn has also worked in the media for the last 20 years. She is perhaps best known as a presenter on Channel 4's BAFTA award winning "Embarrassing Bodies", which has been sold to 120 different territories and continues to be watched by millions today. She has worked extensively across a variety of other live and pre-recorded television and radio shows and for many years was resident GP to ITV's daytime show "This Morning".
She has authored 12 books and continues to write regular columns for women's magazines. Dawn's favourite book, and the one she is most proud of, is titled "Live Well to 101". In it she looks at all the factors that influence healthy longevity and meets centenarians living fulfilled lives who share their secrets with her. She is passionate about empowering people to adopt healthy lifestyle changes.