DIABETICS in Gravesend and Dartford are more likely to have their limbs amputated because of a lack of suitable services at Darent Valley Hospital, according to a charity.

Diabetes UK has criticised the hospital for not having a multi-disciplinary footcare team (MDT) in place, which diabetic patients suffering from foot or leg ulcers should be referred to immediately by their GP.

Instead, diabetics in Gravesend must travel 34 miles to East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, or 24 miles to Kings College Hospital in London to access their nearest MDT.

The charity says diabetic foot problems deteriorate quickly and scientific evidence proves referral within 24 hours to experts significantly reduces the risk of amputation.

Sheila Burston, secretary of the Diabetes UK Bexley Support Group, told News Shopper: “You’ve not got any quality of life after amputation.

“It’s so demoralizing and depressing as you can’t look after yourself or your family or even earn a living.

“It’s so important to keep people mobile so they can keep their quality of life.”

The 72-year-old, who has suffered from diabetes for 40 years, added: “If the ulcer appears on a Friday evening, should you have to wait until Monday morning for an appointment in London?

“By then, the infection can have taken hold.”

Darent Valley is not the only hospital within News Shopper's patch which does not provide an MDT despite the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommending all hospitals have one.

Neither the Princess Royal in Bromley, the Queen Elizabeth in Woolwich or Queen Mary’s in Sidcup fit the bill.

Executives at Diabetes UK have written to the chief executive of the Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, requesting a meeting to discuss their concerns as soon as possible.

South east regional manager for Diabetes UK Jill Steaton said: “It’s appalling Darent Valley Hospital is letting down people with diabetes by still not having these provisions in place.

“It’s a tragic example of short-termism that it is failing to invest in an MDT within the hospital to deliver quality access to co-ordinated foot care within the local area despite the fact that the financial savings from doing fewer amputations is likely to outweigh the cost of setting one up.

“We want to let people with diabetes in Gravesend know about this because if they develop a foot ulcer then having one of these teams in place could literally mean the difference between them keeping a foot and losing it.”

The charity encourages diabetics to contact the Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust if they echo their concerns.