Symptoms campaign

Our campaign to highlight diabetes symptoms

Diabetes UK Cymru has launched a bilingual poster campaign to highlight the symptoms of diabetes across Wales.

We have launched the campaign as 66,000 people in Wales –  one in 50 – are estimated to be living with undiagnosed diabetes.

To help find this 66,000, we have sent bilingual posters to every doctor's surgery and pharmacy in Wales spelling out the symptoms from the word 'diabetes'.

The campaign, which launched in March 2011, is being supported by GP and TV presenter Dr Sarah Jarvis, of BBC1's The One Show and ITV1's Daybreak (photographed above), and BBC Radio Wales presenter Chris Needs MBE, who has Type 2 diabetes.

Mr Needs, Diabetes UK Cymru’s celebrity ambassador, said: “I was shocked to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes 10 years ago.

“I had been feeling tired and going to the loo more often and I was tested for diabetes at a pharmacy.

“I found out my blood glucose levels were nine times higher than they should have been, the highest the pharmacist had ever seen.

“As 66,000 people – one in 50 – are now thought to have undiagnosed diabetes in Wales, I would urge everyone to learn the symptoms and have a diabetes test if you have them.”

Dr Sarah Jarvis said: “If you have these symptoms it is essential that you see your GP.

“By diagnosing diabetes early you can make changes in your life and stop yourself from getting complications in the long term.”

The campaign is also being supported by BMA Cymru, the professional organisation and trade union for doctors in Wales.

You can download a copy of the poster or order copies of the poster by contacting us.

To find out if you are at risk of diabetes, take Diabetes UK's online Diabetes Risk Score test.