Prescott to stay in politics despite diabetes

John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, told friends yesterday that he had no intention of giving up his political career despite being diagnosed with diabetes.

The Cabinet Office confirmed reports about the MP's health, stating close friends and family knew he had been diagnosed "some time ago" but thanks to medication he was able to live a "normal life". Mr Prescott, who will be 64 next week, insists he will be seeking reselection as the Labour candidate for his Hull East constituency.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said Mr Prescott suffers from the milder type 2, or non-insulin dependent, diabetes. Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can produce some insulin, though not enough for its needs. It usually appears in the over-40s and can be treated by diet changes alone or in combination with tablets or injections.

Reports of Mr Prescott's illness coincide with the publication today of a survey which claims that a shortage of specialists is endangering diabetes sufferers' lives.Undiagnosed or poorly treated diabetes can lead to heart disease, blindness, kidney disease, stroke and amputations. A spokesman for the charity Diabetes UK said: "It's often something people do not seem willing to talk about. Given the numbers of people affected we would have thought there would be more high-profile cases."

Experts predict the number of people with the disease will double this decade. But a study carried out for Diabetes UK and the Royal College of Physicians found there were too few diabetes specialists and the number of training places was not increasing quickly enough.

The survey found that only one in five health authorities in England and Wales has the recommended number of diabetes consultants.