I would like to comment on the recent article on diabetes sufferers (‘Diabetic sufferers unite to beat silent assassin’, June 17).

The article does a good job to raise awareness of the seriousness of diabetes and how important it is to receive correct treatment.

However, I feel the article painted an overall negative picture of the health services provided to diabetics in London.

Every hospital has an endo-crine/diabetes department and podiatry (foot) services are offered to all patients as they can be referred by diabetes specialists or their GPs.

All doctors are aware of the complications of diabetes, particularly with regards to foot care.

The most common cause of problems with feet in diabetes is natural progression of disease owing to poor control of blood sugar in diabetics, and not the standard of care people receive in hospitals.

Unfortunately, diabetes is a progressive disease and as time goes by, the greater the complications will be.

It is unfair to give the impression that health care professionals are not providing adequate services to patients, as I assure you they are all concerned and have their patients’ best interests at heart.

I wish all the best to the people involved in fundraising for diabetes and diabetics — be assured your doctors, nurses and podiatrists are doing their best to avoid complications which arise as a consequence of diabetes.

C Michael, Winchmore Hill