PUTTING Feet First was the name of a workshop event held at The Ark Conference Centre last month.

It was organised by Diabetes UK, which is tackling the high rate of diabetes related amputations.

The well attended event coincided with new figures that show that amputations in Basingstoke are higher than the national average.

According to Diabetes UK 2.7 people per 1,000 adults experience an amputation a year, compared to the national average of 2.6.

And a report published at the start of Diabetes Week showed the number of people with diabetes reaching an all-time high.

Here in Hampshire there were 60,313 adults registered with diabetes in 2013-2014, which is an increase of 1,205 adults compared to the previous year.

Among those who attended the workshop was Rev Mark Christian, who was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2008.

The 57-year-old who is priest at St James the Less, in Litchfield, near Whitchurch, said: “I was diagnosed as a result of a routine check up.

“I had none of the associated symptoms of the condition such as extreme thirst and weight loss.

“I was in the army and about to deploy to Iraq and a blood test revealed elevated blood glucose levels.

I went to see a specialist and was prescribed medication, and deployed as planned.

“Since then my daily treatment is a combination of tablets and injections of insulin although recently I have been able to manage my condition by adopting a low carbohydrate diet.”

Rev Christian said: “I was really keen to attend the event at the Ark Centre as I only have a basic understanding of the effects of diabetes on feet, and I wanted to know more.

“I found the day useful, providing me with information that can further help me manage my own condition and to avoid any potential foot problems associated with living with this serious life-long condition.”

Jill Steaton, Diabetes UK South East regional manager, who was an advisor at the workshop, said: “Over the last decade we have seen the number of people with diabetes rising at an alarming rate and these latest figures are a stark call to action – we must act now or face the very real danger of diabetes devastating the lives of even more people, and threatening to wreck the already over-burdened NHS.”