A group of passionate diabetics have come together to write an informative book about their condition for other sufferers.

IPSWICH: A group of passionate diabetics have come together to write an informative book about their condition for other sufferers.

Living with Diabetes - a booklet for Type 2 diabetics - has been written by the East Suffolk Diabetes User Group, based at the Ipswich Hospital Diabetes Centre, as they believed there was nothing else out there to educate people about the illness.

The group, made up of seven members, includes some patients who are cared for by the diabetes centre and some who are cared for by their GPs. It is supported by the Diabetes Centre at Ipswich Hospital, which provides the group with a specialist diabetes nurse as the Trust lead, Sue Mitchell.

During the launch of the free booklet, Tony Ramsey, chairman of the User Group, thanked Ipswich Hospital and the local branch of the Diabetes UK for their support.

Mr Ramsey said: “This booklet has been written by the group and is aimed primarily at newly diagnosed patients but also to anyone with Type 2 diabetes. It was very enlightening to write it.

“We are very proud of it. We are not aware of anything like this out there for those with Type 2 diabetics-that is why we wanted to do this. It contains lots of good advice.”

It contains personal experiences from the members together with information to particularly help and comfort those newly diagnosed.

There are two and a half million diabetics in the UK and 95 per cent of those have Type 2 diabetes.

The booklet, which took around a year to finish, was funded by the Ipswich and East Suffolk branch of Diabetes UK and can now be found at all the GP Practices in the area. It will also be available in the introductory packs provided by the local branch of Diabetes UK. If anyone cannot get hold of a copy, they can call Mr Ramsey on 01473 626951.

Do you have diabetes? How important is a book like this? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.