Too many people are undergoing 'unnecessary' leg amputations due to a lack of proper treatment, MPs and peers have warned.
A new report revealed a postcode lottery in the number of people losing legs for diseases including diabetes, with amputation twice as likely for those in the south west compared to those in London.
In 2012/2013, there were almost 12,000 lower limb amputations in England, a figure the report said remains 'stubbornly high'.
The new study from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Vascular Disease is based on Freedom of Information requests to NHS trusts and NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).
It argued there is a lack of planning of how to treat patients at risk of lower limb disease, with CCGs in areas without a dedicated patient pathway - a treatment plan agreed between departments - having 11 per cent more amputations on average than those with one.
Almost a third of NHS trusts handling vascular and diabetes patients did not have multi-disciplinary teams to manage care, despite evidence they produce better results.
Some 28 per cent of trusts also lacked the teams for peripheral arterial disease, a common condition in which fatty deposits in the arteries stop blood getting to leg muscles.
More on this grim story sent in by Indy here.
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