DIABETES care in Darlington is to receive an important boost thanks to a £120,000 health initiative.

Five GP practices in the town are taking part in the project, which is expected to have a huge impact on quality of life for thousands of people in the town who are living with diabetes.

Staff at the surgeries will be asked by Darlington Primary Care Trust to draw up action plans to improve patient care, and workshops will be held to share good practice.

Care plans could include regular reviews of patients' conditions and foot, blood and eye-screening.

Once the improved practices are evaluated and established they will be fed into other GP surgeries.

Patients from each practice will also be asked to join the project to give practitioners their point of view on services.

The initiative will also tackle chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Front-line staff in Darlington and at neighbouring primary care trusts are being identified to specialise in the field.

Karen Walker, the trust's diabetes strategy facilitator, said: "The increase in diabetes is worrying and this initiative will improve patient care.

"Diabetes is a degenerative, progressive disease which becomes harder to control over time as complications develop.

"It can lead to problems with the feet, eyes, kidneys and heart. So what we are aiming to do by improving care is reduce this risk of developing complications."

Diabetes is increasing across the country as sedentary lifestyles and sugar-rich food affect the body's ability to produce insulin.

Nationally, it is estimated that a million people may have the condition and not even realise it.

In Darlington, 3,000 people have been diagnosed with diabetes, but health officials fear another 1,500 could be living with the condition in complete ignorance.

Telltale signs include increased thirst, going to the toilet more than normal, tiredness, weight loss and blurred vision. Anyone with these symptoms should contact their doctor.

The risk of developing diabetes increases with age, though an alarming amount of diabetes is currently being diagnosed in children, linked to obesity. Plenty of exercise and a healthy diet can stave off its development.