GP surgeries in Andover and across Hampshire are to be funded to start treating people newly diagnosed with diabetes.

About 48,000 people in Hampshire are expected to have diabetes and of the two million people in the UK with the condition, another 750,000 are also completely unaware that they have it.

The new funding was generated by Hampshire Primary Care Trust during the recent national Diabetes Week to improve care for people with diabetes, closer to home.

Diabetes is a condition in which the amount of glucose in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly.

Type 1 diabetes usually affects children and adults under the age of 40 and is less common, whereas Type 2 is usually linked with being overweight.

Type 2 diabetes in adults and young people is increasing and it is anticipated that another 32,000 people in Hampshire will develop the condition by 2010.

The symptoms of diabetes include increases thirst; urinating too frequently, especially at night; extreme tiredness; weight loss; blurred vision; and slow healing of wounds.

It can lead to life threatening complications such as kidney failure, stroke, heart disease, nerve damage leading to amputation, and blindness - but if diagnosed early it can often be managed by improved diet and exercise and by medication.

Georgina Cunningham, assistant service redesign manager for Hampshire PCT, said: "The support of local GPs in helping us to bring about these improvements is vital to the success of the redesign project."