Diabetes: secondary care data

Hospital admissions data

Statistics on hospital admissions for diabetes are held in the Scottish Morbidity Records (SMR01), which also include linked data on deaths. However, diabetes is not always recognised or recorded as the underlying reason for complications that lead to hospital admission. Anwar et al (2011) showed that admissions statistics underestimated the frequency of diabetes among hospital admissions in Scotland by around 41%.

Decreases in hospital admissions across most conditions in 2020/21 can be explained by changes to the provision and use of healthcare services during the Covid-19 pandemic, with many facing barriers to accessing or being unwilling to access services. Statistics for these years should therefore be treated with caution.

Type 1 Diabetes

In 2024/25 there were 3,509 hospital admissions where type 1 diabetes was the main diagnosis (63.3 admissions per 100,000 population). Admission rates have been relatively stable since 2011/12, excepting a decrease in admissions in 2020/21 due to the pandemic. Unlike with other types of diabetes, type 1 admissions are most common in younger age groups, with approximately two thirds of admissions occurring in under 45s in 2024/25. However, admissions in over 65s have been rising since 2020/21 (+55.2%).

There were 10,450 admissions in 2024/25 in people diagnosed with type diabetes (187.6/100,000). These admissions have been gradually declining since 2011/12 (-9.0% from 206.2/100,000).

Type 2 Diabetes

In 2024/25 there were 2,517 hospital admissions where type 2 diabetes was the main diagnosis (44.3 admissions per 100,000 population). Admissions have been increasing since 2011/12, although in 2024/25 there was a slight decrease on the previous year (-2.4%). A sex-based gap in admissions has been present since at least 2011/12 and has continued to widen, with rates 79.5% higher in men in 2024/25. Admissions rate increases with age, with around half of admissions in over 65s.

There were 63,565 admissions where type 2 diabetes was mentioned in any diagnosis position, or 1110.5 per 100,000. The rate peaked in 2016/17 at 1299.0 admissions per 100,000, with a 14.5% reduction in admissions since that year. As with type 2 admissions where diabetes was the main diagnosis, rates are higher in men and over 65s, with men over 65 constituting 55.8% of admissions in 2024/25. Sex-based differences in hospital admissions are much smaller in younger age groups.

Other Diabetes

In addition to type 1 and type 2 diabetes, various other types of diabetes cause morbidity and mortality in Scotland. These types are outlined on the Diabetes UK website. Examples include gestational diabetes, which occurs during pregnancy, neonatal diabetes, and “Type 3c diabetes” where the pancreas is damaged by another disease such as pancreatitis or cystic fibrosis, inhibiting insulin production or function. In ICD-10, these conditions are grouped as “other diabetes”.

There were 354 hospital admissions due primarily to other diabetes in 2024/25 (6.4 per 100,000 population). This is very similar to the previous year (-1.5%). Hospital admissions in patients diagnosed with "other diabetes" has decreased by 47.7% to 1,985 admissions since peaking in 2013/14. As with type 2 diabetes, rates of hospital admissions are higher in men and over 65s.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a metabolic emergency that occurs more commonly in type 1 diabetes but can occur in type 2 and other diabetes. It occurs when ketones build up in the blood due to a lack of insulin. Diabetic ketoacidosis is potentially fatal but treatable with prompt medical attention.

Type 1 Diabetes

In 2024/25 there were 2,252 hospital admissions in type 1 diabetics due to diabetic ketoacidosis, which equates to 40.4 admissions per 100,000 population. This rate has been roughly consistent since around 2013/14 and is similar in men and women. As with other conditions in type 1 diabetics, hospital admissions are more common in younger age groups. However, admissions have approximately tripled in over 65s between 2011/12 and 2024/25.

Type 2 Diabetes

There were 566 hospital admissions in type 2 diabetics due to diabetic ketoacidosis in 2024/25 (9.9 per 100,000). This is 75.5% lower than admissions in people suffering from type 1. Despite a small year-on-year decrease in rate, admissions have more than doubled between 2011/12 and 2024/25. This increase has been driven by admissions in over 65s. As with diabetic ketoacidosis in type 1 diabetes, rates are similar in men and women.