News

New NHS diabetes programme to ‘coach’ at-risk patients in dieting

The NHS will refer overweight people at high risk of developing diabetes to a new nine-month prevention programme, with a phased nationwide rollout planned for 2016.

It follows a report compiled by Public Health England’s (PHE’s) National Cardiovascular Health Intelligence Network that shows five million people in England have blood sugar levels indicating a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The report provides a “robust estimate” of how many people over 16 are currently prone to developing type 2 diabetes, otherwise known as non-diabetic hyperglycaemia.

As a result, NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP) – a joint effort from NHS England, PHE and Diabetes UK – will enrol up to five million people in a prevention programme, identifying those at risk through existing blood tests or health checks.

It also comes shortly after Diabetes UK warned that the number of people with the condition in the UK had increased by almost 60% - meaning treatment costs could “bankrupt” the NHS.

Professor Jonathan Valabhji, national clinical director for diabetes and obesity at NHS England, said: “There are too many people on the cusp of developing type 2 diabetes and we can change that. The growing body of evidence makes us confident that our NHS diabetes prevention programme will reduce the numbers of those at risk going on to develop the debilitating disease.”

The programme will include information, support, and group and one-to-one sessions on weight loss, physical activity and dieting.

It hopes to prevent 26% of people from developing the condition, which already results in 22,000 early deaths and costs the NHS £8.8bn every year.

Duncan Selbie, chief executive of PHE, said: “We know how to lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes: lose weight, exercise and eat healthily, but it’s hard to do it alone. PHE’s evidence review shows that supporting people along the way will help them protect their health and that’s what our prevention programme will do.”

The data on diabetes type 2 has been broken down by local authority for the first time, ranging from 8.5% in Brighton and Hove to 14% in Harrow.

There are higher rates in areas with large ethnic minority or older populations, the groups traditionally at higher risk of developing the condition due to inherent factors.

And according to the PHE study, programmes aligned with the NICE guidance on preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes help people lose 3kg more weight, significantly reducing blood sugar levels.

Practitioners, clinicians, academics and the wider public are currently being consulted on the proposed outline of the programme to further inform how it will work ahead of its planned 2016 rollout.

The NHS DPP hopes to reduce the life-changing complications associated with diabetes as well as reducing direct incidences of the disease – such as heart, stroke, kidney, eye and foot problems.

It also aims to decrease significant costs to the NHS in the long term, coming just a few days after a Diabetes UK warning that treatment costs could “bankrupt” the NHS.

Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said at the time: “There is huge potential to save money and reduce pressures on NHS hospitals and services through providing better care to prevent people with diabetes from developing devastating and costly complications.

“The NHS must prioritise providing better care, along with improved and more flexible education options, for people with diabetes now, and give them the best possible chance of living long and healthy lives. Until then, avoidable human suffering will continue and the costs of treating diabetes will continue to spiral out of control and threaten to bankrupt the NHS. Now is the time for action.”

After PHE announced the new prevention programme, Young added: “It is really important that people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes are given evidence-based support to reduce their risk. As well as helping to reduce the human cost of type 2 diabetes, this would also go a long way to helping to reduce costs to the NHS.

“The NHS spends 10% of its entire budget managing diabetes and unless we get better at preventing type 2 diabetes, this figure will rise to unsustainable levels.”

Those identified as being at high risk of developing the condition will be offered a place on the NHS DPP when it launches next year.