This programme is a joint commitment from NHS England, Public Health England and Diabetes UK to identify and provide support for people at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
It aims to delay or prevent the onset of Type 2 Diabetes by supporting people to achieve a healthy weight, be physically active and adopt a healthy diet.
NHS Birmingham and Solihull continues to work with the National Diabetes Prevention Programme Team National Programme Team since 2015 to support its implementation and roll out across the region.
The Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme is designed for people who are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Some of the known risk factors can't be changed, but there are others you have control of every day and you can affect your level of risk by the choices you make.
The risk of Type 2 diabetes can be reduced significantly by reducing your weight, increasing the amount of physical activity that you do and improving your diet. Your local Healthier You: NHS DPP service can support you in taking action in all these areas.
If you are not sure whether or not you are at risk, you can use this Risk Assessment tool to find out. If the results indicate that you are at high risk of developing diabetes, ask your GP for a blood test to check your status and refer you to the programme.
You can access the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme in the following ways:
- Your GP or nurse may have told you that you are at a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes – ask them to refer you to your local Healthier You service
- You may have discovered in your NHS health check that you are at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes – ask the health check professional to refer you to your local Healthier You service
- You may have had your risk assessed at a local event or by using an online assessment tool. If you think you are at a high risk you can ask your practice nurse to arrange the necessary blood tests and if the risk is confirmed, you can ask for a referral to your local Healthier You service
More information and resources can be accessed below to find out more about this programme: Start your journey to a Healthier You
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and flash glucose monitoring (trade name Freestyle Libre©) are alternatives to traditional blood glucose monitoring using finger prick tests. Both constantly monitor the levels of glucose in the body, although there are some practical differences about how they work, and who they are most suitable for.
NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB commission both CGM and flash glucose monitoring for specified groups of people with diabetes via specialist diabetes centres. More details are available in the policies below.
The ICB continues to commission traditional self-monitoring of blood glucose using finger prick tests for all patients with diabetes who require it to manage their condition effectively.
- Policy for continuous glucose monitoring in diabetes
- Policy for commissioning of flash glucose monitoring for patients with diabetes meeting the NHS England funding criteria
November 2022: Diabetes glucose monitoring interim position statement
In March 2022 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Diabetes guidelines were updated to include important new recommendations for both real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) and intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring (isCGM, commonly referred to as 'flash').
The NICE recommendations can be found within the following guidelines:
- Type 1 diabetes in adults: diagnosis and management (NG17)
- Diabetes (type 1 and type 2) in children and young people: diagnosis and management (NG18)
- Type 2 diabetes in adults: management (NG28)
- Diabetes in pregnancy: management from preconception to the postnatal period (NG3)
Our Integrated Care System must develop local guidelines which both meets the needs of our patients and financial budget. The NICE recommendations are currently undergoing a review process by the local diabetes specialist services clinicians together with commissioners, pharmacists and clinical leads from Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board before they are applied across the healthcare system. We politely ask that patients and clinicians bear with us whilst we complete this process. Further information will be released when available in due course. In the interim please refer to the existing policies (available via the links above).