West Yorkshire and Harrogate and South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw as a whole will now benefit from the first nationwide Diabetes Prevention Programme

An estimated 59,347 people at high risk of Type 2 diabetes across West Yorkshire and Harrogate and South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw will be invited to join a health programme to help them avoid developing the condition.

Potentially 19,731[i] people currently identified as at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw and 39,616[ii] people identified in West Yorkshire and Harrogate could be invited to join the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, which is being rolled out across England and helps people at high risk of the condition change their lifestyles.

Three of the main risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes are:

• Age – being over the age of 40 (over 25 for people of south Asian, Chinese, African-Caribbean or black African origin, even if you were born in the UK). This may be because people tend to gain weight and exercise less as they get older.
• Genetics – having a close relative with the condition, such as a parent, brother or sister
• Weight – being overweight or obese (especially if you’re large around the middle).

GP practices will be referring patients that they know to be at high risk and those referred to the ten-month course will get tailored, personalised help to reduce their risk of Type 2 diabetes including education on healthy eating and lifestyle, help to lose weight and access to bespoke physical exercise programmes, all of which together have been proven to reduce the risk of developing the disease.

The roll out covers the geographical areas of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) and the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw STP.

Since July 2016, Leeds has been a ‘wave one’ site for the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme and 53 GP practices within the city have referred 715 people to the programme. Since October 2016, Sheffield has also been a ‘wave one’ site for the programme and 40 GP practices have referred 200 people to the programme.

Moira Garland, 68, from Leeds was identified as being at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes so she took her GP’s advice to attend the ground-breaking Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme. Moira has recognised she is not as active as she could be and is determined to make the necessary changes to her lifestyle to take more exercise and adjust some parts of her diet.

“I’m part of a group of people which meets regularly with Tasha from Ingeus, who leads our course,” said Moira. “Although it’s early days, already we have learnt what the risks are and what we should do to try avoid diabetes. I have no wish to become diabetic and recognise that, whilst I must make changes, everything I am shown and taught is for my own benefit. That’s my main motivation.”

“All in all, none of the individual dietary and lifestyle adjustments that have been suggested will mean massive changes to me, personally, but together I am hopeful they will help me remain free from diabetes,” added Moira. “By taking the advice and becoming a little more active, I can stave off the risk and remain healthier.”

Dr Esther Dalton, GP at St Martin’s Practice in Chapeltown, Leeds and a GP Champion for the national Diabetes Prevention Programme recognises the value of such a service and recently said:

“As a practice we know how important it is to help patients make changes to prevent the development of diabetes and it’s great that the Healthier You programme has been available in Leeds since July. The whole team at the practice have worked really hard to actively promote it and refer as many people who could benefit as possible.

“We are very committed to the initiative and hope we’ll start to see health improvements for the patients participating. I really encourage all GP practices to join us as we give a big push to make referrals onto the programme and help prevent diabetes.”

Type 2 diabetes develops when the insulin-producing cells in the body are unable to produce enough insulin, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly (known as insulin resistance). It is a leading cause of preventable sight loss in people of working age and is a major contributor to kidney failure, heart attack, and stroke. In serious cases, Type 2 diabetes can lead to foot amputations. There are currently 3.8 million people with Type 2 diabetes in England[iii] and it’s estimated that over five million people in England are at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes[iv]. Type 2 diabetes accounts for at least 90% of all cases of diabetes[v].

Dr David Black, Medical Director at NHS England (Yorkshire and the Humber) said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer people across West Yorkshire and Harrogate and South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw access to a world first – a preventative diabetes lifestyle programme. This will ensure that people have the tools to make the right changes to their lifestyles to ensure they stay healthy.”

Dr Andrew Lee from Public Health England in Yorkshire and the Humber said: “We are delighted that the whole of West Yorkshire and Harrogate and South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw will now be able to offer the Diabetes Prevention Programme to people with a high risk of developing diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is serious but it is also preventable. The programme puts people in control of their health by giving them the tools, information and support they need to make small changes to their lifestyles that can significantly reduce their risk of the disease and the potential complications associated with it like stroke and kidney failure.”

Stephen Ryan, Head of the North at Diabetes UK said: “Every day, around 65 people with diabetes die before their time. It is extremely important we invest in preventing Type 2 diabetes and improving care for people who have Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, especially given the prevalence of diabetes in the north of England is higher than the national average.

We want this money to transform NHS care so that millions of people currently living with diabetes get the right support to manage their condition and avoid devastating complications such as blindness and amputations.”

The roll out of the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme forms part of a package of new measures to curb diabetes pledged by the Chief Executive of NHS England, Simon Stevens. This includes funding more specialist nurses, providing diabetic foot care teams and a major evaluation of how digital technology such as apps and wearable technology could provide bespoke and easy-to-access support to many millions more people at risk.

Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme is run collaboratively by NHS England, Public Health England and Diabetes UK, and providers are now in place in 27 parts of England covering around 45 to 50 per cent of the population of England.

[i] Extracted from NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme Prospectus South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw STP

[ii] Extracted from NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme Prospectus West Yorkshire and Harrogate STP

[iii] NCVIN, Diabetes Prevalence Model, September 2016

[iv] NCVIN, Unpublished prevalence estimates of non-diabetic hyperglycaemia by LA

[v] HSCIC: National Diabetes Audit 2012/13: Report 1: Care Processes and Treatment Targets

Find out more about the Diabetes Prevention Programme