NHS DIABETES PREVENTION PROGRAMME

Preventing Type 2 diabetes in England

The Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP) has been developed collaboratively by NHS England, Public Health England and Diabetes UK, with input from a broad range of other bodies including health care professionals, diabetes specialists, NICE, Local Authorities, clinical commissioning groups, providers of services, and people at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

The programme was launched in March 2015 in seven areas which trialled different models for identifying people known to be at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and helping them to change their lifestyles.

Learning was taken from these sites to inform the national programme, which began to roll out in 2016.

Why is the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme needed?

There are 3.9 million people living with diabetes in the UK.1 This figure has more than doubled since 1996 when there were 1.4 million.

If current trends persist one in five people will develop Type 2 diabetes by 2025.

Type 2 diabetes develops when your body can’t produce enough insulin, or when the insulin that is produced doesn’t work properly.

Diabetes can cause serious long-term health problems. It’s the most common cause of vision loss and blindness in people of working age. It is also responsible for most cases of kidney failure and lower limb amputation (other than accidents). People with diabetes are up to five times more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke than those without diabetes.

One in six of all people in hospital have diabetes – and while that is often not the reason for admission, people with diabetes often need a longer stay in the hospital, are more likely to be readmitted and their risk of dying is higher than for those without it. 

It’s essential to be diagnosed as early as possible because Type 2 diabetes will get progressively worse if left untreated. Early diagnosis may also reduce the risk of developing complications later on. The good news is that if you discover you are at risk you can take action yourself as well as get support to help you lower your risk and avoid developing the condition.

1. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diabetes/Pages/Diabetes.aspx