Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme

A record number of people in the UK are living with Type 2 diabetes.

This figure has more than doubled since 1996. Sadly many people will experience potentially preventable complications because of diabetes, simply because they don’t know enough about their condition and how to manage it.  The good news is if you’re at risk of Type 2 diabetes there are lots of small changes you can make to prevent diabetes from developing in the first place. The first thing to do is find out if you are at risk.

The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme  is open to people who:

  • Are aged 18 or over
  • Are not pregnant
  • Do not have diabetes currently
  • Are registered with a GP in Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland

There are a number of referral pathways into the prevention programme.

The first is via a direct referral from your GP following a blood test which indicates pre-diabetes (HbA1c result between 42-47 mmol/mol or Fasting Plasma Glucose result between 5.5-6.9 mmol/I). Or if you have a history of Gestational Diabetes then you are eligible with a normal blood sugar result (HbA1c <42 mmol/mol or FPG <5.5mmol/l). Further details on how a GP can refer a patient to this service can be found here: https://preventing-diabetes.co.uk/referrers/leicester/.

Further details on how a GP can refer a patient to this service can be found here.

Another way that someone can join the prevention programme is via a self-referral.

If you have had an eligible blood test from your GP within the last 24 months (although this is set to revert back to the last 12 months at the end of March 2022), you can refer yourself onto the programme using your NHS number, GP surgery name, blood test result and the date of the blood test. This self-referral process into the prevention programme can be  can be accessed here:.

For the general public who don’t have a recent blood test result to hand they can establish if they are at risk of diabetes by using one of two tools:

  • A short questionnaire called the ‘Know Your Risk Tool’ on their website. The questionnaire can be accessed here.
  • A  know your risk tool where it can be calculated if you are at risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

Those who score moderate to high risk (a score of 16+) will be automatically redirected to the Diabetes UK website to sign up for the programme if they wish to.

The tool can be accessed here: https://riskscore.diabetes.org.uk/start

Local VCSE organisations who provide health and care awareness services to their local communities may want to promote this programme to their beneficiaries.   

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