NHS England’s Diabetes Prevention Programme has helped 18,000 patients take up exercise and cookery classes as the second wave of programme providers is announced.
The programme, which is run with Public Health England and Diabetes UK, was launched last year in 27 areas, covering 26m people – nearly half the country.
Figures released today show that 18,000 people were enrolled in the programme at the end of April, exceeding the original target set in the NHS Mandate of 10,000 referrals during 2017/18.
NHS England’s Diabetes Prevention Programme has helped 18,000 patients take up exercise and cookery classes as the second wave of programme providers is announced.
The programme, which is run with Public Health England and Diabetes UK, was launched last year in 27 areas, covering 26m people – nearly half the country.
Figures released today show that 18,000 people were enrolled in the programme at the end of April, exceeding the original target set in the NHS Mandate of 10,000 referrals during 2017/18.
It offers people at risk of type 2 diabetes education on healthy eating and lifestyle choices and how to reducing weight through exercise and portion control.
NHS England has said just under half of those taking part are men, with roughly a quarter of people from BAME communities.
The second wave of 13 areas will cover another 25% of the population and offer up to 50,000 additional places available on the programme, with funding secured for a further year for the initial areas.
The programme aims cover the whole country by 2018/19 with as many as 80,000 people taking part by that time.
Professor Jonathan Valabhji, NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Diabetes and Obesity, describeddiabetes as ‘one of the biggest healthcare challenges of our time’.
He said: ‘It is crucial that we have an integrated approach to tackling not just the prevention of type 2 diabetes but also the successful management of all forms of diabetes and it is essential that we support the spread of evidence based interventions to help reduce the harm that diabetes can cause.’
Duncan Selbie, chief executive of Public Health England,added: ‘Our prevention programme is putting people in control of their health –the results from the first year show the programme is already helping thousands of people and reaching those at higher risk.’
