Diabetes

Living with diabetes is difficult. There are so many factors to consider and this can be stressful during the UK lockdown during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme: now accepting patient-led self-referrals

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS England has launched a new referral process to expand access to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP). The referral model has changed from being solely GP-led to include an additional patient-led self-referral option.

This has been introduced to help people at risk of Type 2 diabetes to benefit from the Healthier You programme, recognising the capacity and clinical pressures faced by general practice during COVID-19 and reduced capacity within phlebotomy services. It will allow eligible participants to sign themselves up to the programme online without having had an HbA1c in the non-diabetic hyperglycaemic range (42-47mmol/mol) within the last 24 months and instead use the Diabetes UK risk tool.

Following completion of the risk screening questionnaire, people scoring at or above a risk threshold will be signposted to self-refer with their local NDPP provider (identified by postcode). ICS Health & Wellbeing (Gloucestershire’s NDPP provider) will then accept self-referrals received via this approach provided that the person is aged 18-79, not pregnant and they do not have a current diabetes diagnosis. This route will be available until at least the end of March 2021.