During Diabetes Awareness Week 10 -17 June, NHS Somerset is launching a campaign to raise awareness of Type 2 diabetes and help patients understand the support they can gain from the free NHS Type 2 Pathway to Remission Programme in Somerset.
Somerset GP Henk Bruggers says “In Somerset there are already over 30,000 people living with diabetes, of those, 90% will be living with Type 2 diabetes and many could benefit from being on NHS Type 2 Pathway to Remission Programme. It’s available for those between age 18-65, who have had a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in the last 6 years. Patients need to be overweight and have an Hba1c between 43 and 87 in the last year to be eligible.”
“The free Programme helps patients with Type 2 diabetes to lose weight, reduce their medication, and possibly go into remission. Patients don’t need to go into remission to benefit from being on the programme as it will still help them to lose weight and reduce their diabetes medication.”
NHS Type 2 Pathway to Remission Programme
This is a 12-month programme to help people lose weight and potentially go into remission from having Type 2 diabetes. Somerset is one of 21 areas in the country to offer the Programme.
The 12-month programme consists of three phases, including 12 weeks of low-calorie soups and shakes (provided free of charge), followed by a 6-week reintroduction to real foods phase then a 7–8-month maintenance phase to help participants sustain long term diet and lifestyle changes. Participants are supported with one-to-one coaching with a choice of in person or digital support throughout the 12-month Programme. It can reduce a patient’s risk of medical complications from having diabetes and lower a patients need for medication.
In Somerset, 372 people have started the Programme. Of those, 131 are still on the Programme and 100 have completed it. 141 people haven’t completed it.
Those at risk of developing diabetes may have no obvious signs that they have the condition, but public health experts estimate there could be as many as 10,000 people in Somerset who are undiagnosed and even more at risk of developing the disease in the future. Each year in Somerset, between 2,000 and 2,500 people are newly diagnosed with diabetes.
If people take no action to reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes it is estimated that 53,000 people in Somerset could have the disease by 2030.
Are you at risk? Take the type 2 diabetes risk survey
By completing Diabetes UK’s five-minute online Diabetes Risk Survey you could be taking the first steps to prevent what is rapidly becoming a major cause of preventable sight loss, kidney failure, heart attack and stroke.
Those most at risk may already have a family history of the disease; they may be overweight, or have a poor diet (high in sugar, fat and salt) and take little or no physical exercise.
Find out more about the Diabetes 2 Pathway to Remission Programme
Website: Diabetes – Our Somerset
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