Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about support and treatment for people with diabetes.
I am aware that diabetes is a leading cause of premature mortality, doubling an person's risk of cardiovascular disease. With over 22,000 additional deaths each year, it costs over £10 billion every year to manage. That is why it is important, as you say, that high quality diabetes care is available to everyone who needs it.
A total of £5 million was provided in 2021/22 in a national recovery fund to support the recovery of routine diabetes care through innovative projects. The programme approved 28 projects with delivery in 2022/23. A further £75 million of funding is also being allocated between 2020/21 and 2023/24 for the treatment and care of people living with diabetes. NHS England continues to work to identify and develop plans to address gaps in the provision of services.
The Government also supports work to prevent the development of diabetes. While Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented and is not linked to lifestyle, Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable through lifestyle changes. The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme operates to identify people who are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and refers them onto a nine-month, evidence-based lifestyle change programme. Latest figures, published in February 2023 shows a 20 per cent reduction in risk for those who are referred to the programme compared to those who are not.
I am pleased that prevention is at the heart of the NHS Long Term Plan (LTP). One of the key commitments in the LTP is to double to 200,000 people per year by 2024, the scale of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme which supports those identified as high risk of type 2 diabetes to reduce their risk - NHS England » NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP)
Technology could provide vital support to people managing diabetes and I am aware that new treatments and technologies are being developed all the time. Integrated Care Boards (ICB) are responsible for commissioning diabetes services for their local populations. This includes prescribing technologies for people living with diabetes, for example glucose monitoring devices. Following a successful two-year pilot programme that saw a significant increase in the adoption of flash glucose technology across all clinical commissioning groups, I am encouraged to see that over 35 per cent of patients living with type 1 diabetes are now benefitting from flash glucose monitoring. Commissioning decisions for the adoption of technology products in diabetes are always guided by clinical and cost effective assessments, delivered by NICE and other regulatory bodies.
Finally, the Government has announced its intention to develop and publish a Major Conditions Strategy. The strategy will set out a strong and coherent policy agenda that sets out a shift to integrated, whole-person care. Interventions set out in the strategy will aim to alleviate pressure on the health system, as well as support the Government’s objective to increase healthy life expectancy and reduce ill-health related labour market inactivity. Diabetes is one of the six major conditions included in the strategy.
On 17 May, the Government launched its call for evidence for the Major Conditions Strategy which ran until 27 June. The Government is analysing responses and will respond shortly, Major conditions strategy: case for change and our strategic framework - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
