There are more than 2.8 million people living with diabetes in Britain, and another 750 000 people who are estimated to be undiagnosed.
The NHS have created a first-of-its-kind online portal for people suffering with type 2 diabetes where they can access evidence-based information that will help them manage the disease. The resources will be able to be accessed from anywhere. The resource will provide valuable support and prevent many unnecessary doctors’ visits.
People that have used the online trial package have seen significant improvement to their health and quality of life, with reduced glucose levels and weight loss. Multiple resources, support services and online tools will be made available to provide support for the emotional and psychological well-being and help people make educated choices to manage their diabetes.
There will be a national roll out from 2020 of the online resource, and eleven sites are planned to pilot the new service later on this year.
The National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) have funded the service, and the results have been impressive with improvement in the mental health and the blood sugar levels of people who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes not long ago.
£10bn per year is spent on mostly preventable complications associated with diabetes. and the NHS are optimistic that the online resources will bring the support and education needed to help people with diabetes. The NHS have launched a “Diabetes Treatment and Care” programme which focuses on preventing and improving diabetes, and have already seen 17 000 people losing a combined 60,000 kilograms. A healthy weight is an essential part of the practical steps people can take to improve their health and well-being.
Public Health Minister, Seema Kennedy said:
“There are millions of people with type 2 Diabetes who are at increased risk of heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and ultimately a shorter life. This is preventable, and the new online tool being rolled out on the NHS will offer simple advice on diet, exercise and emotional support that could make all the difference.
“Through our Long Term Plan for the NHS we want to do more to empower people with easy-to-use digital tools and information to take care of their own health – I am delighted that people are already seeing the benefits of this government’s record funding increase to the NHS budget.”
Alan, 71 from Sunderland who was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2002 has already benefited from the resource. He said: “When I was diagnosed it was a shock to the system and I didn’t know anything about Type 2 diabetes. I wish that a website like this would have been available for me back then. It’s a really useful tool that I would urge all GPs to recommend to people with the condition.
“My first piece of advice to anyone diagnosed with any form of diabetes is to learn as much as possible about it. This tool is a great way to do that – the more you know, the better you can manage your condition.”
Article Source:https://www.england.nhs.uk/2019/05/online-diabetes-support/
