Diabetes UK and health providers across Coventry and Warwickshire are working together to support people living with type 2 diabetes.
The initiative between NHS Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), NHS Warwickshire North CCG and NHS South Warwickshire CCG aims to ensure 5,600 newly diagnosed people have key information available to support them to manage their condition and help them live healthier lives.
More than 5,600 packs have been sent directly to people who are registered across 133 GP practices.
Each pack contains core Diabetes UK information including the charity’s type 2 diabetes guide, a 15 Healthcare Essentials guide, information if you’ve been recently diagnosed with the condition, how to check your feet and the Diabetes UK helpline number.
Alongside this there is bespoke local information around pharmacy support, local education programmes, Diabetes UK community champions, healthy eating and lifestyle support, psychological wellbeing and a selection of online videos for BAME communities, gestational diabetes and keeping active.
NHS Coventry and Rugby CCG has developed this initiative through NHS England diabetes transformation funding and in collaboration with Diabetes UK.
Peter Shorrick, Diabetes UK Midlands and East regional Head, said:
“We are all currently living in very challenging times, but if you are also living with a serious health condition, like type 2 diabetes, then the coronavirus situation may feel even more daunting.
But the more knowledge and information you have to manage diabetes, the more empowered you will be to make the right choices for you to ensure you can be as healthy as possible.
It’s been great to partner up with health providers across the county to ensure people living with type 2 diabetes are supported.”
Anna Wheatley, Senior Commissioning Manager for Long Term Health Conditions at NHS Coventry and Rugby CCG and NHS Warwickshire North CCG, said:
“The information packs will be given directly to patients who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
We know that being diagnosed can be challenging for many people and especially in this current Covid-19 pandemic situation that we are facing, which we know has had a greater impact on our BAME communities.
We have a number of local support services in the area to help people manage their condition as best as they can, through online education and support from a wide range of diabetes and allied healthcare professionals.
Type 2 diabetes is one of the biggest healthcare challenges of our time. Diabetes and its complications cost the NHS over £10 billion every year to treat, with one in six patients in hospital now having diabetes.
There is strong evidence that the onset of type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed in those at high risk through improving healthy eating habits, an increase in physical activity and weight reduction.”
