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Supporting the implementation of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme

18 Nov 2018

Supporting the implementation of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme

To support the implementation of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, NHS Informatics Merseyside developed a tailored search within EMIS Web to identify those most at risk from Type 2 diabetes.

Most people would be shocked to learn that around 22,000 people with diabetes die early every year. Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of preventable sight loss in people of working age and is a major contributor to kidney failure, heart attack and stroke. In England, there are currently 3.4 million people with Type 2 diabetes, with around 200,000 new diagnoses every year. While Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented and is not linked to lifestyle, Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable through lifestyle changes. The Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP) is a joint commitment from NHS England, Public Health England and Diabetes UK, which aims to identify those at high risk and refer them onto a behaviour change programme. In June 2016, the process for rolling out this programme began with a first wave of 27 areas, which as well as Sefton, locally included Cheshire, Wirral and St Helens.

To support the roll out of this programme, NHS Informatics Merseyside’s Primary Care Data Quality Team worked with NHS Southport and Formby and NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to create a search within EMIS Web to identify those patients most at risk from Type 2 diabetes, and who should be invited to take part in this programme. The search was needed in order to identify pre-diabetic patients over 17 years of age who have a high HbA1c value, taken within the last nine months, which is more than or equal to 42 and less than 48. This excludes current patients residing in nursing homes, diabetic, dementia or palliative care patients and those currently pregnant. For people with diabetes this value is important as the higher the HbA1c, the greater the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

To find out more, please read our case study.