NHS England have commissioned award winning health and care consultancy Carnall Farrar (CF) and a leading provider of digital behaviour change solutions, Changing Health, to deliver the biggest ever roll out of NHS Type 2 diabetes support. 

The partnership will make evidence-based information and support available, at the touch of a button, for hundreds of thousands of England’s 3.4 million people diagnosed with the condition. Users will receive quick and convenient NHS help to deal with the physical and mental challenges of living with Type 2 diabetes, accessible at home, at work or on the move via smartphone, tablet or PC. 

Previously trialled through funding from the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), the service demonstrated significant improvements in people’s average blood sugar and an improvement in the mental health of people newly diagnosed with the condition.

CF will lead on implementation and management of the project, catalysing change by supporting leaders to work together to address the biggest challenges in digital adoption. CF combines award winning healthcare analytics and thought leadership with real world experience of front line service delivery, and supports digital adoption by helping healthcare systems and innovators to work together and maximise uptake through understanding the range of needs of individuals, as well by understanding how to support new tools and approaches.

Changing Health, a spin out company from Newcastle University, will provide the digital platform on which the NHS resource is based. The technology allows the NHS to personalise the support available for different users, improving uptake, retention and health outcomes.

Professor Mike Trenell, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Changing Health said: “Type 2 diabetes places an enormous burden on people living with the condition and the care systems looking after them. We believe this approach will enable the NHS to deliver personalised support at scale – which is hugely exciting.”

Professor Jonathan Valabhji, National Clinical Director for Diabetes and Obesity for NHS England, said: “Living with Type 2 diabetes is a daily challenge for millions, as well as a growing issue for our NHS, which is why the Long Term Plan for the health service sets out ambitious, innovative and evidence backed measures to prevent and manage the condition. We are living in an increasingly digital age with people managing most aspects of their lives online, the rollout of this programme will give people the opportunity to get support for their Type 2 diabetes online too.”