Almost one million people have been referred to the NHS DPP since it launched in 2016, with participants who complete achieving an average weight loss of 3.3kg
29th May 2022 – In connection with the Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Week in the UK – a joint initiative between Diabetes UK and NHS England to raise awareness of type 2 diabetes and how to reduce the risks associated with developing the condition – Liva Healthcare (Liva), a European market leader in scalable digital health coaching, and Living Well Taking Control (LWTC), a Birmingham-based non-profit organisation, are announcing additional contracts in the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP) to provide greater coverage in England. The partnership between Liva and LWTC will now provide a choice for healthcare coaching, tailored to local area needs for 14 regions in the programme and is dedicated to improving these aspects of health and well-being for citizens in the regions.
The need for a preventative approach to the diabetes epidemic
The NHS spends approximately £10 billion a year on diabetes – around 10% of its entire budget. What is more, the number of cases of preventable conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes are rising, fuelled by the obesity epidemic.
Sarah Beeby, UK Managing Director of Liva, commented: “Healthcare providers around the world are looking for solutions to combat the rise in diabetes and obesity. Historically, access to the practical and emotional support needed to make the difference has been hampered by cost and logistical obstacles. Technology holds huge potential to enable preventative care at scale, that has not yet been fully embraced. To ensure the long-term affordability of health services, like the NHS, we need to harness technology alongside coaching expertise to deliver early interventions at population scale.”
The NHS is taking radical action to tackle rising obesity rates and to prevent type 2 diabetes as part of its NHS Long Term Plan, which will protect the future of the NHS and ensure it meets the UK population’s evolving healthcare needs. As part of the Plan, access to the NHS DPP has been expanded so that up to 200,000 people a year will benefit.
Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme
The NHS DPP was established in 2016 and aims to support people to reduce their risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. People enrolled in the programme get advice on healthy eating and exercise that can prevent them developing the condition, avoiding the need for medication and complications such as amputations.
Liva has been a provider of the programme since 2017, and the partnership with LWTC – which specialises in face-to-face and remote support – launched in 2019 with Liva offering a digital service to complement LWTC’s face-to-face intervention. Since 2019, the partnership has delivered diabetes prevention in six regions of England – including Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Dorset. Building on their extensive combined experience, Liva and LWTC have built a comprehensive and innovative service which offers greater programme flexibility for pre-diabetic people across the UK.
Dr Russell Muirhead, Clinical Lead from Living Well Taking Control, said: “LWTC and Liva have developed a strong joint offer for participants at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, ensuring they have equal access to this essential programme either in person or digitally. This is crucial so that everyone, irrespective of their personal circumstances or skills, can benefit from the lifestyle changes which can prevent the serious long-term effects of diabetes.”
The British Medical Journal recently found that the NHS DPP achieves results that are comparable to the face-to-face programme. Findings presented at April’s Diabetes UK Conference showed that participation in the digital diabetes prevention programme was associated with clinically significant reductions in both HbA1c and weight at 6 and 12 months (−1.6 mmol/mol and −3.1 kg at 12 months for HbA1c and weight respectively). The complementary face-to-face service provided by LWTC is structured and designed to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and includes friends and family in the journey to building a healthier lifestyle.
Programme success and a new phase of expansion
New data suggests that the NHS DPP resulted in a 7% reduction in the number of new diagnoses of Type 2 diabetes in England. Almost one million people have been referred to the programme since it was first launched in 2016, with participants who complete achieving an average weight loss of 3.3kg.
Therefore Framework 3 – a third edition of the programme – has been launched following the conclusion of Framework 2 in April 2022. A new Framework provides an opportunity for re-procurement, meaning the NHS DPP continues to have the best partners to achieve its goals. This also provides an opportunity to expand the scale of the programme, build on previous frameworks’ experience, support patient choice, and continue to improve access to the programme.
Liva and LWTC will go live with the programme in the eight additional contract regions on 1st August 2022.
The digital health coaching experience
Through Liva’s app, participants have access to a real human health coach, designing a personalised lifestyle change programme for each person based on their individual needs. After a live video kick-off, participants receive ongoing tailormade guidance, support and empathy through videos and texts in the app. They can track their progress real-time and engage with a support group of peers to keep them motivated. The programme has been proven to help prevent type 2 diabetes as 80% of participants with prediabetes reduce their HbA1c levels in 6 months.
The physical health coaching experience
Participants can join a small group of people who are also at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In 13 sessions spread over nine months, a trained Coach will provide the motivation, resources, advice, and support participants need to increase physical activity and improve their diet. The programme is free and supports non-English speakers, and participants can even bring someone for extra support.
