Funding digital type 2 diabetes programmes.
A new Scottish Government programme is expected to prevent up to
4,000 people from developing type 2 diabetes.
The £4.8 million investment will offer education and virtual,
app-based, individual consultations with nutritionists,
dietitians and health coaches via the Accelerated National
Innovation Adoption (ANIA) initiative to fast track proven
healthcare innovations.
By focusing on prevention, this will reduce future health
complications for patients, improve quality of life and ease
long-term pressures on the NHS.
Health professionals in primary or secondary care will refer
suitable patients soon after diagnosis of pre-diabetes or history
of gestational diabetes - increasing equity of access to NHS
services across Scotland - and self-referral will also be
available.
Meeting frontline staff and patients at Pennywell All Care Centre
in Edinburgh, Public Health Minister said:
“We want to improve access to treatment in the community, enhance
preventative services and maximise the opportunities of
digital innovation through our Service Renewal and Population
Health Frameworks. This will deliver a sustainable and high
quality health and social care system for the future.
“This digital programme reduces the need to travel to in-person
appointments and helps patients make sustainable changes to their
diet and lifestyle and prevent progress towards type 2 diabetes.
It enables rural and urban communities to easily access services
which can have a life-changing impact.
“It is a prime example of transformative innovation that benefits
frontline staff and patients alike and supports our health and
care service to meet the challenges it faces.”
The three-year programme will enable up to 15,000 people at risk
of type 2 diabetes to access nine months of digital diet and
lifestyle change advice through ANIA - with up to 4,000 of those
expected to avoid the condition.
Director of Innovation and Transformation at NHS Lothian Jenny
Long said:
“Over the past five years, NHS Lothian's dietetic service has
successfully delivered both the diabetes remission and
award-winning prevention programmes, supported by permanent
Scottish Government funding. Their success has led to further
investment in digital innovation via the Accelerated National
Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway.
"New digital services will improve patient access and outcomes
across the region, enabling direct referrals from primary care
and reducing waiting times.”
The ANIA Pathway, funded by the Chief Scientist Office and led by
the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, is designed to fast-track
proven innovations into frontline healthcare across Scotland. By
identifying, assessing, and implementing new health technologies
with strong evidence and impact, ANIA ensures patients across
Scotland benefit from the latest advances in care.
Head of Innovation at the Centre for Sustainable Delivery Jason
White said:
“This programme represents a major step forward in the delivery
of preventative healthcare across Scotland. It will empower
people with pre-diabetes via easily accessible technology to make
meaningful lifestyle changes that will significantly reduce their
risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
“The Centre for Sustainable Delivery is proud to support this
initiative through the ANIA programme. It's a scalable,
evidence-based solution that will support people to improve their
own health and wellbeing over nine months. It will improve
patient outcomes and reduce demand on NHS services through
reducing the growth of type 2 diabetes across Scotland.”
Background
Type 2 diabetes | NHS
inform
There are 310,000 people living with type 2 diabetes in Scotland,
representing more than 5% of the population. In 2023, more than
25,000 new cases were diagnosed and the number is predicted to
reach 420,000 by 2044.
ANIA is also funding a national digital intensive weight
management programme to support 3,000 people recently diagnosed
with type 2 diabetes. With £4.5 million invested over three
years, the project is expected to help around 40% achieve
remission by the end of their first year in the programme.
