A NEW initiative has been launched in Sandwell to help reduce the risk of people developing diabetes.

The ‘Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme’ is designed for people who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes – a largely preventable condition.

GPs are now inviting people they know to be at high risk to enrol for tailored help, including education on healthy eating and lifestyle changes, and bespoke physical exercise programmes to lose weight.

The nine month course – jointly led by NHS England, Public Health England and Diabetes UK – includes weekly sessions for the first six weeks, which then become monthly for seven months.

Each session lasts about 90 minutes and takes place at a local GP practice or at a community venue close to where the patient lives.

Dr Nick Harding, chairman of NHS Sandwell and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "We are delighted with the impact of the programme, which is a really important piece of work to help patients reduce their chance of becoming diabetic.

“Combating diabetes is a key priority for the CCG with prevalence of the condition in our area amongst the highest in England.

“We are committed to developing additional screening mechanisms through primary care to ensure those most at risk of developing Diabetes are identified and have access to pre-diabetic healthcare checks.”

Diabetes can cause serious long-term health problems and is the most common cause of vision loss and blindness in people of working age.

It is also responsible for most cases of kidney failure and lower limb amputation and people with the condition are up to five times more likely to have cardiovascular disease, such as a stroke, than those without it.