NHS urges local people to ‘know your risk’ in Diabetes Awareness Month

NHS urges local people to ‘know your risk’ in Diabetes Awareness Month image

Home » NHS urges local people to ‘know your risk’ in Diabetes Awareness Month

People in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have been urged to check their individual risk of type 2 diabetes, as Diabetes Awareness Month (November) draws to a close.

The NHS in the local area can offer residents believed to be at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes the opportunity to participate in the Healthier You diabetes prevention programme, which provides tailored, personalised advice and support to reduce the risk of developing the condition, which is thought by the Diabetes UK charity to affect more than five million people in the UK today.

By learning about the importance of modest lifestyle changes, including specialist nutrition, psychology and physical activity to promote long term behaviour change, the programme is proven to help prevent diabetes.

It takes just a couple of minutes to complete the short series of questions and get a risk calculation.  If someone is at an increased risk, they will be advised to contact their GP practice which can offer further advice and referrals to the free NHS prevention programme.

The risk checker is available to everyone and can be found online at:

preventing-diabetes.co.uk/locations/bedfordshire-luton-and-milton-keynes, or type “Healthier You NHS” into your preferred search engine.

Dr Sarah Whiteman, chief medical director at Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, said:

“If we are to help people live longer lives in good health, it’s important they have access to information on how they can prevent disease and access local health and care services to support them.

“Risk factors are very individual, and a combination of these can place you at much higher risk.  These include being older, being overweight, having a family history of diabetes, and having had high blood pressure.

“But your vulnerability to these risk factors is different, depending on your ethnic background.  People of South Asian, Black African and Black Caribbean heritage are more likely to have type 2 diabetes, so I would particularly encourage anyone from those communities to check their risk.

“Left untreated, diabetes can cause serious health problems, but it is treatable.  Small changes to your lifestyle can make a big difference.”

View all news

Latest news and highlights

News

25 April 2025

Supplying local care homes with chairs to lift residents after a fall…

A chair which helps lift care home residents safely and quickly in an emergency after a fall has been proven to reduce avoidable ambulance callouts…

News

23 April 2025

Longest waits for NHS hospital treatment show further fall

New figures have revealed that the numbers of patients facing the longest waits for treatment at local hospitals have fallen significantly over the last 12…

News

17 April 2025

Get the care you need this Easter: advice on NHS opening times…

Many families will be looking forward to spending the Easter holiday together, but NHS staff will also enjoy the chance to take a long weekend with loved ones, meaning that…

News

17 April 2025

The importance of mental wellbeing – Stress Awareness Month

Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care System is marking Stress Awareness Month by encouraging people to prioritise their mental wellbeing and seek support to help manage stress and anxiety.…

News

16 April 2025

More appointments are available for patients at local general practices

General practices in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes are offering more appointments than a year ago, according to new figures released by NHS England. The data – covering December 2024…

News

14 April 2025

Patients urged to order repeat prescriptions before holiday weekends

People who take regular medications have been urged to check they have sufficient supplies to last the long Easter weekend (Good Friday, 18 April to Easter Monday, 21 April) and…