Diabetes support

Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes your blood sugar level to become too high.

There are two main types of diabetes: 

• Type 1 diabetes is caused by the body’s immune system attacking and destroying the cells that produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas to help control levels of sugar in the blood. It can occur at any age but usually appears before the age of 40. It is still not clear what causes type 1 diabetes to develop. It is not caused by diet or lifestyle in the same way as type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is always treated with insulin. 

• Type 2 diabetes is caused by the body not producing enough insulin, or the body’s cells not reacting to insulin. It is the most usual type and accounts for around 90% of all diabetes. It is treated with dietary changes, medication and sometimes insulin. 

You can find out if you are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes and what steps you should take by visiting the Diabetes UK website and completing a short questionnaire. 

Diabetes can increase the risk of developing other conditions, such as heart disease. It can be managed effectively, and many people lead a healthy, active life. 

Diabetes education, information, and support 

We support a range of education programmes for people who are newly diagnosed and people who are living with diabetes to help manage their condition. If you are looking for more information on how you can look after your diabetes, visit the Diabetes UK website.  

NHS online support for people with type 2 diabetes 

Healthy Living is a free online NHS service for people living with type 2 diabetes, providing information to support you to manage your condition. The service also gives advice on your emotional and mental wellbeing as well as making and keeping up healthy choices. 

The Healthy Living programme is currently being developed. Over time you will see changes to the way pages look and get access to more information and features. 

NHS online support for people with type 1 diabetes 

MyType1Diabetes is an NHS service which provides free, online information, advice, and resources, including e-learning courses, for people living with Type 1 diabetes. Visit the MyType1Diabetes website. 

Diabetes UK Learning Zone for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes 

The Diabetes UK Learning Zone has videos, quizzes, and interactive tools to help people with type 1 and type 2 manage their diabetes day-to-day. Information and support is tailored for your needs, depending on the information you provide about your health and ethnicity as part of registering for the platform. 

Herts and west Essex Diabetes Support Group 

You can also find out more about the Herts and West Essex Diabetes Support Group which runs a programme of free educational webinars open to anyone living in Hertfordshire and west Essex who has diabetes, or at risk of developing diabetes along with families and carers. 

Diabetic eye screening 

If you have diabetes, it is important that you have your eyes screened. When diabetes affects the small blood vessels in your retina, which is the image sensor part of your eye, this is known as diabetic retinopathy.  

If the changes to your retina get worse, it will eventually affect your sight and can cause blindness. Having an annual check-up is an effective way of detecting and treating diabetic retinopathy to prevent sight loss. 

It is a simple procedure that uses eye drops to widen your pupil before a photograph is taken of your eyes.  

If you have diabetes and are aged over 12 you will be invited to have this screening – it is important you book an appointment as soon as you receive this invitation. 

The diabetic eye screening service across Hertfordshire and west Essex is provided by Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust.

Glucose monitoring in diabetes 

Flash glucose monitoring (trade name Freestyle Libre©) is an alternative to traditional blood glucose monitoring using finger prick tests. It constantly monitors the levels of glucose in the body. 

In Hertfordshire and west Essex, FreeStyle Libre® is recommended for restricted use as an option only for: 

• specific groups of patients with type 1 diabetes; or 
• patients with any form of diabetes on haemodialysis and on insulin treatment, or 
• with diabetes associated with cystic fibrosis on insulin treatment. 

This is in line with the East of England Priorities Advisory Committee (PAC) recommendations. The documents on the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB Prescribing, Policies and Pathways website provide full information on eligible patient groups, agreed criteria, supply and funding recommendations.