Prevention program

[ApollO88]

Has anyone got experience with the NHS diabetes prevention programme?
I've been signed up and would like to know what to expect

Something about it here.

Thank you I've already found the website but was hoping maybe to get some feed back from anyone who's been on the programme so I know what to expect

Hello Apoll088 - did you do the programme? I've just signed up and I'm wondering what to expect. The online and print info doesn't say what actually happens.

Has anyone done it who can share experience?

What do you need to do to be eligible?

Was at an interesting conference last week where diabetes UK (who I think are the ones providing the basic programme) gave a talk.
Their website has a big chat forum like this site but diabetes and lifestyle focused.
They seem v corporate but had impressive stats on how many people completed the LCHF eating plan. Looks like NHS are combining it with group and personal support and exercise which is best practice.

Chchchch: I was referred because my HB-whatever-glucose (still new to this) was in the prediabetic range. I was tested as part of an age-related screening programme.

Durian: thanks v much, good to hear the programme is do-able. I (possibly not helpfully) did a Cochrane database search after posting above. Nothing recent but a pre-2010 review said diet/exercise gave 37% relative risk reduction in diabetes incidence. The literature for the programme says type 2 diabetes is preventable more than that review suggests. I guess it's too soon to judge what prevention success the programme has, so they can't be expected to report.

Until I start it, be great to hear what kind of diet (low fat, low carbs, high GI, etc) they follow. I'm confused! Except if I need to lose weight I need top eat less. Full stop. Oh dear.

It essentially looked like the Dr. Michael Mosley Blood Sugar diet in all but name. Even endorsing doctor (David Unwin) was the same. Wanted to ask them about that but ran out of time for questions.

So buy the book or app or join the BSD thread on here! Good luck!

Brilliant - I'll do that. Thanks very much once more.

I've been referred and attended an initial assessment. Nearly a year later I am still waiting for a place in a group. They keep setting up and either filling groups quickly or cancelling them in my area.

Sorry have not been back.
I did not find the course very helpful. All the sessions were scheduled during working hours so I could only attend 4 out of the 6, had to beg borrow and swap shifts to be able to attend the ones that I did.
They promoted following a low carb diet but I think the info about the actual diet was in one of the sessions that I couldn't attend.
I did get given a book that takes you through the science behind diabetes which was helpful.
After the 6 weekly sessions they wanted to see me at 3,6 and 9 month intervals. I made it to the 3 months interval but then couldn't attend the 6 month and then never heard from them again.
At the end of April this year I contacted my doctor to get my HB1C checked as it had been a while. I'd fallen completely off the low carb wagon and my results pushed me from pre-diabetes to diabetes.
Since the end of April I've had the run around with the nurse practitioner, a doctor who sent me for referral to a clinic at the hospital, the hospital rejecting his referral and sending me back to the doctor.
It's all been a bit demoralising really. I don't know how seriously I should be taking my diagnosis as so far I've not had any consistent care or advice

Sorry also I did not report back.I did the programme too, like Apollo my work meant I missed quite a few, maybe that's always the case.

But was it the same programme? Maybe they are trying different diets out? Mine was quite a lot of carbohydrate, a quarter of the plate at each meal. It meant my weight crept up, so I cut back a bit. I found the low fat part horrible. We cook just about every meal from scratch, usually veg/fish, and using just a dribble of oil was restricting. I thought at least I'd lose weight by cutting oil but I didn't. Overall, there was a lot to remember and record. A lot of food groups and what was in them, the calories and fibre in every ingredient, and the activities we did. There were smartphone apps to help but I don't really use that. In the end I was counting down the weeks.

I was very lucky - my blood sugars didn't change (I suppose that counted as a fail in that they were supposed to go down). When it was over I breathed a sigh of relief. I need to lose weight and the programme didn't help with that.

There were some useful things, and some people on the course were very happy with it. It just wasn't for me.