Key points from article :
NHS to expand soup and shake diets for people with type 2 diabetes across England by March 2024.
Programme aims to provide access to patients in every part of the country, currently available in 21 areas.
Referrals made by local GPs for patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the last six years.
Pilot data shows participants lost an average of over 13kg (two stone) in three months, maintained at six months.
Participants used low calorie, total diet replacement products for first three months, followed by reintroduction of healthy, nutritious food.
Programme could lead to remission in up to half of people with type 2 diabetes.
“Research is clear that weight loss where indicated goes a long way to helping people stay well and avoiding preventable illness, and in many cases it can be the trigger for putting type 2 diabetes into remission," explains Professor Jonathan Valabhji, NHS National Clinical Director for Diabetes and Obesity.
Expansion supported by Diabetes UK-funded Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT) research.
£36 million allocated to local NHS areas to restore diabetes services to pre-pandemic levels.
