Thousands of people throughout England are to benefit from a ground breaking partnership that is supporting a new national programme to prevent Type 2 diabetes. collaboration, which brings together public sector research expertise with private sector experience of large-scale behavioural change programmes, will deliver high quality of support as part of the new national ‘Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme’.

The Leicester Diabetes Centre (LDC) - an international centre of excellence hosted by University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust - has teamed up with Ingeus, a leading provider of health, employment, skills and rehabilitation services.

The two organisations are one of four national providers chosen to roll out the prevention programme throughout the country.

Announced in March, the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme is run in partnership by NHS England, Public Health England and Diabetes UK. It will provide tailored support for people at high risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes - a preventable disease which affects 2.6 million people in England.

As part of its work to help NHS organisations realise the potential of their research and intellectual property (IP), EMAHSN worked closely with LDC to support the establishment of its partnership with Ingeus, an organisation with expertise and resources to successfully deploy prevention programmes on a wide scale.

This included supporting the negotiation of a mutually beneficial commercial arrangement which reflects the strong partnership between the two organisations.

The intervention is based on LDC’s ‘Let’s Prevent Diabetes’ programme. Studies show it has the potential to reduce the chances of one in four people at high risk of Type 2 diabetes from getting the condition.

Ingeus delivers major public sector programmes across the UK, with a focus on employment, health, services for young people, training and skills and rehabilitation services.

Melanie Davies CBE, Professor of Diabetes Medicine at the University of Leicester based at the Leicester Diabetes Centre, said: “The support and experience provided by EMAHSN has been critical to developing this ‘win-win’ partnership and our success in being awarded a place on the national framework.

“Together we have designed a service that puts quality first, combining our evidence-based expertise with the large-scale support experience of Ingeus.”

Jack Sawyer, Chief Executive Officer of Ingeus, said: “EMAHSN’s involvement greatly assisted the rapid development of a successful relationship between Ingeus and LDC”

Starting this year, the prevention programme aims to support 100,000 people a year by 2020 and in the first wave.

People taking part will be offered education and exercise sessions backed up with one-to-one support to reduce their risk of Type 2 diabetes; for example education on healthy eating and lifestyle, help to lose weight and bespoke exercise programmes. This approach has been proven to reduce the risk of the disease.

For more information about the national programme visit the website.

Chris Hart, EMAHSN Commercial Director, said: “We are delighted to have played a part in ensuring that through this partnership, the proven intervention developed by the Leicester Diabetes Centre is being made available to thousands of people at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

“The centre is recognised as a world class leader in research and education, and building on the experience of Ingeus this partnership provides a cost effective and high quality prevention offering.”

EMAHSN is one of 15 Academic Health Science Networks set up by the NHS in 2013. They work to put proven innovations into practice for the benefit of patients, and support wealth generation. This includes assisting with the widespread adoption of NHS based research and Intellectual Property (IP) through the development of partnerships with private sector organisations where appropriate.


NOTES TO EDITORS

• One of 15 Academic Health Science Networks in England, The East Midlands Academic Science Network (EMAHSN) brings together the NHS, universities, industry and social care to transform the health of the region’s 4.6M residents and stimulate wealth. Priorities focus on innovations that address health challenges including obesity, diabetes, mental health and cancer.

• Leicester Diabetes Centre is an international centre of excellence in diabetes research, education and innovation, hosted at Leicester General Hospital. A partnership between the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and the University of Leicester, it works with the city and county Clinical Commissioning Groups. It is a leading applied health research unit committed to improving the lives and care of people with diabetes and long-term conditions.

• Ingeus is a leading provider of services that make a positive difference to people’s lives. Working with partner organisations across public, private and third sectors, its remit includes developing health and employment programmes, services for young people, and training and skills support. It is a founding member of the B Corp community in the UK, which recognises for-profit companies committed to social purpose and environmental impact.

• The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research: increasing the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driving faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developing and supporting people who conduct and contribute to applied health research. It plays a key role in the Government’s strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries.

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