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Frequently Asked Questions

Browse through the below FAQs to find answers to commonly raised questions.



  • The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme provides tailored support to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes. It includes education on healthy eating, including what to eat to help regulate blood glucose levels and the correct portion sizes for your food. It also supports you in incorporating activity into your lifestyle along with other holistic wellbeing strategies that have been proven to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.


  • There are several referral routes onto the programme.

    • 1. You have recently had a HbA1c blood test reading that has signified you are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, with the risk range being between 42-47 mmols/mol.
    • 2. You completed the Diabetes UK, ‘Know you Risk’ tool and this has signified that you are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, the higher the number the greater the risk.
    • 3. You are pregnant and have developed gestational diabetes

  • The Diabetes Prevention Programme is a free service, available to all those at risk of type 2 diabetes. The programme will help you make positive lifestyle changes, reduce your blood sugar levels and reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. There are two ways to take part in the programme, depending on your personal preference; either group sessions or the digital one-to-one service.

    Both options start with an initial review with a Health Coach to assess your health and wellbeing, understand your individual needs, motivations and programme goals. You will then either join a group programme or access one-to-one support from your health coach via phone calls, video calls, or secure in-app messaging.
    Regardless of your choice of programme, the sessions provide education on nutrition, physical activity and holistic wellbeing strategies. The sessions will help you initiate change and empower you for long term success in reducing your risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

    Please note, under regular circumstances groups would be attended in person however during the COVID19 Pandemic, our sessions will be available as telephone groups – where you dial into the session similar; or Microsoft Teams, as virtual interactive presentations. You can choose which option is right for you.


  • HbA1c is a measurement of the amount of glucose in your blood. If it measures between 42 and 47 mmol/mol, it signifies you’re at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.


  • During the COVID19 Pandemic, our sessions will be available either over Fuze as telephone groups; or Microsoft Teams, as virtual interactive presentations. For the Fuze groups, you will be provided with a telephone number and a meeting ID. Once on the call, your health coach will talk you through the session content and relate this back to the accompanying handbook. For our MS Teams sessions, you will be provided with a link to join the online interactive presentation where your health coach will take you through the session content using a PowerPoint presentation.


  • The sessions are mostly held Monday to Saturday with evening appointments available. We will always contact you before we book an appointment to ensure we are booking a day and time that is suitable for yourself.


  • For our Fuze telephone sessions we suggest you utilise the accompanying handbooks so you can make notes on these during the sessions. For our MS Teams sessions, we provide the handbooks in editable pdf format for use online after the sessions.


  • Just let our team know and we can reschedule your appointment.


  • The programme is very flexible, so if you do have a holiday booked, we can put you on sessions that fit around your plans.


  • The programme covers a lot of information and so is delivered over a 9-month period. We want to give you time to take it in and continue to support you whilst you put it into practice.


  • Yes, absolutely. There is a lot more included in the sessions than just physical activity.


  • We do not provide translators, but where there is enough demand, we can arrange groups in specific languages. We can also provide digital copies of the work books in 16 different languages. For 1:1 telephone appointments, where we cannot arrange for a bilingual coach, you are more than welcome to have someone who speaks English translate for you.


  • As part of the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, you have the opportunity to join a free digital programme. The digital programme includes 9 months of personalised one-to-one support to help reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes. This programme is for anyone who would enjoy the benefits of one-to-one support from the comfort of their own home, at a time that works for them.

    As part of the programme you will receive tailored support and guidance from your personal health coach remotely via a smartphone app, phone calls or video calls. You will have online access to a range of materials, recipes and other resources. Participants find the one-to-one health coach support very motivating and enjoy the convenience of speaking to their coach from the comfort of their own home.


  • Our ICS Health & Wellbeing app has been decomissioned so is no longer accessible.


  • If you are booked onto the face-to-face session and have been experiencing COVID-19 symptoms prior to your session or have tested positive, please do not attend your upcoming session. You can contact the team on 0333 577 3010 and we can look to rearrange your session for you.


  • If you are referred to the NDPP whilst pregnant or become pregnant whilst attending the course, you can continue on the programme. You must follow your healthcare or medical team’s advice first and apply the information from NDPP on top of this. Should any contradictions exist, you must follow the healthcare or medical team’s advice.


  • As you have been diagnosed with GDM you should be seen under a medical (specialist) team. You can continue continue on the programme and are advised to follow your medical team’s guidance first and then NDPP information is layered on top. Where contradictions exist, you must follow the medicals team’s advice.


  • From August 2022, we are able to offer the option of joining a Microsoft Teams group-based programme specifically for service users who have a history of GDM but are currently normoglycemic (blood glucose levels within the healthy range). However, it is worth noting that just as we plan groups in areas based on demand, we will need to ensure we have a sufficient number of waiters before we start the GDM group, which is likely to result in a wait to start the programme.


  • For service users with a hearing impairment and require a BSL translator, from August 2022, we will be able to offer you the option to join a Microsoft Teams group-based programme, that will be led by a health coach, and a BSL Interpreter will also be present. However, it is worth noting that just as we plan groups in areas based on demand, we will need to ensure we have a sufficient number of waiters before we start the BSL group, which is likely to result in a wait to start the programme.


  • For service users with a visual impairment, from August 2022 we will be able to offer you the option to join a Microsoft Teams group-based programme specifically for service users with a visual impairment. However, it is worth noting that just as we plan groups in areas based on demand, we will need to ensure we have a sufficient number of waiters before we start the visual impairment group, which is likely to result in a wait to start the programme.