Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle the effects of type 2 diabetes in men.

NHS England has committed to delivering the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme to up to 100,000 people per year, from 2020, supporting those at high risk of type 2 diabetes to reduce their risk through attending a lifestyle programme. The programme supports individuals in achieving a healthy weight, improving quality of nutrition and increasing physical activity. In 2017/18 the Programme also focused on pump-priming investment by local services to deliver evidence based interventions for people living with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Whilst this programme is not targeting men specifically, local health economies have been required to consider current local inequalities when delivering services and there are signs that both of these workstreams are achieving positive outcomes for men.

In order to achieve this, NHS England has invested approximately £10 million per annum over financial years 2017/18 and 2018/19 for the development of hospital multidisciplinary diabetic foot services where they do not exist in England, and to expand capacity in pre-existing services where additional capacity is required. This has resulted in investment in 41 multidisciplinary diabetic foot services nationally, representing 137 additional staff. The investment forms part of a wider programme to improve the outcomes of men and women with diabetes. This investment will keep improving outcomes for men who are also at significantly higher risk of developing diabetic foot disease.