Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, steps his Department is taking to support patients with (a) Type 1 and (b) Type 2 diabetes in Eastbourne.

NHS Sussex has made notable progress in recent years in tackling the growing challenge of diabetes, with a strong focus on prevention, equity, and modernisation of care pathways. NHS Sussex is committed to commissioning the diabetes care that people need, and has a range of services available.

With rising prevalence, particularly among those under 40 years old, prevention is a strategic priority. A range of nationally commissioned programmes are available to support people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, including:

- the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme;

- the type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme;

- the Digital Weight Management Programme; and

- access to GLP-1 receptor agonists where clinically appropriate.

Sussex partners are actively working to increase the uptake of these offers, particularly in high-inequality and underserved populations.

In 2024/25, Sussex launched a multi-agency initiative to co-design a structured education programme tailored for people under 40 years old with type 2 diabetes, an increasingly prevalent yet underserved group.

In 2025/26, this work will shift to a neighbourhood level delivery model, enabling enhanced reviews and improving access to bespoke, community embedded education, especially for those in high-need areas.

In Eastbourne, a specialist diabetes care service is provided at Eastbourne District General Hospital, complemented by a general practice led locally commissioned service to support primary care delivery.

Building on this, NHS Sussex is co-designing an integrated, all-age, whole-pathway model for diabetes care across Sussex. This model will:

- embed prevention throughout the pathway;

- align with Integrated Community Team structures;

- leverage the diabetes technology revolution, for instance remote monitoring, diagnostics, and digital coaching;

- reduce variation in access and outcomes; and

- support a resilient and retained specialist workforce, through robust training and multi-disciplinary team development

In the first year of the hybrid closed loop (HCL) roll-out, Sussex achieved approximately 80% uptake among eligible children, young people, and high-risk adults with type 1 diabetes. In the second year, the rollout will expand to additional national priority groups in line with NHS England’s guidance.

Workforce planning is fully embedded in this process to ensure sustainable, equitable access to HCL technology across the system.

NHS Sussex continues to make progress and remains fully committed to improving outcomes, reducing variation, and delivering person-centred, future-ready diabetes care for people across Eastbourne and the wider Sussex system.