Wales launches first national support packs for people newly diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes

Nation.Cymru Staff

Wales has launched its first national support packs for people newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, as new figures show around one in five adults is living with diabetes or prediabetes.

The Point of Diagnosis (POD) packs — one for patients and one for healthcare professionals — are the first nationally consistent resources in Wales designed specifically to support people at the point of diagnosis.

Public Health Wales and Diabetes UK Cymru have also launched a redesigned NHS Wales diabetes digital resource hub, creating a ‘one‑stop shop’ for people living with diabetes, their families and clinicians.

Wales’ diabetes crisis is growing faster than predicted, with the latest figures showing 230,371 people across the country are now living with diabetes — a rise of 7,685 in a year.

With a further 328,000 people estimated to be living with pre diabetes or undiagnosed Type 2 Diabetes, around one in five adults in Wales are now affected.

Research and patient engagement by the Tackling Diabetes Together Programme at Public Health Wales showed that the point of diagnosis is a critical moment in shaping how people engage with support and manage their condition over time.

Many people reported feeling uncertain, overwhelmed or ashamed following a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, with 67% experiencing feelings of shame or guilt.

Supporting patients through what can be an emotionally significant conversation requires high-quality, person-centred resources that can be used consistently across NHS Wales, according to Public Health Wales.

The POD packs, co-designed with over 80 people living with Type 2 Diabetes and 32 healthcare professionals across Wales, directly address this need.

They are built around what people said they needed most: clear, practical guidance on food and lifestyle, better understanding of what care and checks to expect, and greater awareness of how managing their condition well can improve their future health.

Using compassionate, stigma-aware language, ‘Living Well with Type 2 Diabetes’ offers practical next steps, lifestyle advice, emotional wellbeing support and clear signposting to trusted services.

The Point of Diagnosis Toolkit for Healthcare professionals provides a practical aid for clinicians giving or first disclosing a Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis, and includes communications templates, checklists and why language matters guidance.

Available in English and Welsh, the packs ensure no newly diagnosed person in Wales misses out on support regardless of where they live or how they access care.

David Taylor, Transformation Director at the Tackling Diabetes Together Programme, Public Health Wales, said:
“Until now, the support people received at a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis depended too much on where they lived and who they saw. That variation wasn’t fair, and it had real consequences for people’s health.

“These packs change that. They are built on what patients and clinicians told us they actually needed, and they give people the knowledge and confidence to live well with diabetes and prevent the complications that previous generations accepted as inevitable.”

South Wales resident, Tina, has been living with Type 2 Diabetes for around 28 years. Her advice to anyone newly diagnosed is: “Start your journey now. Don’t leave it like I did. I would say, don’t panic.

“You can live the life of a normal person because I think that’s what a lot of people are afraid of. They think they’ve got to turn into this other person. They can’t do this, can’t do that. You can do everything. You can eat everything in moderation and obviously watch your sugar intake.

“But I would say to them, start your journey now. Don’t leave it like I did until later on in life. Start your journey right now.

“And knowing how I feel now, I would want them to feel like that straight away, not go down the road that I did of feeling sluggish and tired.

“You know, do it now and it will benefit your body so much. So, so much.”

Isolated

Diabetes UK Cymru has endorsed the packs as the national resource for newly diagnosed patients in Wales, establishing a single national standard to reduce variation in existing materials and support consistent practice.

Rachel Burr, Director, Diabetes UK Cymru said: “The moment someone is diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes is a crucial opportunity to support them. Too often people can feel worried, isolated or unsure where to turn, particularly in the time between appointments with healthcare professionals.

“These Point of Diagnosis packs provide clear, consistent information and connect people directly with trusted support, including Diabetes UK Cymru’s resources and services.

“We are proud to endorse these packs as the national resource for newly diagnosed patients in Wales because they will help ensure everyone has access to the guidance, support and reassurance they need to take positive steps towards living well with diabetes from day one.”

Maria Cole, National Dietetic Clinical Lead for Diabetes and Prevention, said: “Every diagnosis conversation matters. Whether it takes place with a GP, practice nurse, dietitian, pharmacist or another healthcare professional, it is an opportunity to help someone understand their condition and take positive action.

“These resources support clinicians to have those conversations confidently and consistently, while helping people access the information and support they need to feel better, stay healthier and reduce their risk of future complications.”

Digital resource hub

The redesigned NHS Wales diabetes digital resource hub, also launching today, was rebuilt in direct response to feedback from patients and healthcare professionals who wanted better navigation, clearer language, more relevant content and a genuinely accessible mobile experience.

It now provides a single trusted destination for people living with diabetes, their families and carers, and the professionals who support them.

Together, the POD packs and digital hub form a central part of the Tackling Diabetes Together Programme’s ambition to deliver a step-change in diabetes outcomes.

This includes putting people at the heart of their care, helping them access the right support at the right time, reducing amputations and other serious complications, slowing the rise in Type 2 diabetes, and contributing to a more sustainable health and care system for Wales.

The packs are now being embedded across NHS Wales, with the patient packs available to view or download directly by searching: ‘living well with type 2 diabetes Wales’.

Joanne Oliver, on behalf of the National Strategic Clinical Network for Diabetes, NHS Wales, said: “A diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes can be a life-changing moment, and it is essential that everyone in Wales receives the right information and support from the very beginning.

“The new Point of Diagnosis resources and redesigned NHS Wales Diabetes Network website provide a consistent, evidence-based approach that will help people better understand their condition, access trusted advice and services, and feel empowered to take an active role in managing their health.

“By bringing together high-quality information for both people living with diabetes and the professionals who support them, these resources represent an important step towards reducing variation in care and improving outcomes for people across Wales.”

The patient-facing POD pack (Living Well with Type 2 Diabetes) is available here, and the Healthcare professional toolkit is available here.

The NHS Wales diabetes digital resource hub is available at: Diabetes Network

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