Integrated Community Team (ICT) leads from across Sussex came together to share progress, challenges and learning from local projects designed to improve engagement with young people living with Type 2 diabetes who were diagnosed aged 18-39 years old.
A common theme emerged throughout the discussion: engagement remains one of the biggest challenges, particularly for younger adults balancing work, family commitments, mental health challenges and other competing priorities.
Despite this, teams across Sussex are testing innovative approaches to support patients and reduce future health inequalities, including:
- Group consultations held in community settings and enhanced access clinics
- Health coaching and personalised outreach, including repeated phone contact to better understand barriers to care
- Closer collaboration with community pharmacists, helping to identify opportunities for education and signposting during routine medication interactions
- Neighbourhood-wide working across practices, sharing resources, expertise and learning
- Targeted support for women of childbearing age with Type 2 diabetes, including improved contraception advice and education
- Use of multidisciplinary teams, bringing together GPs, nurses, pharmacists, health coaches, dietetic support and community partners
Several teams highlighted the importance of meeting patients where they are, both geographically and emotionally. Hyper-local approaches, continuity of care and trusted relationships were repeatedly identified as key factors in improving engagement.
There was also valuable discussion around emerging challenges, including:
- The increasing number of younger people developing Type 2 diabetes
- The impact of deprivation, rurality and health inequalities on accessing care
- The growing prevalence of neurodiversity and mental health needs within diabetes populations
- The need for flexible, accessible education that works for local communities
One particularly encouraging example saw teams proactively reviewing women with a history of gestational diabetes, resulting in significant updates to care records and a large number of referrals into the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme.
The meeting showcased the power of neighbourhood collaboration and highlighted how sharing learning across Sussex can help shape future diabetes services, workforce development and preventative care initiatives.
A huge thank you to everyone involved for their commitment to improving outcomes for people living with Type 2 diabetes.
