People with diabetes who do not have their condition under control will be given personal action plans from their GP to improve their health. Under the new scheme, launched by Diabetes UK, the NHS and private providers, if a patient is missing their targets for blood pressure, cholesterol or blood glucose, a message will flash up alerting their GP to ‘information prescriptions’. These provide tailored information to patients on how to better manage their health. Currently, only 36 per cent of people with diabetes are meeting all three targets, which can significantly contribute to complications.

Professor Jonathan Valabhji, national clinical director for obesity and diabetes, said: “Information prescriptions are a really positive development that will enable primary care to help people with diabetes better understand and take ownership of their diabetes, and so empower people to avoid developing complications in the long term.”