North west London partnership awarded £200k for digital diabetes tools

A partnership based in north west London has been awarded £200k by Health Data Research UK and the Health Foundation to develop and trial digital tools for those living with Type 2 diabetes.

The tools will be used to pull together data from patient visits to various health professionals including GPs, nurses and A&E. The data includes weight, sugar levels and diabetes medication.

Consented for use by patients and GP practices, the information will be used to identify individuals most at risk of developing complications often experienced by people living with Type 2 diabetes, this includes heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and amputations

It is hoped the digital tools will:

• Support clinicians to make better-informed health decisions when treating patients and support them to better self-manage their Type 2 diabetes
• Provide more personalised care by ensuring increased support for people who are at high risk of complications
• Reduce A&E and hospital admissions as a result of preventable complications and
• Reduce NHS spend

This project is led by the North West London Health and Care Partnership, in collaboration with the Institute of Global Health Innovation, MyWay Digital Health, Health Data Research UK, the Health Foundation, Imperial College Health Partners, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and AstraZeneca, and supported by HDRUK and the Health Foundation.

GP Tony Willis, project lead and clinical director for diabetes for the North West London Health and Care Partnership, said: “We are delighted about winning the HDR-UK and Health Foundation funding because it will allow us to continue innovating and driving forwards our work to improve outcomes for diabetes patients in North West London.”