NHS Wales expands digital toolkit for diabetes management

Three diabetes apps have been made available across Wales to complement a government face-to-face programme that has helped more than 10,000 people. 

NHS Wales has invested in a Wales-wide license for the apps that support prevention of Type 2 diabetes for those at high risk and self-management for those already diagnosed.

One in five adults in Wales are living with diabetes or prediabetes, according to figures from Diabetes UK Cymru.

 Jim McManus, national director for health and wellbeing at Public Health Wales, said:  “The ability of a person living with Type 2 diabetes to self-manage their condition is essential to them being able to live well and for longer.

“On average, a person with diabetes spends just three hours a year with healthcare professionals and 8,757 hours managing their condition on their own.

“To do this effectively, consistent support is crucial.”

The digital solutions are funded by Public Health Wales under the Tackling Diabetes Together Programme which launched in April 2024.

They are designed to complement the All Wales Diabetes Prevention Programme, funded by the Welsh government, which launched in June 2022 and has helped more than 10,000 people.

The apps, MyDESMOND Wales for Type 2 diabetes, Let’s Prevent Wales for pre-diabetic individuals, and Baby Steps for gestational diabetes — provide digital tools which anyone living in Wales can access for free by filling out an online request.

Users can access weekly tracking dashboards to monitor progress, interactive learning modules that deliver educational content and activity tracking capabilities.

The integration of an “ask the expert” function provides direct access to clinical guidance, while goal-setting features promote adherence and behavioural change.

They also provide access to a supportive digital community with more than 30,000 members, aimed to foster peer encouragement and shared learning.

In February 2025, Public Health Wales appointed Healthia to lead the digital diabetes discovery project, which focused on addressing disparities in health outcomes for diabetes care through accessible digital tools and solutions.

The project will develop an evidence-based framework to guide strategic decisions on digital and telecare/telehealth investments, ensuring maximum impact across the eight care processes for diabetes management in Wales.