The new partnership will offer a digital service to complement the face-to-face intervention programme in delivering type 2 diabetes and obesity prevention.
Liva Healthcare and Living Well Taking Control (LWTC) have announced a new partnership as part of the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP). The partnership will aim to prevent type 2 diabetes alongside the NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and NHS Dorset CCG.
Gail Fortes Mayer, programmes director at NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin CCGs, said: “We look forward to working with Living Well Taking Control (LWTC) and Liva Healthcare, continuing to support people in Shropshire who are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
“A better awareness of the causes and prevention of the condition is crucial and could be the difference between a patient developing Type 2 diabetes or avoiding it completely.”
The Healthier You Programme
The complications surrounding Type 2 diabetes to the cost of the NHS over ten billion a year and is one of the most significant healthcare challenges of our time. However, there is strong evidence that its onset can be prevented with an improved diet, an increase in physical activity and successful weight loss.
In 2016, the Healthier You programme was officially launched with the aim of supporting people who have a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Over 400,000 have been referred into the programme to date, with referral only available through their GP.
The national roll-out of the NHS DPP programme over the last year has seen face-to-face providers supported by digital partners. Liva Healthcare and LWTC are two such partners that work together on NHS contracts to deliver an integrated programme for patients.
Partnering for success
The combined Liva Healthcare and LWTC service will be provided free of charge to patients at risk of Type 2 diabetes through a referral from their GP, which means around 5,000 patients are expected to be treated in across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Dorset through this latest partnership over the course of a year.
Building on their extensive combined experience, Liva Healthcare and LWTC have built a comprehensive service for patients living with pre-diabetes across the UK. Both programmes are based upon a combination of digital and traditional face-to-face support.
Liva Healthcare approach
Liva Healthcare provides patients with access to a free, dedicated, personal health coach for professional guidance, support and empathy. The regular coaching sessions help patients tackle chronic conditions through sustainable lifestyle and behaviour changes and the programme has been proven to halt and reverse the progression of Type 2 diabetes.
The Liva coaching platform and the patient app supports the patient with behaviour change tools such as smart goal setting and plans, lifestyle tracking, video communication and online peer-to-peer support to encourage participation and lasting lifestyle change.
Rune Bech, co-founder and UK head of Liva Healthcare, said: “We are seeing remarkable results from people going through Liva’s programme. Patients with chronic conditions like obesity, pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes have been able to halt or even reverse their conditions simply by providing personal health coaching.
“This unique relationship-based approach makes hard-won lifestyle changes long lasting and sustainable. By providing a digital solution, the Liva programme is scalable and cost-effective and supports health professionals to drive real change in their communities. This new partnership with the NHS and LWTC will help us help even more people live longer and better, which is why we go to work every morning.”
The LWTC programme
LWTC is a Limited Liability Partnership between Birmingham-based social enterprise Health Exchange CIC and Exeter-based charity Westbank Community Health and Social Care. Each organisation has expertise in supporting individuals to change their lives by establishing new patterns of behaviour to improve their health and wellbeing. As a non-profit, LWTC is the only third sector provider in the NHS DPP programme.
The LWTC programme consists of 13 sessions across nine months. The core programme is structured and designed to facilitate peer-to-peer learning in a small classroom setting. Patients can bring a friend or family member, something which is key to their experience and progression.
The programme covers key topics such as understanding the risks of diabetes, behaviour change techniques, healthy lifestyles and mental wellbeing. The interventions will be delivered by locally recruited teams in Dorset and Shropshire, utilising their local knowledge, skills and experience to achieve the best possible health outcomes for patients.
Additionally, patients will be able to access the digital programme through Liva Healthcare and will receive a dedicated, personal coach for nine months. The digital behaviour change programme begins with a personal video meeting between patient and coach. Throughout the service, the patient and the coach will have around 19 personal coaching sessions delivered through the app.
Russell Muirhead, clinical director for Living Well Taking Control said: “We’re pleased to be named as an NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme provider across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. We’re now busy working in partnership with the local health economy to meet the needs of the local communities from day one.
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