Winner
Improving Equity in Hybrid Closed Loop Access for Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes- Barts Health Young Adult Diabetes (YAD) Service
by Barts Health
Executive Summary
In 2023, the Mile End Young Adult Diabetes service identified inequities in insulin pump access: 68% of White, 14% of Black, and 0% of Asian Type 1 diabetes patients were on pumps. Surveys and interviews revealed barriers faced by ethnic minority groups. The service used it’s high-risk pathway to engage vulnerable young people (disproportionately from ethnic minority backgrounds). A dedicated young adult diabetes pump nurse was appointed to deliver tailored education, start individuals on pumps, and provide close follow-up. By 2025, 65% of White, 62% of Black, and 52% of Asian patients were on hybrid closed loop therapy.
Judges’ comments:
The judges were impressed by this innovative, impactful and valuable work from Barts Health. It had great economic modelling, clear sustainability and a pro-active community approach. The fact that they had got social and youth worker involvement was innovative and enabled a huge amount of engagement. It completely embodied the category.
Highly Commended
CARE GDM – Culturally Aligned Resources for Empowerment in Gestational Diabetes
by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Executive Summary
CARE GDM is a cross-hospital, cross-country initiative addressing health inequalities in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). One in four women in our GDM clinic is from a non-white background, often facing language and cultural barriers. With CARE GDM we developed culturally adapted, multilingual educational resources co-produced with bilingual clinicians and cultural advisors. Materials included written guides, diet sheets, and short videos in Bengali, Urdu, and Arabic and Polish. The project improves understanding, streamlines consultations, and empowers women to engage in care. Aligned with NHS CORE20PLUS5 priorities, CARE GDM offers a scalable model for inclusive care with potential NHS cost savings.
Judges’ comments:
Care GDM was innovative and could clearly be replicated in other areas. It showed NHS savings, using their own expert staff. They provided culturally adapted communications and really took cultural diversity, faith and family into account. The judges liked that it wasn’t just clinicians putting together responses, but patients too. The judges also liked the different ways they gathered feedback and it was comprehensive and nuanced.
Commended
St Helens Diabetes Specialist Outreach – Advice ∙ Guidance ∙ Support
by Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Executive Summary
Diabetes is common and increasing rapidly in the UK. Diabetes causes premature death, blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, amputation, cancer, dementia, excess urgent & emergency care activity, excess hospital admissions & bed-days, costs the NHS £10 billion per year and UK £25 billion and differentially harms the poor, homeless, frail elderly and people with drug and alcohol problems and poor mental health… …and most of the morbidity, mortality and misery diabetes inflicts on our most vulnerable is preventable. Our aim was to repurpose existing resource to improve health and care for some of those least able to help themselves.
Judges’ comments:
Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have put together a project that is sustainable and served the under-served communities. It was brilliant to see that they worked with a very vulnerable group of patients who have previously been poorly served from a diabetes point of view. The dissemination and sustainability was clear, with great reach.
Finalist
Delivering Equity in Diabetes-related Footcare for People with Dark Skin. The first Diabetes footcare in dark-skin tones handbook.
by Diabetes Africa
Executive Summary
Effective footcare for people living with diabetes (PLWD) is critical to prevent the serious complications and mortality associated with diabetes-related foot problems. Healthcare professionals training, information and resources has historically focussed on signs and symptoms expressed in white skin, ‘look for redness’ being the mantra, yet in dark skin, redness may not be present. In these circumstances critical signs or symptoms may be missed, potentially leading to presentation at late, and limb-threatening stages and consequently requiring more complicated and intrusive interventions. Hence this initiative arose, and is designed to address, this particular inequity occurring in dark-skinned people living with diabetes.
Judges’ comments:
Diabetes Africa have put together a project that is unique, widely used and easily adaptable. The judges said that they had never seen anything that addresses such a huge complication. They have gained national interest, with good resource that was clear, simple and interesting.
Finalist
Advancing Equity in Diabetes Technology: a Toolkit by Diabetes Africa
by Diabetes Africa
Executive Summary
Advancing Equity in Diabetes Technology, a toolkit by Diabetes Africa, was launched in November 2024 and provides a unique resource aimed at increasing the use of diabetes technology in UK Black, African and African-Caribbean populations. In this submission, we discuss the design, objectives and ethos of the project as well as a case study demonstrating the real-world impact of the toolkit. The resource is freely accessible at: https://diabetesafrica.org/technology-toolkit/
Judges’ comments:
This really interesting project from Diabetes Africa impressed the judges as it is all about communication to pull to together and make a difference. Their downloads showed a good reach within a vulnerable group. It was a novel approach, developing the Toolkit from scratch and judges particularly liked the “tech café”.
