We want to talk about the health checks people living with diabetes need, why they're so important and some of the reasons people might not be getting them.
Diabetes health checks are tests to check average blood sugar levels, how well the heart and kidneys are working, as well as check-ups on the eyes and feet. They can help spot signs of any changes early on, so people with diabetes can get all the help and support they need.
The number of people getting all their checks has increased in the last few years, but more than 1 in 3 people still aren't getting all the checks they need (National Diabetes Audit data, 2023-24, England and Wales), with the biggest gaps seen in people from deprived communities.
There are lots of reasons people aren’t getting all their health checks, from not being invited, to a lack of appointments or long waiting times. But it’s not that simple, and there are many other factors affecting people getting the care they need.
Many people report feeling stigmatised by judgemental comments about their results or how they manage their diabetes during check-ups. For other people it's as simple as not being able to get the time off work, or even just feeling that they don’t need a check-up.
Despite these challenges, we have heard first-hand from people living with diabetes how important getting health checks has been for them:
- Paul's story: The impact of diabetes complications - “It's so important to go regularly and have your HbA1c checked, and foot checks and stuff like that, because it gives you a view of how things are going.”
- Sarah's story: Understanding the importance of my health checks - “I'm always hyper aware of the complications that can happen because of diabetes, so if I notice anything odd, I will go straight to the doctor and get it checked out.”
- James' story: My experience of eye screening - "I would say that eye screening is giving me the confidence in retaining my eyesight, as any likely complications are being picked up at an early stage."
How can you help make sure everyone living with diabetes knows how important and worthwhile these checks are? Firstly, you can share our digital resources:
Social media resources
- Share our GIF in WhatsApp and community chats (just search “diabetes uk” or “diabetes health checks”). It’s available in 12 languages: English (gif, 360KB), French (gif, 393KB), Welsh (gif, 398KB), Bengali (gif, 329KB), Urdu (gif, 308KB), Punjabi (gif, 323KB), Hindi (gif, 335KB), Romanian (gif, 422KB), Polish (gif, 387KB), Chinese (gif, 324KB), Arabic (gif, 309KB), Gujarati (gif, 330KB).
- "Your diabetes check-ups matter" social media tile - photography, 1080x1080 (PNG, 350KB)
- "Your diabetes check-ups matter" social media tile - illustration, 1080x1080 (PNG, 109KB)
Guides and posters
- Order and share our guides and posters in GP practices, community centres and other public places like faith centres, supermarkets or libraries.
- Share our “Your check ups matter” poster to display in places like your GP surgery, or in your local community.
- If you work in a GP surgery, we have a version of the "Your check ups matter" for digital screens (JPEG 5.16MB)
- Download our one-page guide Diabetes health checks (PDF, 57KB) or print it off to keep with you.
You could also spread the word about our online health information:
- Share the link to this page with people living with diabetes.
- Speak to people you know who are living with diabetes to spread the word about diabetes health checks. You could also share our Why Diabetes Check-ups Matter - Easy Read guide.
- Share our guide to managing your diabetes at work, your rights, and taking time off for appointments to people with diabetes.
- If you're a healthcare professional with a front-line role, boost your own knowledge and confidence with our CPD e-learning for healthcare professionals, including RCN-accredited courses, improving essential care webinars and bite-sized learning on diabetes complications, or share with colleagues who might find it helpful.
In February, we’ll be sharing a series of posts towards the end of the month, highlighting the importance of these essential checks as we amplify our message across Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
So you could post one of our digital resources on your social media, or share our social media posts during the last week in February.
Take a look at our social channels to help us reach as many people as possible.
Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok | X (previously Twitter)
