Diabetes education & information for your patients

This section details our wide range of free materials, including information books for your patients and ways for them to find out their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

To order any materials, follow the links below, or go to shop.diabetes.org.uk.

Guides to diabetes

• Type 1 diabetes

  An in-depth information book on diabetes care, insulin, food, day-to-day issues and complications specific to type 1 diabetes.

• Type 2 diabetes

  An in-depth guide for people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, covering treatment, healthcare, healthy living, available support and personal experiences.

• Gestational diabetes

  This guide explains gestational diabetes, gives practical tips on healthy eating and physical activity, and explains the care and treatment women should receive to have a healthy pregnancy and labour.

• Your child and diabetes

  The "Your child and diabetes" guide covers diabetes care, food, day-to-day issues and support and guidance specific to families of a child with diabetes.

• What is diabetes? video

  Sets out clearly what happens when you have the condition.

• Newly diagnosed information

  This is an introduction to both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, as well as details of where to find more information and support. Being told you have diabetes can be overwhelming – this leaflet is designed to give basic information right now, and clear advice on what to do next.

Information in other languages

Lots of our information resources are available to order or download for your patients in languages other than English. 

View all resources in other languages

Education & self-management

• Learning Zone

  Our free, online diabetes education module giving a user personalised content based on their diabetes type, treatments and demographic

• Type 1 diabetes: What to do when you are ill (PDF, 814KB)

• Handy HbA1c Converter

  To help you and your patients with the transition from the percentage system you were used to, we have developed a converter.

• Diabetes and Insulin: The Essentials 

  A guide that sets out the care and support everyone using insulin to manage their diabetes should expect. The guide can support both people living with diabetes and healthcare professionals, to help improve consistency and quality of care. The resource is available as a digital resource (PDF, 4.4MB) and as a 'print at home' version (PDF,  4.4MB) available. If you would like a copy for professional printing, please contact north@diabetes.org.uk.

• Information prescriptions

  Information prescriptions are designed to give people with diabetes the information they need to understand and improve on their health targets.

• Testing

  There are a range of tests which will need to be done for people with diabetes to monitor their health. Diabetes UK provides a range of information about these various tests. The Balance Guide to Glucose testing acknowledges that diabetes can be a very complicated condition to live with, and only by testing and knowing how to respond to the results can you live a healthy life. The supplement includes blood glucose testing at home to testing at clinics and why, when and the benefit of testing.

• Diabetes self-management education

  Explains our Taking Control campaign and the various resources we offer to increase the provision and uptake of diabetes education, including free posters and flyers.

Complications and annual checks

• 15 Healthcare Essentials

  The 15 Healthcare Essentials are the vital health checks and services that everyone with diabetes – whatever type – should be getting, for free, from their healthcare team.

• Foot care

  This explains what our Putting Feet First campaign is and the various resources we have for patients to look after their feet.
  • Putting feet first: 10 steps to healthy feet
  • Touch the toes test
  • How to spot a foot attack
  • What to expect from your annual foot check

• Type 1 essentials

  This helps parents to understand what good care looks like, and lets them know what to do if their child isn’t getting the care to which they’re entitled.

Nutrition & Lifestyle

• Enjoy Food guides

  From weekly food shops, to serving up a delicious meal at the table, there’s simple, practical advice for all families on any budget. The guides come in various languages and for a variety of cultural foods.

• Recipes

  An important part of managing your diabetes is to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Our recipes can help your patients achieve this.

• Diabetes and driving

  We have been campaigning for many years to ensure that people with diabetes will be able to continue driving safely and without any unnecessary restrictions. This information can help ensure that your patients' driving is hazard-free.

• Diabetes and employment

  This guidance focuses on employment equality law, applying for jobs and managing diabetes at work.

• Diabetes and sex

  It is important to know how to recognise the causes and symptoms of sexual dysfunction, so that it can be identified, discussed and treated or managed.

• Diabetes and pregnancy

  Some useful information and videos for women who have diabetes.

• Diabetes and travelling

  Our Diabetes & Travelling guide gives advice on how to prepare, what to pack and how to make sure holidays go without a hitch.

Risk

• Know your risk leaflet

  This new leaflet provides information on the risk factors of Type 2 diabetes, and explains how Diabetes UK can help your patients find out their risk and what to do next.

• Know your risk online tool

  Patients can find out their risk of Type 2 diabetes with this quick online test.

Easy-to-read information

• Resources for people with learning disabilities

  Information that is either not understood or misunderstood will prevent people with learning disabilities from becoming active in the care of their own health. We have developed some easy to read and use resources that supply this information.