LDC launches new toolkit to support the transformation of diabetes services
A new resource developed through long‑standing partnership work across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) sets out a clear, practical route for improving diabetes care at scale.
Spanning more than a decade of collaboration between NHS LLR, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) East Midlands, and the EDEN team at the Leicester Diabetes Centre, the Diabetes Model of Care Toolkit (2012–2025) brings together the learning and experience of local clinicians, educators, commissioners and community partners.
The model has evolved over many years, with a strong emphasis on preventing diabetes, providing access to high‑quality structured education such as DESMOND and DAFNE, and ensuring complications are identified and managed proactively. A key reason for its success has been the investment in building confidence and capability within the workforce, supported through EDEN’s wide‑ranging training and mentoring programmes.
A key strength of the approach is its focus on bringing expertise into community and primary care settings. By supporting more care to be delivered within GP practices and closer to where people live, services have seen improvements in outcomes, reductions in variation and meaningful cost savings. The model has delivered an estimated £83 saving per patient each year, and the same approach applied nationally could generate financial benefits reaching £276 million.
People living with diabetes also experience the impact directly, with more individuals receiving all nine care processes, better progress towards treatment targets and increased confidence to manage their condition through education and digital tools. As the NHS continues to strengthen community‑based care, the toolkit offers a model that aligns closely with national ambitions set out in the Fit for the Future: 10‑Year Health Plan for England.
The toolkit draws on the contributions of a wide range of partners who have committed themselves to tackling rising levels of diabetes and addressing inequalities in care. Their combined insight has shaped a toolkit that is both practical and adaptable, enabling different systems to use it as a framework for sustainable and person‑centred improvement.
Professor Sam Seidu, Professor in Primary Care Diabetes and Cardio‑metabolic Medicine at the University of Leicester and a contributor to the toolkit, said:
“This toolkit is grounded in evidence-based principles that integrate prevention, structured education and proactive complication management across all care settings.“By combining patient empowerment, multidisciplinary collaboration and data-driven decision making, it provides a robust framework for improving clinical outcomes while reducing variation in care.”
He added: “It demonstrates how structured, coordinated approaches at the community and primary care level can deliver measurable benefits for patients and the health system alike.”
Laura Willcocks, Assistant Director of Integration, Education and Innovation at the Leicester Diabetes Centre and EDEN, and a contributor to the resource, said:
“We hope this a tool that can be useful for systems to look at their diabetes and long-term condition services with a range of how to tips.“We would be very happy to have a conversation with anyone who wants to talk further about this.”
The Diabetes Model of Care Toolkit (2012–2025) is now available for healthcare organisations to review and adopt.
Click here for a downloadable version.
For more information, please contact Laura Willcocks at laura.willcocks5@nhs.net.
If you are interested in commissioning EDEN education to support workforce development within your area or organisation, the EDEN team would welcome a conversation about how they can help strengthen local diabetes care.
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