The world's first smartphone test for type 2 diabetes has launched in NHS trusts across Cumbria and North East England, cutting diagnosis time from months to less than 10 minutes. The revolutionary Diabetes Health Check app combines the gold standard HbA1c finger prick blood test with smartphone technology to deliver instant results.
NHS trusts in the pilot regions are the first to offer patients access to the groundbreaking technology, with a nationwide rollout planned for later this year. The Government has described the innovation as a "potential game-changer" in the fight against diabetes.
Government backing and digital transformation
Health Minister Stephen Kinnock told The i that the app rollout represents exactly the type of technology needed for the NHS's 10-year health plan. "This is a potential game-changer and exactly the type of technology we want to see in the NHS as part of the 10 Year Health Plan - bringing our health service firmly into the 21st century and care directly into people's homes," he said.
The minister emphasised the Government's broader digital ambitions for healthcare. "We will make using the NHS as simple and convenient as online banking or shopping, while helping companies bring new technology into the health service more quickly," Kinnock added.
Massive health crisis and financial burden
Around 5.2 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, with a further 1.3 million remaining undiagnosed. This puts enormous financial strain on the healthcare system, with approximately £9 billion spent annually on treating diabetes-related complications including heart disease, kidney problems, and nerve damage.
According to The i, studies suggest that the annual cost could increase to £16.9 billion within the next 25 years. Research indicates that lifestyle modifications can reduce type 2 diabetes risk by 50 percent, making early detection crucial.
Cambridge innovation with personal mission
Cambridge-based company PocDoc developed the technology, with chief executive Steve Roest crediting a personal tragedy as inspiration. "Enabling screening for type 2 diabetes risk including blood biomarkers via a smartphone app is something that has never been done before," Roest said.
The idea was planted 30 years ago when Roest witnessed his father suffering a catastrophic stroke in his early forties due to undiagnosed cardiovascular disease. "Using smartphones to deliver diagnostics is exactly what could have saved my dad from having so many [health] problems. He's cost the NHS a fortune," he said.
The HbA1c finger prick blood test is considered the gold standard because it measures average blood glucose levels over the past two to three months, providing a more comprehensive view than daily blood sugar tests. GB News reports that PocDoc's previous 'Healthy Heart Check' became the most extensively used cardiovascular disease screening tool in the UK.
Addressing healthcare gaps and accessibility
Roest highlighted the scale of the challenge facing healthcare systems globally. "There's an enormous gap in screening people for preventable diseases," he said. "The current system - not just in the UK, but globally - cannot find, risk assess, and diagnose enough people to make any dent in the fight against things like heart attacks, strokes, and type 2 diabetes."
The pilot programme is being delivered through Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, with NHS trusts focusing on reaching traditionally hard-to-access communities. The technology will be deployed in religious centres and workplaces before a take-home version becomes available across the NHS.
"We want to reach those areas that have traditionally been hard to reach - those on zero-hour contracts or mothers who find it extremely difficult to make multiple appointments. It will also relieve a lot of pressure on GPs too," Roest said.
Expert endorsement and community impact
Professor Julia Newton, medical director at HI NENC, has worked with PocDoc for several years and emphasises the technology's potential to reach people who struggle with conventional healthcare settings. "Most people over the age of 40 are invited for a NHS health check every five years, but depending on where you live a large chunk don't attend," she said.
Newton explained that accessibility barriers often prevent people from attending conventional health checks. "One of the reasons we've found is accessing a health check in a conventional setting. So if those tests are made more easily available, which this test does, then we have the opportunity to reach far more people," she said.
The professor highlighted the broader health implications of early detection. "If you consider the number of people with diabetes who go onto have heart attacks and strokes, if we can manage their risk before it becomes a problem that will reduce admissions to hospital, reduce mortality, and reduce complications from diabetes, such as kidney disease, heart disease, and stroke disease," Newton said.
The app launch comes 24 hours after the Government announced the biggest shake-up of diabetes care in a decade, with around 750,000 patients set to receive weight-loss drugs such as liraglutide or semaglutide sooner in their treatment pathway.
Sources used: "The i", "GB News" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
