Man with type 2 diabetes urges people to get tested

Tim Hill was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in October 2022

A man with type 2 diabetes is urging people to get tested for the condition.

Tim Hill, 48, lost two and a half stone (15.9kg) in three months on an NHS scheme which he said "help put his life back on track".

The 12-month NHS Diabetes Path to Remission programme, which was trialled in Somerset, is now being expanded across other regions in England.

Mr Hill said: "I urge people to get regularly tested for diabetes as it can suddenly just show up out of the blue."

He continued: "I was in a bit of shock and floored when I received my diagnosis text in October 2022.

"After getting checked by my GP surgery, they referred me onto the diabetes remission programme and it's almost like group therapy."

Mr Hill, from Fivehead near Taunton, told BBC Radio Somerset his experience with the programme was "a hard journey" but he was "thankful for the support".

"I feel so proud of myself. Diabetes is not a death sentence and it can be managed by diet and lifestyle," he added.

Mr Hill is now on his way to remission.

What is type 2 diabetes?

• It is a condition which causes the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood to become too high

• It is caused by problems with a chemical in the body (hormone) called insulin

• Symptoms of type 2 diabetes can include excessive thirst, needing to urinate a lot and tiredness

• It can increase the risk of getting serious problems with the eyes, heart and nerves

• Some cases are linked to being overweight

Data from the NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board for 2022/23 shows there are 34,830 people registered with diabetes in the county.

Phaedra Perry, head of charity Diabetes UK in the south-west of England, said: "Type-2 is the most common type of diabetes and makes up 90% of cases in the UK.

"Remission is not possible for everyone and we don't know enough about type 2 and whether this programme will work for you or not.

"It's a really difficult journey on remission but it has huge benefits for your health and weight."