A new modelling study indicates that adopting England’s NHS diabetes prevention programme in Canada could slow the rise of type 2 diabetes and be cost-effective, especially with Indigenous-led adaptations in Ontario and Quebec.
A publicly funded diabetes prevention programme modelled on England’s National Health Service could help Canada slow the rise of type 2 diabetes, according to a new modelling study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The research suggests that adopting a similar approach in Ontario and Quebec would be both cost-effective and, over time, likely to save money for the health system.
The study was led by Nisha Gupta and Kaberi Dasgupta of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and McGill University in Montréal, alongside NHS diabetes prevention pioneer Jonathan Valabhji. Their analysis compared a proposed programme with usual care for adults with prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet in the diabetic range. The authors concluded that the intervention would improve health outcomes while reducing long-term spending.
Their findings build on the English experience. NHS England launched its Diabetes Prevention Programme in 2015, offering structured support on weight management, diet and physical activity to people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Official NHS material says people who complete the programme can cut their risk by more than a third, and later evaluations have linked stronger attendance with a lower chance of progressing to diabetes.
The Canadian authors argued that the English model is especially relevant because of similarities between the two health systems and because Canada has no publicly funded national programme of its own, despite estimates that as many as one in four adults may have prediabetes. They also said any Canadian rollout would need an Indigenous-led version designed to meet the needs of Indigenous communities and to align with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. The study’s authors said a successful pilot in one province could help build the case for wider adoption and potentially support federal coordination in future.
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