14 Apr The UK’s diabetes landscape in the face of tariffs, power shifts and an increasing disease prevalence
An OVID Health article by Jenna Blatt
In a turbulent political world, where healthcare systems struggle to cope with ageing and increasingly sick patient populations, it is more important than ever to understand diabetes, both in diagnosis and policy terms. For this reason, Jenna Blatt, Account Executive at OVID Health, sat down with Tom Gordon, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, and the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Diabetes.
The APPG for Diabetes is formed of officers with meaningful interests in the disease, with Vice-Chair Sarah Bool diagnosed with type 1 diabetes herself. The Secretariat for this APPG is shared by Diabetes UK and Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), two leading charities in the diabetes space, positioning the APPG to have a significant impact on the policy landscape in the UK.
Although this is promising, the APPG must find its footing in the umbrella term ‘diabetes’ to truly enact change. Diabetes is a disease that consists of a variety of individuals, diagnoses and treatment plans. New figures show that 4.6 million people in the UK are currently diagnosed with the disease, up 4% from last year.[i] This figure doesn’t consider the number of individuals living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes,
which is estimated to be another 1.3 million.i Given the recent media frenzy around diabetes as a result of the famed semaglutide and GLP-1 agonists, the disease prevalence ought to be decreasing rather than increasing. This begs the question – do both policymakers and the public truly understand the diabetes landscape?
An individual with type 1 diabetes injects insulin multiple times per day, counts carbohydrates and is constantly aware of hypo- and hyperglycaemic episodes. An individual with type 2 diabetes remembers their multiple medications, alters their diet and lifestyle habits and often deals with societal stigma. An individual with gestational diabetes manages their blood sugar levels, worries about their baby’s health and changes their lifestyle during a complex time. These three individuals deal with completely different diseases, all placed under the ‘diabetes’ umbrella. The APPG for Diabetes has the challenging job of acknowledging each disease while prioritising matters to make a realistic change.
Driving this change is no easy feat but, according to Tom Gordon MP, one the APPG will be working towards throughout 2025 and onwards – especially in the face of external challenges, such as the recent Government announcement on NHS England and tariffs introduced by the Trump administration, from which medical devices and diagnostics are not exempt.
Effects of the changing health landscape
Over the next two years, the healthcare system in England will see major changes as NHS England is integrated into the Department of Health and Social Care, with significant job cuts on the horizon. Interestingly, the change most worrying to the APPG for Diabetes is that integrated care boards (ICBs) will be expected to reduce their running costs by 50% by Q3 2025/26.[ii]
“ICBs are a crucial player in our health service, especially within diabetes prevention and treatment. It is important that we ensure diabetes remains a priority for Government during this change and that long-term prevention plans are not overlooked.” – Tom Gordon MP
Indeed, ICBs play a crucial role in diabetes prevention and treatment, supporting and raising awareness of programmes such as the NHS Diabetes Prevention and the Path to Remission programmes. These initiatives have proven successful in type 2 diabetes, with the latter demonstrating early outcomes data of 32% participants achieving remission in their type 2 diabetes diagnosis. [iii]
In 2024, a huge milestone was reached in type 1 diabetes care when NHS England announced that they will begin rolling out hybrid closed loop (HCL) technology across England. This technology offers the best care in managing glucose levels and insulin delivery, reducing the mental burden placed on patients and improving quality of life. NHS England published a 5-year rollout plan that puts ICBs at the forefront of delivering this technology. [iv] There is no doubt that the rollout will suffer as a result of the cuts forced onto ICBs.
Since their formation, ICBs have clearly been given a large role in diabetes prevention and care. The APPG for Diabetes believes that the Government has made all the right noise in the diabetes landscape to date, which is partly why prevention programmes and technology rollouts exist. However, it fears that these cuts will only exacerbate the increasing disease prevalence and regional inequalities in care, as the Government will be more focused on making short-term decisions rather than keeping to long-term prevention plans.
Impact of the impending United States Tariffs
Although the pharmaceutical industry is currently exempt from Trump’s 10% tariffs on exports from the United Kingdom, this does not extend to medical devices and diagnostics. As Tom Gordon MP brought forward during the House of Commons debate on UK-US Trade and Tariffs: “The UK is home to many MedTech and diagnostics companies, and the tariffs will have an impact on them both here and abroad”. Such tariffs may lead to higher prices.
Many UK-based MedTech companies manufacture insulin pumps that are crucial to HCL technology. Furthermore, large pharmaceutical players like Roche, a company that OVID Health has previously worked with in the diabetes space, manufacture blood glucose meters, test strips and insulin delivery systems in the UK. The NHS England will now have to consider how they will go about procuring HCL systems with these tariffs in mind, adding an extra layer to an already complicated rollout.
In the face of major change, both nationally and globally, diabetes prevention and care are at a tipping point. ICBs will have to work together with Government to ensure that diabetes care continues as planned and promised. This is no small task but, through the work of the APPG for Diabetes, patients’ concerns and priorities can make their way through Parliament, ensuring that their care is not forgotten throughout this unprecedented time.
References
[i] Diabetes UK. One in five adults now live with diabetes or prediabetes in the UK, 2025. Available here.
[ii] NHS Confederation. Abolishing NHS England: What you need to know, 2025. Available here.
[iii] Valabhji, Jonathan et al. Early findings from the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme: a prospective evaluation of real-world implementation. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. Available here.
[iv] NHS England. Hybrid closed loop technologies: 5-year implementation strategy, 2024. Available here.
Image credit: https://members-api.parliament.uk/api/Members/5032/Portrait