Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic disorders in the world. It is estimated that 194 million people worldwide have diabetes – that’s around 5% of the world population. By 2025, it is estimated that approximately 333 million people will have diabetes. That is around 6.3% of the world population.

In the United Kingdom alone, there are 2.5 million people with diabetes. That is almost 4% of the British population. With one person being diagnosed with diabetes every three minutes in Britain, the prevalence is forecast to rise to 6.5% by 2025. The increase is partly because of population change and partly because of a predicted rise in obesity.

Diabetes-related conditions consume around 9% of NHS in-patient resources. People with diabetes are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease with 70% to 80% mortality. Other long-term complications include eye disease, kidney disease and loss of sensation of the feet and hands. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, end-stage renal failure and limb amputation. However, all of these complications are preventable.

The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS-33 1998) has provided evidence that life-threatening complications in people with diabetes can be reduced if optimal blood glucose and blood pressure levels are maintained. Traditional diabetes treatment has so far been based on acute models of care where people with diabetes are treated as “patients” by health professionals and are instructed to comply with prescriptive practices and regimes to keep their disorder within controlled limits. The patient is viewed as a recipient of regimens that are to be accepted and obeyed. Diabetes education has been delivered on a one-to-one basis in an unstructured fashion with infrequent follow-up due to increased prevalence and limited resources