DIABETES TESTING VAN COMING TO COVENTRY
5 July 2024
Local people are being invited to come forward for a free health check to assess their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A mobile testing van for type 2 diabetes will be open on Tuesday 23rd, July from 9am-4pm at the Arena Shopping Park, Tesco Extra, Phoenix Way, Rowley's Green, Coventry CV6 6GE. The bus is a walk-in service, so no appointment is required. People are advised to arrive no later than 4pm.
Those attending can simply have a conversation about their risk with a clinician or have a finger prick blood test for early signs of diabetes. Also offered are blood pressure checks, BMI Checks and Lipid Testing. All of which can be early indicators of developing Type 2 diabetes. Next steps, if needed, will also be shared. Diabetes UK has a range of videos detailing symptoms of diabetes.
Diabetes is a condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high. Type 1 diabetes is a rarer form of the condition, which is caused by genetic or environmental factors, and can’t be prevented. Those with type 1 diabetes require regular insulin injections for life to keep blood glucose levels under control.
However, type 2 diabetes is often linked to being overweight or inactive, or having a family history of type 2 diabetes, and the health implications can be serious and life changing. It is the leading cause of preventable sight loss in people of working age, as well as a major contributor to kidney disease, loss of limbs, increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
Some groups are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes including: men, people of South Asian or Black ethnicity, people who are overweight and people with a family history of type 2 diabetes. Black and South Asian people have a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes after the age of 25, compared with those from a white background where risk increases after the age of 40.
Peter Shorrick, Head of Midlands and East at Diabetes UK said: “If you have symptoms of diabetes, i.e. weeing a lot, especially at night, being really thirsty, feeling more tired than usual, losing weight without trying to – and getting thinner, genital itching or thrush, cuts and wounds taking longer to heal, blurred eyesight, please come and visit the mobile test site at the Tesco Extra, next to CBS Arena, Coventry on 23rd July.
“We will also be giving out information to support self-management, and signposting people to key local support services including local prevention programmes and Talking Therapies Services in supporting people’s mental health.”
Dr Jim McMorran, Coventry GP said: “Having type 2 diabetes puts patients at higher risk of complications such as kidney and heart disease. It’s important that everyone gets an opportunity to get assessed to check their risk; this is why I’d strongly encourage people to come to our mobile testing site for a free health check. Those diagnosed on the day will be provided with the useful resources available to support them. We have programmes such as the Type 2 Diabetes Remission (T2DR) Programme which offers a non-medication intervention to help patients, so please do come along to find out more information.”
If you or someone you know think you’re at risk of diabetes and would like more information, please visit Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, or, if you have any other concerns related to your health, please contact your GP practice.
Find out your risk of type 2 diabetes by using the Diabetes UK Know Your Risk Score or by searching ‘Know Your Risk’.