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Emotional and mental health support is too often missing

People with diabetes need better emotional and mental health support.

We’re calling on health services in the UK to create national standards for diabetes emotional and mental health support, including:

Everyone is asked how they are feeling as part of every diabetes appointment.
A mental health professional with knowledge of diabetes is part of every diabetes care team.

Diabetes is tough and relentless.

We've spoken to thousands of people whose lives are affected by diabetes. They told us that too often the support they need is missing.

This lack of support is leaving people feeling frustrated, isolated and alone.

But if we come together as a community, we can help people with diabetes get the help they need.

We know that:
7 out of 10 people have felt overwhelmed by the demands of living with diabetes.
Three quarters of people with diabetes can't get the emotional and mental health support they need.
This has to change.

Over 20,000 people from across the diabetes community signed our petition. We handed this in to the Department of Health in July and, since then, thousands of campaigners have written to their political representatives across the UK.

Our latest research has found that, in England, even the most basic emotional support serves for people with long term conditions like diabetes aren't available in far too many areas. NHS England has recommended that these are in place by April 2020, and will be working with local areas to make sure they are set up as soon as possible.

We are also working with the NHS and other partners to ensure that these services provide the best support possible for people with diabetes.

You can see the full list of areas and available services (PDF).