BRADFORD Beating Diabetes campaign is celebrating the success of 15 of its champions and patients who have been on the intensive lifestyle change programme.

The campaign is marking their successes with a graduation ceremony at Carlisle Business Centre in Manningham from 11.30am tomorrow.

NHS Bradford City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which runs the campaign, said there are more than 8,300 registered diabetic patients in the Bradford City area with an extra 8,700 people known to be at moderate or high risk of developing the most common type of diabetes Type 2.

And it said there are potentially a further 29,000 people still at risk of developing diabetes.

In the 16 months since the campaign started there have been about 1,000 newly-diagnosed patients in the city and a further 10,000 patients have received a brief lifestyle intervention from their family doctor while almost 200 have been enrolled on the intensive lifestyle change sessions.

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The ILCP sessions, which cater for ten to 15 people, are informal and friendly but with key messages about lifestyle changes including healthy eating and exercise – all of which will be aimed at preventing and delaying the onset of diabetes.

These lifestyle changes also reduce the risk of developing other serious conditions such as cancer, stroke and heart disease.

Dr Sohail Abbas, one of the clinicians leading the BBD campaign, said: “This is a really proud occasion for the campaign as it recognises the hard work and commitment of both patients and the champions to help prevent Type 2 diabetes.

"We are seeing some excellent results – and this is down to local GPs and the ILCP groups working with patients to help them make changes that can keep them healthy, whether they already have diabetes or are at risk of developing it.

"The work the BBD champions do is both innovative and proactive: they provide vital and positive support that can stop people from being ill. The message is all about lifestyle change and the difference that can make, and I’m pleased that so many patients have got involved and seen the course through.”