From misunderstanding to momentum: a new vision for type 1 diabetes care

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Ahmed Moussa, General Manager | Sanofi

Imagine a chronic condition on the rise across the UK that can be life-threatening if missed or misdiagnosed – that’s the reality of type 1 diabetes (T1D), a serious autoimmune disease often misunderstood and commonly confused with type 2 diabetes¹.

Unlike type 2, T1D is not linked to lifestyle factors and can develop in anyone, at any age², and can lower life expectancy by up to a decade³.

At a recent Westminster roundtable hosted by Kevin McKenna MP and convened by Sanofi UK, parliamentarians, clinicians, patient advocates and health experts came together to discuss the urgent need to raise awareness of T1D as a distinct and serious autoimmune condition and continue improving its care.

As an industry leader who has spent much of their professional career ensuring diabetics access the right treatments, I saw this event as a powerful example of how the diabetes community can and must unite to tackle the most pressing challenges.

A major concern raised was the widespread misunderstanding of T1D, even amongst policymakers. New polling by Sanofi shows that more than two-thirds of MPs (68 per cent of 100 MPs surveyed) lacked knowledge or were unsure about their understanding of type 1 diabetes; this knowledge gap risks limiting the ambition and scope of future health policy.

To address this, attendees called for a national public awareness campaign, backed by the Department of Health and Social Care, to educate the public. This must be the starting point for a wider shift in how the condition is understood, supported, and prioritised.

Simultaneously, it is of utmost importance that we tackle the regional disparities in care that are leaving some patients behind.

 Rates of complications are higher among lower socioeconomic and ethnic minority communities⁴, yet access and uptake of life-changing technologies (including insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors), remains patchy⁵. Despite recent improvements, the postcode lottery in diabetes care persists⁶.

We also heard growing consensus around the benefits of early detection. Countries such as Italy, are already introducing national screening programmes for T1D that could aid in avoiding potentially fatal complications and give families more time to adjust and prepare for a diagnosis.

Driving real change means action. That is why we are calling on the government to take three key actions - aligned to the ambitions set out in the recently published NHS Fit For The Future 10-Year Plan for England.

Firstly, the government should explore how a UK-specific early detection pathway could be introduced, learning from international best practice to enable timely diagnosis, support earlier intervention, and give families the clarity and reassurance they need sooner in the journey. We ask for T1D to be included in the government’s ambition to increase access to earlier diagnosis and screening for chronic conditions.

Second, the government should support a national awareness campaign that helps lay the foundation for broader policy progress – raising public understanding of T1D and embedding prevention and early diagnosis as core pillars of long-term population health.

Finally, the government should act to address the regional variations in care by ensuring access and uptake of the latest technologies and support services – so that everyone living with T1D receives the care they need, regardless of where they live.

The shift has already begun. But as the NHS looks ahead to the next decade, with the right awareness, leadership, and commitment, the vision for people living with T1D can finally be realised.

References

1. Gregory GA, et al. Global incidence, prevalence, and mortality of type 1 diabetes in 2021 with projection to 2040: a modelling study. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2022;10(10):741-760.
2. Diabetes UK. What causes Type 1 Diabetes? Available at: https://www.diabetes. org.uk/about-diabetes/type-1-diabetes. Last accessed: July 2025.
3. Livingstone SJ, Levin D, Looker HC, et al. Estimated Life Expectancy in a Scottish Cohort With Type 1 Diabetes, 2008-2010. 2015;313(1):37–44.
4. Talbo MK, et al. Associations Between Socioeconomic Status and Patient Experience With Type 1 Diabetes Management and Complications: Cross-sectional Analysis of a Cohort From Québec, Canada, Canadian Journal of Diabetes. 2022;46(6):569-577.
5. Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. National Paediatric Diabetes Audit (NPDA) annual reports. 2021. rcpch.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2022-04/National NPDA report 2020-21 Summary Report.pdf. Last accessed: July 2025.
6. Dlugatch R, Rankin D, Evans M, Oliver N, Ng SM, Lawton J. Understanding inequities in access to diabetes technologies in children and young people with type 1 diabetes: Qualitative study of healthcare professionals’ perspectives and views. Diabet Med. 2025;42(4). 

About the author

Ahmed Moussa is the General Manager for Sanofi UK. With over 18 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Ahmed is committed to addressing critical public health challenges and fostering collaboration between industry, healthcare providers, and policymakers.

MAT-XU-2502936 (v1.0) Date of preparation: July 2025

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