The Bradford Beating Diabetes programme has seen early success with all 27 GP practices within the Bradford City Clinical Commissioning Group signing up to the scheme.

The initiative, which began on November 14 to coincide with World Diabetes Day, will run until March 2015 providing patient screening and lifestyle interventions.

More than 250 people have been newly diagnosed as type two diabetics since November and the first phase of the scheme will continue with patients classed as being at a moderate or high risk of developing the condition.

Speaking at a meeting of the CCG’s governing body, its chairman Dr Akram Khan described the initial results as a “fantastic achievement, showing an exciting pace of change”.

According to the Health and Social Care Information Centre, Bradford City CCG had 7,638 diabetics in its area over the age of 17 as of September last year – 9.1 per cent of its patients, well above the national average of 5.8 per cent and higher than the 8.1 per cent for the rest of the district.