Fiducia TogetherType 2 diabetes
Insulin that no longer works well enough. Around 4.4 million people in the UK, and in many it can be put into remission.
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice, and it is not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your health or someone else's, speak to a GP, pharmacist, or call 111. In an emergency, call 999.
What it is
Type 2 diabetes is not a milder version of type 1 diabetes. The mechanism is different: the body becomes resistant to insulin and the pancreas cannot keep up.
Around 4.4 million people in the UK have diabetes, the large majority type 2, and around 1.2 million more are thought to have it undiagnosed.
The finding that changed the conversation was the DiRECT trial: substantial weight loss achieved remission in a significant proportion of people within six years of diagnosis. Remission is not cure, and it is a genuinely different prospect from lifelong progression.
That said, the shame attached to this condition helps nobody. Genetics, ethnicity, deprivation and medication all contribute, and blaming people is both inaccurate and counterproductive.
Signs you might notice
Often none, for years. Around half of people have some complication at the point of diagnosis.
Passing urine more, thirst, tiredness.
Blurred vision. Recurrent thrush or urinary infections. Slow-healing wounds.
Numbness or tingling in the feet, which is neuropathy and means damage has already started.
How it can affect day-to-day life
The complications are what matter, and they are largely preventable: eye disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, heart disease and stroke.
Foot care is the one most often neglected and the most costly. Diabetes-related amputations run into the thousands each year in England, and the great majority are preceded by an ulcer that could have been treated.
The annual checks exist for a reason and are frequently incomplete: HbA1c, blood pressure, cholesterol, kidney function, eyes, feet, weight and smoking status.
Supporting someone well
Insist on all eight care processes each year, and ask which have been done. This is the single most useful piece of advocacy for anybody with type 2.
Check feet daily and get any break in the skin seen quickly. In a care setting, put foot checks in the care plan with a name against them.
Never miss the retinal screening appointment. Eye disease has no symptoms until it is advanced.
Ask about remission if the diagnosis is recent. The NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme is available in many areas.
Move after meals. A short walk after eating lowers glucose measurably, and it is the easiest change on this list.
Ask about newer medications with cardiovascular and kidney benefits, which are not offered to everybody who would benefit.
Fiducia Together links the clinical record, observations and the dietary register, so annual checks, foot checks and weights show as a picture rather than as separate tasks nobody owns.
Where to get help
A GP or practice nurse manages most type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes UK helpline: 0345 123 2399, and they publish a checklist of the annual care processes to take to appointments.
Any foot ulcer, discolouration or sudden change needs same-day assessment.
Tools we make that might help
These are our own products. We have put them here because they do something specific for this condition, not because every page needs a list.
Fiducia Together
Clinical record, observations and dietary register joined, so annual and foot checks are owned rather than assumed.
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice, and it is not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your health or someone else's, speak to a GP, pharmacist, or call 111. In an emergency, call 999.