Make it a legal requirement for restaurants to add carbohydrate content to menus

The carbohydrate content of food is required by diabetics dependant on insulin in order to calculate the correct amount of insulin to inject. The incorrect amount can result in low/high blood sugar which can make them very unwell and require medical help.

Myself and other diabetics I know have requested this information from various restaurants personally many times over the years but we are always told they’ll look into it, but no changes are made.

I would like the Government to make this mandatory as all too often diabetes is misunderstood and isn’t considered a serious condition. If people are able to take care of their diabetes using this small piece of information, it should lead to less diabetic complications and hospital admittances.

The government recognises diabetes is a serious condition and is taking strong action to help those living with diabetes to manage their condition and to prevent Type 2 diabetes. There are currently no plans to introduce mandatory carbohydrate labelling in the out of home sector.

To help people with diabetes manage their condition, the NHS is continuing to test diabetes monitoring technologies that can support individuals in their management of Type 1 diabetes by giving them continuous monitoring of their glucose levels. This can support individuals when eating out at restaurants.

Alongside dedicated technologies to support those living with Type 1 diabetes, there are a number of free online services that can be accessed from a phone that provides advice on diet and management tips to increase confidence in day-to-day management of their condition. Sites include MyType1Diabetes: Adults with Type 1 diabetes can access the service directly by visiting myType1diabetes.nhs.uk which include videos and eLearning courses. Similarly for children living with Type 1 diabetes, the DigiBete App and website is available for a wide range of awareness, education, training and support resources.

In addition to action to help people with diabetes manage their condition the government is working to prevent Type 2 diabetes. The NHS Five Year Forward View committed to introducing the first national diabetes prevention programme to be delivered nationwide. As a result, NHS England and NHS Improvement, Public Health England and Diabetes UK have been working together on The Healthier You: the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP). The NDPP identifies those at high risk of developing diabetes and refers them onto a behaviour change programme. In 2018/19 the NDPP achieved full national roll out, with services available to patients in every sustainability and transformation partnership in England.