TV doctor and podcaster Dr Rangan Chatterjee and NHS GP Dr David Unwin featured in the panel discussion at 1 Hotel Mayfair, London.

Dr Chatterjee, best known for the TV show Doctor in the House, said: ‘I don't think prevention is in the NHS DNA. We don't do that. The NHS is a disease-based model.

‘We are still too reactive rather than preventative. We need to get involved earlier.'

Fellow panelist, NHS GP Dr David Unwin, agreed, commenting: ‘We seemed to have abandoned public health and prevention.'

Dr Unwin said his practice had saved £370,000 on diabetes drugs since 2018 by taking a preventative approach.

Lingo by Abbott is a wearable biosensor that provides real time glucose monitoring data so users can see the impact of their diet and exercise routine.

When asked by HM how he would like to see the NHS adopt diabetes prevention monitoring at scale, Dr Unwin said: ‘We are using CGM's only for people with Type 2 diabetes who are on insulin.

‘That's a tragedy. It's like you are rewarded when your diabetes is so bad you need insulin, then you get the device that could have prevented you from needing insulin in the first place.'

Dr Unwin said he would like to see the NHS invest in ‘just two CGMs' for people with a first diagnosis of diabetes or those who were pre-diabetes to help them understand what their problem was.

Dr Chatterjee proposed giving everyone CGM monitoring for two weeks when they reach 40.

‘Just imagine what the health service would look like where every person in the population for two weeks who is interested could get to see how their behaviours impact their blood sugar,' he said.

‘The NHS is not offering this for enough people. I want that to change. Unfortunately, there is a cost element for people if you want to practice true prevention now but may would benefit from paying out of their pockets on a CGM at least once in their life for two weeks.'