"this treatment helps reduce inequities in diabetes care."
Hundreds of thousands of people with type 2 diabetes could soon have access to a weekly insulin jab to replace daily injections, potentially reducing the number of injections needed each year by 86%.
The treatment has been recommended for use on the NHS in England by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
However, patients will still have to wait for approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) before it can become available.
The weekly insulin treatment is said to work as well as daily insulin injections while requiring just one jab each week.
Diabetes UK said the treatment could make managing type 2 diabetes easier, particularly for people with additional care needs who require support with daily injections.
Around 4.7 million people in the UK were living with diabetes in 2024-25, with roughly 90% having type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or the insulin it produces does not work properly. This is also known as insulin resistance.
Around one in four people with type 2 diabetes takes insulin, according to Diabetes UK. Moving from daily injections to a weekly jab could therefore benefit a significant number of patients.
The charity said those most likely to benefit include frailer people and those with sight loss, limited hand movement or learning disabilities.
People who find it difficult to follow the steps involved in daily injections or struggle to stick to their treatment regime could also benefit from the weekly option.
Douglas Twenefour, head of clinical at Diabetes UK, said:
“For some, especially those with additional care needs, moving from daily insulin injections to a once-weekly option could help manage their diabetes more easily, improving their quality of life.
“It’s essential that everyone who could benefit is supported by their healthcare team to make informed decisions, and that this treatment helps reduce inequities in diabetes care.”
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE, said the treatment could make a “real difference to the day-to-day lives of people with type 2 diabetes, especially those who rely on a carer, family member or healthcare professional to help them inject”.
She added: “This recommendation is the result of rigorous, evidence-based decision-making, striking a balance between the benefits to patients and the best use of limited NHS funding.”
NICE is responsible for assessing medicines and treatments and making recommendations on whether they should be available through the NHS in England.
But its recommendation does not mean patients can access the treatment immediately.
The weekly insulin jab must first be licensed by the MHRA, which is responsible for regulating medicines and medical devices in the UK.
Health officials are currently waiting for the MHRA’s decision “to understand whether it could be rolled out on the NHS”.
If approved, the treatment could offer a significant change for people who find daily insulin injections difficult to manage.
NICE guidance applies to the NHS in England, while the NHS in Wales also frequently follows its recommendations.
The guidance is not automatically followed in Northern Ireland, where recommendations are reviewed by the Department of Health. In Scotland, medicines are assessed through the Scottish Medicines Consortium.
