You're ready to take control of your health. As a person who is living with Type 2 diabetes, access to NHS GP records allows you to track your history and see what progress you’re making. Your goal? A long, healthy, and rewarding life in which you’re able to achieve the things that matter most to you.

For many of us, that’s being there for our children - and maybe even our grandchildren. And, of course, you’ll have some personal goals and ambitions too. Whether it’s travelling the world, or being able to enjoy activities closer to home, you will want to be in the best health possible so that you can enjoy life to the full.

How Your NHS GP Records Help You

Your NHS GP records contain metrics that you can use to see where you’re making good progress, and where you might want to focus a bit more attention. Celebrate your successes and set goals for areas where there’s room for improvement.

For example, let’s suppose that your blood pressure is 150/90 mmHg. Your HbA1c, which measures how well you’re managing your blood sugar levels over two to three months, is 48 mmol/mol (6.5%).

Using this information, you can see that you have been managing your blood sugar levels very well indeed. However, your blood pressure is high and you need to work at bringing it down. Achieving your goal of normalising your blood pressure reduces your chance of having a heart attack or stroke during the next 10 years.

How to Get Access to Your NHS GP Health Records

You can get access to your NHS GP records online quite quickly, but since this is confidential information, you will be expected to prove your identity. And, to get the full picture, you will have to ask your GP for full access to your records - otherwise, you’ll only see a list of your allergies and medications.

You can get your medical records in several ways.

Your NHS GP Record: Metrics That Matter

There are nine important health indicators that doctors record during your annual diabetes check-up.

  1. Weight & BMI
  2. Blood Pressure
  3. HbA1c (a blood test showing blood sugar management)
  4. Cholesterol
  5. Retinopathy Screening (eye check)
  6. Foot check
  7. Urinary Albumin test (a urine test that checks kidney health)
  8. Serum Creatinine (a blood test measuring kidney health)
  9. Smoking Status

Your GP will discuss your results with you, giving you advice on any things that you can improve. All the same, having the figures yourself helps you to track your progress. The first four figures are particularly important, but all nine together tell you how well you’re controlling your diabetes to lower the risk of diabetes-related complications.

Tips to Improve Your Metrics

One of the best ways to control Type 2 diabetes is to lose weight if you’re overweight. You might even go into remission - which means that you still have to be careful, but don’t need medication. Your BMI tells you whether you should still lose weight, and what to aim for.

It might seem as if blood pressure is something you can’t do much about, but if you have high blood pressure, you can work to normalise it. Avoid alcohol, eat healthy food, get exercise, lose weight, cut down on salt, and, if you smoke, quit smoking.

Your HbA1c indicates your blood sugar levels, and you’ll use the same strategies that work for managing blood pressure. Besides this, never skip meals, and talk to your doctor about changes to your daily routine before implementing them. Use your medication as recommended, and monitor your blood sugar if your doctor thinks it's necessary to do so.

You will use similar lifestyle strategies to lower your “bad” cholesterol. But your diet plays a big role. Avoid alcohol. Cut down on saturated fats and refined grain products and eat lots of veggies. They contain sterols that can help you bring your cholesterol down fast.

Retinopathy checks, foot checks, urinary albumin tests, and serum creatinine blood tests all look for signs of diabetes-related complications. Manage your blood sugar well to keep these report results as healthy as possible.  

Finally, smoking status is up to you - but it’s a big extra risk if you have Type 2 diabetes. Quitting isn’t easy - ask your doctor for help if you haven’t managed to stop smoking yet.

Your NHS GP Record Can Help to Keep You Motivated

You’re committed to good health and there are many things you can do to safeguard and improve it. Stay focused and motivated by tracking your progress. After all, if you’re working towards wellness, it's always motivating to see measurable results.

Just been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes? Now’s a good time to get your baseline data. You’ll definitely feel better than have for years once your diabetes is well-managed - but it's always affirming to see those figures!

Taking Care of Business While You Take Care of Yourself

No matter how well you follow your metrics and manage your Type 2 diabetes, the unexpected can happen. Even the healthiest person in the world can pass away as a result of an accident, for example. Protect your family’s financial health with life insurance.

Blueberry Life specialises in life insurance for people who are living with chronic conditions. Get the ball rolling right away. It’s as easy as filling out an online application - all you need is 5 minutes to tell us about yourself. How soon will you be insured? Your personalised cover can be active in as little as 10 minutes. Start your application and get your free, no obligation, quote today.

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Reviewed by Dr. Kingshuk Pal