School of Public Health hosts launch of prevention programme for long-term conditions in Northwest London

New initiative builds on diabetes prevention success to support people with hypertension

A new prevention programme designed to help people with high blood pressure reduce their risk of developing further long-term conditions has launched in Northwest London.

The Long-Term Conditions Prevention Pilot (LTC-PP), which was launched nationally by NHS England in January 2026, held its Northwest London launch event on 30 January at The Invention Rooms in White City. The programme builds on the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (DPP), which has demonstrated success in reducing progression to type 2 diabetes among high-risk individuals, with research published in Nature Medicine (2025) showing additional benefits in preventing other long-term conditions.

A structured approach to prevention

The LTC-PP offers a structured nine-month intervention organised around five key areas: nutrition, movement, mind, sleep, and alcohol. Delivered through face-to-face group sessions, the programme provides participants with practical support tailored to their needs.

In Northwest London, the pilot is rolling out across 17 GP practices initially, with an additional 17 practices joining each year over the three-year pilot phase.

Community engagement

The launch event brought together more than 20 local residents living with high blood pressure, alongside patients, carers, clinicians, and delivery partners. Hosted by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Northwest London (ARC NWL), the event included presentations and discussions about managing hypertension.

Key speakers included:

• Michelle Kay, ARC NWL public partner and long-term carer, who shared experiences of how caring responsibilities can affect personal health
• Professor Jonathan Valabhji, who presented the evidence behind the Diabetes Prevention Programme and explained the approach for hypertension
• Dr Mohammad Haider, local GP and NWL ICB lead, who provided an overview of hypertension diagnosis, treatment, and existing support services
• Thrive Tribe (Healthier You), the programme's delivery partner in Northwest London, who described the structure of the intervention

During the discussion, participants shared common concerns, including:

• Anxiety about future health and potential complications
• Difficulty interpreting blood pressure readings and understanding personal risk
• Challenges with regular home monitoring
• Variability in access to and continuity of care
• The increase in stress as a result of caring responsibilities and a reduced capacity to engage with preventative programmes, and create barriers to participation.

Informing future service design

The launch also marks the beginning of participatory engagement with communities, funded by an Imperial Societal Engagement Kickstarter Collaboration Award. Insights from the event will inform research aimed at ensuring future services are accessible, culturally appropriate, and responsive to the needs of patients and carers across Northwest London.

Andrea Coleman-Cooke, Thrive Tribe, commented: "As a provider, we are very excited to be a part of the pilot programme which will hopefully go on to be rolled out nationally following the project evaluation. We thoroughly enjoyed attending an insightful afternoon engaging with the local community."

Reena Malhan, Multimorbidity and Mental Health theme Public Partner, added: "It was an honour to attend this event as a public partner, and someone committed to good health. The session offered valuable insights from medical specialists on blood pressure, its risks and impact, alongside a powerful personal account from a carer highlighting the real-life effects of long-term conditions and the importance of support. The introduction of the LTC preventative programme, accessible through GPs, was encouraging, providing proactive support to help people better manage their blood pressure."