DigiBete now available across all 14 health boards following successful pilot phase
An innovative digital education platform supporting children and young people with Type 1 Diabetes has been successfully rolled out across all 14 NHS Scotland health boards, marking a significant milestone in standardising diabetes education and support throughout the country.
The DigiBete app, which provides age-appropriate resources and guidance for children, young people and families living with Type 1 Diabetes, is now being used by over 3,000 people in Scotland following a highly successful scale-up programme. The initiative, led by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI), represents a positive example of how use of Digital Health Tools can empower and support patients and families to self-manage their condition whilst reducing pressure on NHS services.
Funded by the Scottish Government until July 2026, the platform and App offers educational videos, quizzes, and resources in over 100 languages, making it accessible to families from diverse backgrounds. Crucially, the content automatically adapts as children mature, ensuring comprehensive support from diagnosis through to young adulthood.
Data from the initial pilot phase showed that 100% of clinicians surveyed wanted to continue using the platform, citing significant time savings as they no longer needed to create individual educational resources. Parents and young people praised the app’s accessibility and the reassurance it provided, particularly during critical transition periods such as moving from paediatric to adult care services.
Dr Robbie Lyndsay, National Diabetes Lead, NHS Scotland, said: “As clinicians, we are keen to try to provide timely, convenient information to people with diabetes. From discussion with paediatricians in Scotland they have been delighted to see this innovative approach and value future use of DigiBete.”
The app addresses a vital need for Scotland’s approximately 4,500 children and young people living with Type 1 Diabetes, a lifelong condition where the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Early education is critical, as some children are diagnosed as young as two years old, placing considerable responsibility on parents and carers to understand and manage the condition.
Michelle Brogan, who leads the diabetes portfolio at DHI, said: “DigiBete App puts families and young people living with Diabetes more in control of their own health – giving them the knowledge and confidence to help manage their diabetes independently. This is exactly the kind of person-centred digital solution that shifts care towards prevention and self-management, which is at the heart of what DHI does. We have seen a fantastic response from the Clinical community in Scotland and look forward to working together to expand its reach”.
Niomi, mum of five-year-old Faith from Glasgow, discovered the DigiBete app when her daughter was newly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. She said: “When Faith was diagnosed earlier this year, I was overwhelmed by how much I didn’t know. There’s so much to understand about managing Type 1 Diabetes, and the information I was given at diagnosis is only the start. What I love about the DigiBete app is that it’s become my go-to resource. I check it all the time for information, advice, and reassurance. It’s given me access to updated, reliable information exactly when I need it – whether it’s about managing blood sugars, sick days, or just understanding what’s happening with Faith’s condition. It’s made a real difference in how confident I feel managing her diabetes day to day.”
The platform includes three key elements: educational content covering everything from managing blood glucose levels to dealing with sick days; a communications tool allowing clinics to send personalised information to patients; and a personal diary feature where users can record insulin doses, appointments, and notes.
The initiative also addresses health inequalities by ensuring that families in remote and island communities have access to the same high-quality educational resources as those in urban centres, helping to reduce variations in diabetes education.
For Emily, aged 20 from Kinloss in Moray, the app has been particularly transformative. Diagnosed at 10 years old, she has spent a decade navigating Type 1 Diabetes. She said: “When I was diagnosed, I didn’t understand any of it, and the information dump of different leaflets and handouts was massive. School was really hard because nobody, not even the teachers, really understood diabetes. Growing up, me and my mum have had to figure so much out on our own. The DigiBete app has been brilliant because it gives me practical tools and information that’s actually relevant to me in one place. I’m hopeful it will help me finally get my blood sugars to where they should be.”
DHI has been working with Diabetes Scotland’s ‘Together Type 1’ programme to promote the app, ensuring the resource reaches families who will benefit most from it.
DHI is now conducting a service evaluation of the scale-up phase, with outcomes expected to inform a business case for continued funding beyond 2026. An educational training platform for schools has also been developed to raise awareness amongst teachers and communities about managing Type 1 Diabetes. For more information, visit www.diabetesinschools.org
The DigiBete app is free to download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. For more information about DigiBete, visit www.digibete.org
