High body mass index (BMI) is a common risk factor for type 2 diabetes and many cancers, and the increasing prevalence of undiagnosed type 2 diabetes and high BMI affect patients’ outcomes. The surgical gynaecology clinical nurse specialist (CNS) team at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust identified that patients referred to their service might benefit from a glycated haemoglobin blood test (HbA1_c) test as well as the other standard pre-operative blood tests.

The aim was to enable early identification of patients who required monitoring and intervention of their glucose levels in the preoperative period to reduce potential complications. Additionally, the results could be used to identify those who may be suitable for health promotion interventions.

This article discusses some of the negative effects of obesity and shares findings following the introduction of this screening, which show that 4% of patients had undiagnosed diabetes and 21% had impaired glucose regulation. It also describes the actions taken in response to these results, which included interventions such as lifestyle advice and monitoring.