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Digital diagnostics company PocDoc has launched a smartphone-based HbA1c test that uses a finger-prick blood sample, analysed via its proprietary app and patented microfluidic assay, to deliver near-instant HbA1c results. 

This contrasts with current pathways that can take weeks, potentially transforming early detection and intervention, according to the company.

Around 5.2 million people in the UK have type 2 diabetes, with a further 1.3 million undiagnosed. The condition costs the NHS £8.8 billion annually, a figure projected to nearly double within 25 years. PocDoc says its test aims to tackle this burden by enabling rapid, community-based screening and supporting patients to make lifestyle changes that can halve their risk.

The service is currently being piloted with NHS partners in the Northeast and North Cumbria, ahead of a wider UK roll-out later this year.