Abstract
Conventionally, specialists become involved in the later stages of Type 2 diabetes mellitus, whereas evidence supports the role of time‐limited specialist input at the start of treatment journey. The diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes should be seen as a key opportunity for multidisciplinary teams to intensify therapy aimed at quickly correcting underlying metabolic dysfunction. Insulin resistance can precede diabetes for a decade, during which time β‐cell dysfunction and higher cardiovascular risk have accrued. Over half of newly-diagnosed Type 2 DM have evidence of diabetes-related tissue damage . Therefore by the time of diagnosis, many years of metabolic dysfunction may have elapsed. Further treatment delay, under the belief that the condition is ‘new’ or ‘mild’, cannot be justified.