22.10.19
Life-changing diabetes monitors issued through NHS Long Term Plan
Almost 30,000 suffering from Type 1 diabetes across England have received life-changing diabetes monitors thanks to the NHS Long Term Plan.
The pioneering device, no bigger than a £2 coin, is worn on the arm and prevents the need for multiple, painful finger-prick checks to see if their blood sugar is at a safe level.
With over 250,000 people with Type 1 diabetes in England, this convenient method will allow them to go about their normal daily life and manage their blood sugar levels easily.
If you have Type 1 diabetes and low blood sugar levels, you are at risk of hypoglycaemia, a condition hat involves seizures and a loss of consciousness.
However, if your blood sugar levels are too high, you are at risk of serious long-term health conditions including blindness and heart problems, if left untreated.
Part of the NHS Long Term Plan saw the commitment of 50,000 of these devices to be issued to people in England. Just three months in and over half of the eligible people are in possession of the all-important device.
Exact figures revealed today (Oct 22) show that 28,453 patients already have their device and 177,521 monitors have been prescribed within the first three months.
In April 2019, changes to policy meant that eligible people could get them on prescription regardless of where they live.
The NHS are doing what they can to ensure this success doesn’t slow down, by writing to local leaders to encourage the continuation of this fast pace and urging medical directors to ensure as many people in need as possible benefit from this scheme.
Proffesor Partha Kar, NHS national specialty advisor, Diabetes, said:
“Providing flash monitors on the NHS is a huge leap forward and it is fantastic to see the roll out make an instant impact, this is another example of how the NHS is making sure patients can benefit from the latest technologies.”
“I’m thrilled with how many people are already benefitting from the device and doing away with inconvenient finger-prick checks, less than a year into delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan, tens of thousands of people are experiencing first-hand the difference that cutting edge treatments on the NHS are making for people living with Type 1 diabetes across the country.”
Some of the criteria for eligibility include needing blood sugar levels checked more than eight times a day, pregnant women, diabetes associated with Cystic Fibrosis or people who are unable to self-monitor due to disability.
The NHS Long Term Plan also commits to rolling out continuous glucose monitors from April 2020 for every pregnant woman with Type 1 diabetes, in its latest step to harness the power of digital technology.