Diabetes patients could benefit from ‘artificial pancreas’ offered on the NHS
Those with type 1 diabetes can use it to actively measure blood sugar throughout the day.
Patients across England suffering from type 1 diabetes could soon be eligible for new technology that’s been dubbed an ‘artificial pancreas’.
The ‘hybrid closed loop system’ helps patients manage their blood sugar levels without having to actively monitor them throughout the day.
It means some complications linked to the condition could become a ‘thing of the past’ for the over 105,000 people in Britain living with it.
Newly published NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidance recommends the technology be made available on the NHS for those struggling to manage the condition.
At the moment the standard care for people with type 1 diabetes involves regularly measuring blood sugar levels either through a finger-prick blood test or by using a continuous glucose monitor.
Patients can keep their blood sugar levels in check with either multiple daily insulin injections or a pump to inject insulin under the skin.
The new loop system works by continually monitoring blood sugar levels and transmitting data to a ‘body-worn’ insulin pump which delivers the right level of insulin to keep a patient’s blood sugar levels within a healthy range.
The NICE draft guidance recommendations require NHS England to agree a cost-effective price for the systems on behalf of relevant health bodies.
At present, the average annual cost is £5,744, which is higher than what NICE considers a cost-effective use of NHS resources.
NICE Medical Technology interim director Mark Chapman said: ‘Some people living with type 1 diabetes struggle to manage their condition, even though they are doing everything asked of them by their diabetes team.
This technology is the best intervention to help them control their diabetes, barring a cure.’
Professor Partha Kar, national specialty adviser for diabetes at NHS England, said: ‘This technology has been proven to give the best control for managing type 1 diabetes and should make things like amputations, blindness, and kidney problems possibly a thing of the past.
‘We have seen fantastic results from the real-world trials which have taken place and thank you to NICE for their review of the evidence and subsequent conclusions.
‘The quality of life this technology gives to those using it is huge.’
The consultation on the new draft guidance will run until the end of January.
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