This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
NHS runs test into ‘sci-fi like’ artificial pancreases
Almost 1,000 adults and children with type 1 diabetes have been given a potentially life-altering ‘artificial pancreas’ by the NHS in England.
NHS England has said that 35 NHS diabetes centres across the country are piloting the revolutionary hybrid closed loop system – also known as an ‘artificial pancreas’ – with 875 people benefiting for a year so far.
The innovative ‘hybrid closed loop technology’, continually monitors blood glucose and automatically adjusts the amount of insulin given through a pump. The technology can eliminate finger prick tests and prevent life-threatening hypoglycaemic and hyperglycaemia attacks, which can lead to seizures, coma or even death for people living with type 1 diabetes.
Three in five people living with type 1 diabetes have been given a glucose monitoring device to help control their condition through the NHS. Recent guidance has revealed that will see everyone living with type 1 diabetes eligible for a lifechanging flash glucose monitor on the NHS.
Partha Kar, NHS national speciality advisor for diabetes, said: “Having machines monitor and deliver medication for diabetes patients sounds quite sci-fi like, but when you think of it, technology and machines are part and parcel of how we live our lives every day.
“A device picks up your glucose levels, sends the reading across to the delivery system – aka the pump – and then the system kicks in to assess how much insulin is needed. It is not very far away from the holy grail of a fully automated system, where people with type 1 diabetes can get on with their lives without worrying about glucose levels or medication.”
The NHS in England currently spends around £10 billion a year on diabetes – around 10 per cent of its entire budget.
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