30,000 given life changing diabetes monitors

As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England has revealed that nearly 30,000 people across the country with Type 1 diabetes have received life-changing diabetes monitors.

The small device means people with Type 1 do not have to carry out multiple painful finger-prick checks to monitor their blood sugar levels. Instead, people with the condition can monitor their blood sugar levels in a much more convenient way, making it easier for people to manage their blood sugar levels.

Ahead of schedule in delivering the NHS Long Term Plan commitment a minimum of 50,000 people with the illness, over half of the people eligible are already in possession of the device within the first three months. This follows changes made in April which meant people eligible are able to get them on prescription, regardless of where they live in the country.

NHS England is writing to local leaders to ensure this rapid uptake continues, with medical directors urged to further build on the successful rollout to ensure people across the country reap the benefits of the life changing technology. 28,453 patients have been in receipt of monitors and 177,521 monitors prescribed within the first three months.

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.”