Diabetic children to track glucose on smartphones in Labour plan

SMARTPHONES will be given to diabetic children to track their blood sugar under Labour’s plans for the NHS.

Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to give a mobile phone to all 32,000 children with type 1 diabetes so that they can take advantage of new glucose monitoring devices.

The Labour leader said he had reached a deal with Virgin Media O2 to supply the phones in a move that shows his government would “work hand-in-glove with business” to improve the NHS. Yesterday, Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, and Sir Keir unveiled plans to give children mobile phones that are compatible with continuous glucose monitors (CGMS), making them available on the NHS.

They announced the measures during a visit to King’s Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-ashfield, Notts.

The partnership between Virgin and the NHS would build on work by the charity Supporting Children with Diabetes (SCD), which has already given out about 500 donated phones to children.

The CGMS allow anyone with diabetes to monitor their glucose levels by checking their smartphone and receiving notifications if it is dropping too low or going too high so they can adjust what they eat and drink – and when.

Sir Keir said: “It’s a travesty that hundreds of children with type 1 diabetes can’t afford smartphones to take advantage of new monitors which check and monitor glucose levels.

“This new technological breakthrough should be available to all children who need it.

“We need an innovative and collaborative approach to tackle this head-on. That’s why my Labour government will work hand-in-glove with leading businesses to break down the barriers to access.”

He said a 10-year plan to modernise the NHS would bring it into the digital age and “give all children the best possible start in life”.

About 32,000 children in the UK are currently living with the condition.

Carolyn Goldhill, the chief executive of SCD, said many of those affected cannot afford a new smartphone and are forced to finger prick to test levels.

Labour said that the NHS would identify children who are in need of a smartphone and direct them to the charity. It has also said it would digitise the “red book” given to parents to track their newborn’s medical records as they grow.

Mr Streeting said: “There is a revolution in medical technology taking place before our eyes.

“Under the Tories, the NHS is failing to secure the advantages of AI and new treatments for its patients, but private health care won’t.

“If this continues, the two-tier healthcare system that is emerging in our country today will grow, the gap between public and private will widen, and the NHS will become the poor man’s service. That is the future we must avoid.

“Labour will reform the NHS so it takes full advantage of modern technology to deliver better care for all patients.”

Nicola Green, the corporate affairs director of Virgin Media O2, said: “As someone with type 1 diabetes, I have first-hand experience of how smartphone technology can help manage the condition.

“The recycled devices that Virgin Media O2 is donating will reduce the hassle and stress for those families affected by diabetes.”