‘Artificial pancreas’ to help diabetes sufferers on NHS

MORE than 100,000 Type 1 diabetes patients will be offered an “artificial pancreas” on the NHS to help prevent future amputations and blindness.

People who struggle to manage their Type 1 diabetes are at risk of these longterm complications, as well as kidney problems, from high blood sugar levels.

However, the new technology – which has now been approved for NHS use by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) – allows patients to go about their daily life without having to monitor their blood sugar.

The system, which effectively does the job of the pancreas, involves a continuous glucose monitor, attached to the body, which transmits data to a body-worn insulin pump. The monitor’s data is fed through an algorithm to determine the amount of insulin needed.

The current standard care for Type 1 patients includes regularly checking blood sugar using either a finger-prick blood test or continuous glucose monitor. Insulin levels are then managed with multiple daily injections or a pump to inject the insulin under the skin. Nice recommends the monitor and pump device for those unable to control their diabetes in existing ways, if their average blood glucose levels indicate a risk of long-term complications.

Pregnant women or those planning to have a child are also eligible for the device as blood glucose levels can be harder to manage during pregnancy.

Around 105,000 people in England are set to be offered the technology.

Under Nice’s recommendations NHS

‘Some struggle to manage their condition, even though they are doing everything asked of them’

England is also required to agree a costeffective price for the system since it considers the current cost of £5,744 a year to be too high.

Mark Chapman, interim director of medical technology at Nice, said: “Some people living with Type 1 diabetes struggle to manage their condition, even though they are doing everything asked of them ... this technology is the best intervention to help them control their diabetes, barring a cure.”