Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to increase uptake in the use of monitoring technologies by patients with diabetes.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recently issued clinical guidelines in relation to the management of insulin dependent diabetes, covering patients living with type 1 and insulin dependent type 2 diabetes. This includes devices to support blood glucose monitoring. These recommendations are now being implemented by integrated care boards (ICBs).

On 19 December 2023, NICE published its final recommendation on the hybrid closed loop system for people with type 1 diabetes. NICE has agreed with NHS England that all children and young people, women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, and those people who already have an insulin pump will be first to be offered a hybrid closed loop system as part of a 5-year roll-out plan. NHS England has set out priorities for access, to help reduce healthcare inequalities through their implementation plan.

Responsibility for the delivery of services and the implementation of NICE recommendations rests with the appropriate National Health Service commissioner. As diabetes care is commissioned by local ICBs, they are responsible for developing commissioning policies. ICBs must pay due regard to NICE guidance, however local decision making applies in terms of deciding whether to utilise their funding to implement the recommendation or not.