Diabetes: Medical Equipment

(asked on 25th March 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government and NHS England have to ensure that CCGs use the funding allocated nationally to prescribe Flash Glucose Monitoring from 1 April 2019 using central NHS criteria.


Answered by
Caroline Dinenage Portrait
Caroline Dinenage
This question was answered on 29th March 2019

In November 2018, NHS England announced action to end the current variation in accessing flash glucose monitors. From April 2019 there will be a more consistent national approach to making these devices available. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will be reimbursed to cover the costs of flash glucose monitoring sensors for those type 1 diabetes patients who are most likely to benefit from their use. NHS England has published detailed criteria and supporting guidance at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/flash-glucose-monitoring-national-arrangements-funding.pdf

CCGs will be reimbursed for the cost of flash glucose monitoring sensors for those who meet these criteria, which could amount to up to 20% of their type 1 diabetes populations. CCGs can also locally choose to fund flash glucose monitoring for other patients with diabetes. The guidance advises that as part of their annual review process, patients with diabetes should be assessed for suitability for flash glucose monitoring. This process can also form part of a review for a different purpose, if that occurs earlier. This will promote a systematic approach to increasing take up.

NHS England has engaged with NHS Clinical Commissioners, the membership organisation for CCGs, regarding the planned arrangements so that they can advise their members as appropriate. An FAQ for patients and commissioners is also being prepared and will be published, to aid the implementation. NHS England is also in conversations with the Academic Health Science Network to identify the capacity and scope for them to aid in rolling out flash glucose monitoring.

Due to the limitations of the data collected by the NHS Business Services Authority, it is not possible to conclusively state which CCGs do or do not currently prescribe flash glucose monitors.

Reticulating Splines