Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to increase access to the Freestyle Libre monitoring device for diabetes patients.

Glucose monitoring technology, such as flash glucose monitors like Freestyle Libre will continue to be available to those meeting the relevant clinical criteria.

The NHS Long Term Plan announced that the National Health Service will ensure that, in line with clinical guidelines, eligible patients with type 1 diabetes benefit from life changing flash glucose monitors from April 2019, ending the variation patients in some parts of the country are facing.

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-v1.1.pdf

Clinical commissioning groups (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.