'Artificial pancreas' for diabetics to be rolled out on the NHS – The Telegraph

Device that allows patients to go about their daily lives without monitoring their levels gets approval from health watchdog
More than 100,000 Type 1 diabetes patients will be offered an “artificial pancreas” on the NHS to help prevent amputations and blindness.
People who struggle to manage their Type 1 diabetes are at risk of long-term complications from high blood sugar levels, such as blindness, amputations or kidney problems.
The new technology, recommended for use by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), allows patients to go about their daily life without having to monitor their levels.
The system includes a continuous glucose monitor attached to the body which transmits data to a body-worn insulin pump. The data collected through the monitor is fed through an algorithm to determine the amount of insulin which should be administered.
The current standard care for Type 1 patients includes regularly monitoring blood sugar levels using a finger-prick blood test or continuous glucose monitor. Levels are then managed with multiple daily insulin injections or using a pump to inject insulin under the skin.
Nice has recommended the device for patients unable to control their diabetes, despite using an insulin pump or real-time or intermittent monitoring, if their long-term average blood glucose levels indicate they are at 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.   
About 105,000 people in England are set to be offered the technology. 
Under Nice’s draft recommendations, NHS England is also required to agree a cost-effective price for the system as the body considers the current price, £5,744 per year, as too high. 
Mark Chapman, the 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 by their diabetes team. This technology is the best intervention to help them control their diabetes, barring a cure.
“At a time when the number of people with diabetes is rising, we have to focus on what matters most to people who use NHS services by balancing recommending the best care with value for money.
“We look forward to working with NHS England and industry to ensure a cost-effective price can be reached which is fair to taxpayers.”
Prof Partha Kar, the national specialty adviser for diabetes at NHS England, said: “This technology has been proven to give the best control for managing Type 1 diabetes and should make things like amputations, blindness and kidney problems possibly a thing of the past.
“We have seen fantastic results from the real-world trials which have taken place and thank you to Nice for their review of the evidence and subsequent conclusions. The quality of life this technology gives to those using it is huge.”
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