Described as an artificial pancreas, which it is not, a hybrid closed loop system is worn externally to continually monitor a person’s blood glucose then automatically adjust the amount of insulin given to them through a pump.
Within England local National Health Service (NHS) systems will start identifying eligible people living with T1D who health chiefs believe could benefit from the hybrid closed loop system today, although it is expected to take up to five years for health service staff across medicine, nursing, technology and training to be able to cover the whole country. There are currently 269,095 people living in England with type 1 diabetes.
NHS Egland has provided local health systems with £2.5 million so they are ready to start identifying patients that can benefit.
The technology will mean some people with type 1 diabetes will no longer need to inject insulin but use technology instead. The hybrid closed loop can also help prevent people having episodes of local glucose called hypoglycaemia, or high glucose called hyperglycaemia.
The mass rollout of the artificial pancreas builds on a successful pilot of the technology by NHS England, which saw 835 adults and children with type 1 diabetes given devices to improve the management of their condition.
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), recommends the devices should be rolled out to children and young people under 18 with type 1 diabetes, pregnant women with type 1 diabetes, and adults with type 1 diabetes who have an HbA1c of 58 mmol/mol (7.5%) or higher.
Advocacy Action: Can you make your elected representative aware of what is happening in the UK and ask if it could be replicated in your country. If you are from the UK, can you ask your elected representative to find out when the system will be available in your area – pressure could help speed up the implementation.
- Picture credit Diabetes UK