Calls to make 'life-changing' type 1 diabetes treatment available in Northern Ireland

There have been calls for a pioneering treatment that could transform life for people with type 1 diabetes to be made available in Northern Ireland.

Tens of thousands of children and adults living across England are set to receive an "artificial pancreas", as part of a world-first initiative being rolled out by the NHS.

The new device continually monitors a person’s blood glucose, then automatically adjusts the amount of insulin given to them through a pump.

The Health Department has confirmed it is considering introducing the treatment in Northern Ireland - campaigners and patients here have warned they can’t be left behind.

Alan Hall, who lives with type 1 diabetes, said: "It would make you feel, not that I don't feel normal, but it would make you feel more normal in your day-to-day life.

"Something like this ... it takes the mental load of the whole thing off because that's really what diabetes is more about, it's more about all that thinking, about every minute of the day of trying to know what your sugar level, is or what you're going to eat next."

Local NHS systems in England are now identifying eligible people living with type 1 diabetes who health chiefs believe could benefit from the Hybrid Closed Loop system.

The technology will mean some people with type 1 diabetes will no longer need to inject themselves with insulin but rely on technology to receive medication.

It is said to also help prevent life-threatening hypoglycaemic and hyperglycaemia attacks, which can lead to seizures, coma, or even death for people living with type 1 diabetes.

Thousands of people are living with type 1 diabetes in Northern Ireland.

Roxanne Small from Diabetes UK Northern Ireland said: "We use the words groundbreaking, life-changing, but we don't use that easily - it's really going to be such a significant change.

"For people who have lived with type 1 for a long time, they're telling us they can't begin to imagine what that's going to feel like to have technology like the hybrid closed loop.

"It's going to create a world where yes, diabetes is still part of it, but it shouldn't be as life-limiting in the things you want to do any more."

A spokesperson for the Health Department said: "The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published final guidance on Hybrid closed loop systems for managing blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes in December 2023.

"This was subsequently endorsed by the Department of Health and work is now ongoing to consider commissioning and implementation arrangements in Northern Ireland.

"Significant additional investment will be required to support the provision of Hybrid Closed Loop systems to people living with Type 1 diabetes who would be eligible.

"It is worth noting that NHS England has developed a phased implementation strategy over a 5-year period in response to the guidance, owing to the scale and scope of this recommendation."

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