The petition of residents of the United Kingdom,
Declares that the unfair postcode lottery created by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) for access to Flash Glucose Monitoring (FreeStyle Libre) is detrimental to the health and emotional wellbeing of people with diabetes and those that care for people with diabetes; further notes that technology has been proved to be cost effective for many who are on intensive insulin therapy; further that it has been made available on prescription by the NHS and there is evidence to support its positive impacts; further that half of the country have now given access, but the other half have not; further that there is no reason why CCGs across the country should not make this life changing technology available to people with diabetes who could benefit in England.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons to urge the government to take immediate action with NHS England to make Flash Glucose Technology available on prescription for people with diabetes regardless of their address.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Keith Vaz, Official Report, 14 November 2018; Vol. 649, c. 370.]
[P002292]
The petition of residents of Crawley Constituency,
Declares that the unfair postcode lottery created by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) for access to Flash Glucose Monitoring (FreeStyle Libre) is detrimental to the health and emotional wellbeing of people with diabetes and those that care for people with diabetes; further notes that technology has been proved to be cost effective for many who are on intensive insulin therapy; further that it has been made available on prescription by the NHS and there is evidence to support its positive impacts; further that half of the country have now given access, but the other half have not; further that there is no reason why CCGs across the country should not make this life changing technology available to people with diabetes who could benefit in England.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons to urge the government to take immediate action with NHS England to make Flash Glucose Technology available on prescription for people with diabetes regardless of their address.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Henry Smith, Official Report, 14 November 2018; Vol. 649, c. 371.]
[P0022923]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Steve Brine):
The NHS was founded on the principle of universal access—free at the point of delivery. This Government are committed to making sure that this principle remains.
The flash glucose monitoring system in question, FreeStyle Libre, was approved for reimbursement on National Health Service prescription from 1 November 2017 and is now available across the NHS. However, this is not a recommendation to automatically prescribe it as it is the responsibility of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to determine how funds are allocated for their local population based, on the relevant evidence and guidance. FreeStyle Libre is not suitable for everyone. Patients will need to discuss the ongoing management of their condition with their healthcare professional and consider whether FreeStyle Libre is suitable for them.
The Regional Medicines Optimisation Committee (RMOC) was asked to provide advice about Freestyle Libre to support local decision making and assist clinical commissioning groups in making effective use of this new technology. The RMOC brings together decision makers and clinicians to provide a credible source of consistent and reliable advice on medicines and devices for local NHS decision makers. Its advice sets out the criteria for patients who may be able to benefit from using the device, and suggested a careful start to its use because of a lack of data and recommended additional data collection to better understand the benefits for patients.
At the start of 2018, NHS England wrote to CCGs reminding them of their responsibilities and of the guidance that exists when it comes to flash glucose monitoring, and other treatments for people with Type 1 diabetes. NHS England continues to work with CCGs to strongly encourage them to adopt best practice. And in November 2018 NHS England issued a press release that announced action to end the current variation patients in some parts of the country are facing to access Freestyle Libre. NHS England will ensure the device is available on prescription for all patients who qualify for it in line with NHS clinical guidelines. From April 2019, these patients will be able to receive it on prescription from their local GP or diabetes team helping them to better manage their blood sugar levels.
At present, 178 out of 195 CCGs have now adopted Freestyle Libre for use. We are making progress—in November 2017 CCGs provided around 400 sensor packs to patients. By October 2018, this had risen to almost 20,000 packs. As of October 2018, CCGs have provided a total of almost 100,000 sensor packs at a total cost of £3.2 million.
Within its financial constraints, the NHS is committed to providing access to new medical technologies. We continue to support actions across the NHS to support the development and adoption of new technology, including new treatments for diabetes. Ultimately it is for CCGs, who are primarily responsible for commissioning diabetes services, to meet the requirements of their local population.
In doing so, they need to ensure that the services they provide are fit for purpose, reflect the needs of the local population, are based on the available evidence and take into account national guidelines.