Diabetes: Medical Equipment

(asked on 7th March 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on how each devolved nation compares internationally on the annual uptake of insulin pumps for the treatment of diabetes in the last three years.


Answered by
Steve Brine Portrait
Steve Brine
This question was answered on 14th March 2018

As health is a devolved matter, it would be for the relevant Department from each of the devolved administrations to provide information on the uptake and availability of insulin pumps and other diabetes technologies. The Department works closely with counterparts in the devolved administrations in order to share best practice of treatment and care.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for producing guidelines for best practice of treatment and care. Treatments such as Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (CSII) or ‘insulin pump' therapy may be brought into routine use in the National Health Service after their efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness have been appropriately demonstrated.

Health is a devolved matter under the devolution settlements and thus it would be a matter for the devolved administrations to determine their use of diabetic pumps. Devolved administrations would be aware of guidance published by NICE on the use of CSII, and are able to follow these if they choose to do so.

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