Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to widen the NHS England criteria under which diabetes patients can receive the Freestyle Libre glucose monitoring device on prescription to include type 2 diabetics.

Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for commissioning diabetes services for their local populations. They are also expected to take National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines into consideration when making their decisions. NICE currently recommends not routinely offering self-monitoring of blood glucose levels for adults with type 2 diabetes unless the person:

- is on insulin;

- or there is evidence of hypoglycaemic episodes;

- or the person is on medication that may increase their risk of hypoglycaemia while driving or operating machinery;

- or the person is pregnant or is planning to become pregnant.

The evidence base for the benefits and cost-effectiveness of flash glucose monitoring for people with type 2 diabetes is still developing, and NICE will continue to monitor the evidence and relevant research.