Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) supply and (b) availability of glucose monitoring systems for the treatment of diabetes; and if he will make a statement.

Recent technological advances and introduction of glucose monitoring systems to the market has brought significant benefits to patients and the way they can live their lives.

As global demand for these systems increases we recognise that it is likely to see temporary constraints on supply emerge from time to time. However, the Department maintains close engagement with industry to minimise the impact of these situations and be assured in any such situations suitable alternative products are available.

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning diabetes services for their local populations. This includes technologies such as glucose monitoring devices. CCGs are best placed as clinically led organisations that have both the local knowledge and accountability to make commissioning decisions in the best interests of their patients.