Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has undertaken any evaluation of glucose monitors used by people living with diabetes; if so, whether such monitors are approved for use; and what assessment they have made of the decision taken by some Clinical Commissioning Groups not to prescribe such monitors to diabetes patients.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has evaluated the following glucose monitors used by people living with diabetes:

- Integrated sensor-augmented pump therapy systems for managing blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes (the MiniMed Paradigm Veo system and the Vibe and G4 PLATINUM CGM system). NICE has evaluated these products through its diagnostics programme. The MiniMed Paradigm Veo system is recommended as an option for managing blood glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes only if they have episodes of disabling hypoglycaemia despite optimal management with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion.

- MiniMed 640G system with SmartGuard for managing blood glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes. This is a NICE advice product, developed under its Medtech innovation briefings (MIBs) programme. MIBs provide a summary of the best available evidence for selected new technologies and are designed to assist National Health Service planning and decision-making. MIBs are not designed to include treatment advice but provide a critical review of the strengths and weaknesses of the relevant evidence, therefore NICE do not make any recommendations for (or against) funding the device.

- FreeStyle Libre for glucose monitoring, which measures interstitial fluid glucose levels in people with diabetes. This is also a Medtech innovation briefing therefore NICE do not make any recommendations for funding the device.

In addition, the Regional Medicines Optimisation Committee (North), one of four Committees established by NHS England to provide advice to the NHS, reviewed the use of the Freestyle Libre at its meeting on 26 October 2017. In developing its advice, the Committee took into account the MIB published by NICE. The Committee has issued guidance on the use of Freestyle Libre suggesting a careful start to its use and data collection to better understand the benefits. Freestyle Libre has been approved for reimbursement on NHS prescription from 1 November through listing in Part IX of the Drug Tariff.

NICE does not have a role in proactively monitoring the delivery of local services, so it has not made any assessment of decisions taken by some clinical commissioning groups not to fund these technologies.