Jul. 23 2008
Source Page: Insulin pump services: report of the Insulin Pumps Working Group. 61 p.Found: Insulin pump services: report of the Insulin Pumps Working Group. 61 p.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure people who require insulin are aware of alternative medications.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of a supply disruption affecting Tresiba (Insulin degludec) FlexTouch 100 units per millilitre solution for injection three millilitre pre-filled pens. While we do not hold information on number of people affected by this issue, we have worked with industry to identify suitable alternatives and can confirm that Tresiba Penfill cartridges are available and can fully support the increase in demand.
A National Patient Safety Alert was issued for Tresiba Flextouch pens on Friday 8 December 2023, providing updates to the National Health Service about the supply issue and providing advice for healthcare professionals on how to manage patients during the supply disruption. Any patient who is concerned should speak to their clinician.
There is a team within the Department that deals specifically with medicine supply problems. It has well-established tools and processes to manage medicine supply issues, working closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England and others operating in the supply chain to help prevent shortages and expedite resupply as soon as possible to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised. Information on the number of people affected by the supply issue is not held.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure that people who require insulin are able to access it.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of a supply disruption affecting Tresiba (Insulin degludec) FlexTouch 100 units per millilitre solution for injection three millilitre pre-filled pens. While we do not hold information on number of people affected by this issue, we have worked with industry to identify suitable alternatives and can confirm that Tresiba Penfill cartridges are available and can fully support the increase in demand.
A National Patient Safety Alert was issued for Tresiba Flextouch pens on Friday 8 December 2023, providing updates to the National Health Service about the supply issue and providing advice for healthcare professionals on how to manage patients during the supply disruption. Any patient who is concerned should speak to their clinician.
There is a team within the Department that deals specifically with medicine supply problems. It has well-established tools and processes to manage medicine supply issues, working closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England and others operating in the supply chain to help prevent shortages and expedite resupply as soon as possible to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised. Information on the number of people affected by the supply issue is not held.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people affected by a shortage of insulin.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of a supply disruption affecting Tresiba (Insulin degludec) FlexTouch 100 units per millilitre solution for injection three millilitre pre-filled pens. While we do not hold information on number of people affected by this issue, we have worked with industry to identify suitable alternatives and can confirm that Tresiba Penfill cartridges are available and can fully support the increase in demand.
A National Patient Safety Alert was issued for Tresiba Flextouch pens on Friday 8 December 2023, providing updates to the National Health Service about the supply issue and providing advice for healthcare professionals on how to manage patients during the supply disruption. Any patient who is concerned should speak to their clinician.
There is a team within the Department that deals specifically with medicine supply problems. It has well-established tools and processes to manage medicine supply issues, working closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England and others operating in the supply chain to help prevent shortages and expedite resupply as soon as possible to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised. Information on the number of people affected by the supply issue is not held.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure people with diabetes can continue to access the insulin they need.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of supply issues with some insulin products, however the vast majority are in stock. Comprehensive management guidance on alternative products has been issued to the National Health Service where needed.
The medicine supply chain is highly regulated, complex, and global. Supply disruption is an issue which affects the United Kingdom, as well as the other countries around the world, and it can have a variety of causes, including manufacturing issues, problems with access to raw ingredients, and sudden spikes in demand.
There is a team within the Department that deals specifically with medicine supply problems. It has well-established tools and processes to manage medicine supply issues, working closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England, and others operating in the supply chain, to help prevent shortages and expedite resupply as soon as possible, to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised.
Mentions:
1: Christine Jardine (LD - Edinburgh West) undiagnosed for years.To be clear about what we are talking about, if someone’s body does not make enough insulin - Speech Link
2: Christine Jardine (LD - Edinburgh West) keeping active make it easier for someone’s body to manage their blood sugar levels and help prevent insulin - Speech Link
3: Jim Shannon (DUP - Strangford) option—if I caught you right, Minister—that you mentioned, which is in the form of an injection but is not insulin - Speech Link
4: Jim Shannon (DUP - Strangford) It is not insulin for type 2, is it? The Minister mentioned an injection system. - Speech Link
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2024 to Question 15459 on Diabetes: Medical Equipment, what the evidential basis is for growth in the prescribing of diabetes technology for people living with type 2 diabetes.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Care and Excellence (NICE) published a recommendation in March 2023 that people with type 2 diabetes, who have multiple daily insulin injections and a condition or disability that means they cannot use capillary blood glucose monitoring, should be offered Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) technology, either real time or intermittent, to support self-monitoring.
The NICE also recommended in March 2023 that adults with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes having their blood glucose monitored by a care worker or healthcare professional, are offered CGM. The rationale is that CGM can help to improve glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes who use insulin.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to increase uptake in the use of monitoring technologies by patients with diabetes.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recently issued clinical guidelines in relation to the management of insulin dependent diabetes, covering patients living with type 1 and insulin dependent type 2 diabetes. This includes devices to support blood glucose monitoring. These recommendations are now being implemented by integrated care boards (ICBs).
On 19 December 2023, NICE published its final recommendation on the hybrid closed loop system for people with type 1 diabetes. NICE has agreed with NHS England that all children and young people, women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, and those people who already have an insulin pump will be first to be offered a hybrid closed loop system as part of a 5-year roll-out plan. NHS England has set out priorities for access, to help reduce healthcare inequalities through their implementation plan.
Responsibility for the delivery of services and the implementation of NICE recommendations rests with the appropriate National Health Service commissioner. As diabetes care is commissioned by local ICBs, they are responsible for developing commissioning policies. ICBs must pay due regard to NICE guidance, however local decision making applies in terms of deciding whether to utilise their funding to implement the recommendation or not.
Correspondence Apr. 23 2024
Committee: International Development Committee (Department: Department for International Development)Found: 70/30 (70% Human Insulin Isophan Protamine + 30% Soluble Human Insulin) - Cartridge (3ml)Amp 5000 41Insulin
Asked by: Regan, Ash (Alba Party - Edinburgh Eastern)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reportedly significant waiting times for access to diabetes technology, such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring systems, for people with type 1 diabetes across Scotland, including in NHS Lothian, and what steps are being taken to meet the national targets and align with reported advancements in NHS England.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
The Scottish Government’s Diabetes Improvement Plan contains a key commitment to further increase access to existing and emerging diabetes technologies.
Between 2016 and 2022, we invested £29.6 million of additional funding specifically to support the increased provision of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and emerging technologies such as closed loop systems.
We have also invested a further £350,000 through the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption pathway to help roll out the technology faster and more efficiently across Scotland. A key focus of this project is reducing regional variation and making access to technology more equitable across Scotland.
We continue to work closely the Diabetes Managed Clinical Networks (MCNs) within each Board, including NHS Lothian, to identify and resolve any issues raised by NHS Boards regarding accessing diabetes technologies, to ensure that all available resource is targeted to support the needs of local populations.