Mentions:
1: Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Lab - Glasgow) Glasgow have contacted me about the worryingly long periods of time fro which they are waiting for insulin - Speech Link
2: Todd, Maree (SNP - Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) Government invested £10 million of additional funding specifically to support increased provision of insulin - Speech Link
Asked by: Cameron, Donald (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Highlands and Islands)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps NHS boards are taking to increase the availability of insulin pumps for people with type (a) 1 and (b) 2 diabetes, including people with good diabetic control.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
Our Diabetes Improvement Plan contains a specific commitment to support further roll-out of technologies such as insulin pumps and Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs), as well as emerging technologies such as hybrid closed loop and artificial pancreas systems. Between 2016 and 2022, we have invested £29.6 million of additional funding specifically to support this.
This is over and above the baseline funding that Scottish Government provides to NHS Boards and it is for them to determine how best to utilise this funding to meet the needs and priorities of their local populations.
We work closely with boards to identify and resolve any issues regarding access to diabetes technologies and we recognise that there are still significant challenges for some people living with diabetes to access the technology they are eligible for.
The Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway based within the Centre for Sustainability Delivery (CfSD) has recently established a national team to provide dedicated support to NHS health boards and roll out the technology faster and more efficiently across Scotland. We will monitor this pilot closely to determine how best to support NHS Boards in the future.
Nov. 23 2023
Source Page: Ozempic▼(semaglutide) and Saxenda (liraglutide): vigilance required due to potentially harmful falsified productsFound: type 1 diabetes – a condition where your body does not produce any insulin • you develop diabetic
Jan. 17 2024
Source Page: Freedom of Information responses from the MHRA - week commencing 22 August 2022Found: It does not stimulate insulin secretion and therefore does not produce hypoglycaemia.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients with type 1 diabetes use (a) finger-pricking monitoring and (b) continuous monitoring to track their glucose levels.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Standard care for type 1 diabetes involves regularly measuring blood glucose levels by self-monitoring, blood testing, or by using a continuous glucose monitor, real-time or intermittently scanned.
The NHS Long Term Plan committed that 20% of people with type 1 diabetes would benefit from life changing flash glucose monitors. Data to quarter three of 2022/23 shows that 73% of people with type 1 diabetes were prescribed flash glucose monitoring, against the 20% target. As a result of the recent National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance that also recommended that insulin dependent patients with type 2 diabetes should benefit from flash or continuous glucose monitoring devices, we are now starting to see a growth in prescribing within the type 2 diabetes patient group.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients with type 1 diabetes use real time continuous glucose monitoring to manage their diabetes.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Standard care for type 1 diabetes involves regularly measuring blood glucose levels by self-monitoring, blood testing, or by using a continuous glucose monitor, real-time or intermittently scanned.
The NHS Long Term Plan committed that 20% of people with type 1 diabetes would benefit from life changing flash glucose monitors. Data to quarter three of 2022/23 shows that 73% of people with type 1 diabetes were prescribed flash glucose monitoring, against the 20% target. As a result of the recent National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance that also recommended that insulin dependent patients with type 2 diabetes should benefit from flash or continuous glucose monitoring devices, we are now starting to see a growth in prescribing within the type 2 diabetes patient group.
Asked by: Earl of Dundee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to find solutions for diabetes type one sufferers.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The goal of treating type 1 diabetes is to keep blood glucose within a healthy range by providing the body with supplemental insulin. The National Health Service, with the Department’s support, has taken a number of steps to help manage type 1 diabetes.
In line with the commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England is driving access to new and existing technologies such as continual glucose monitors. This reflects the essential role that technology plays in allowing individuals with type 1 diabetes to manage their blood sugars correctly and avoid dangerous complications. Furthermore, maternity services across the country are now offering continuous glucose monitors to expectant mothers with type 1 diabetes.
Finally, approximately 72% of children and young people living with type 1 diabetes have registered with the Digibete app, which helps users manage their type 1 diabetes. Over 250,000 unique users have accessed the open access adult website, with over 3,800 education modules undertaken.
Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
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 tackle the shortage of prescription medications for the treatment of diabetes.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has worked intensively with industry to seek commitments from them to address issues with the supply of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), used as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. As a result, deliveries have been expedited and supplies boosted, and the overall supply position in the United Kingdom has improved. Guidance for healthcare professionals, which was updated in March 2024 and supersedes the National Patient Safety Alert, now allows for the initiation of new patients onto Rybelsus tablets, an oral semaglutide, or Mounjaro KwikPen (tirzepatide), and provides advice on what to prescribe patients who are unable to obtain their existing GLP-1 RA treatment whilst there continue to be disruptions to the supply of some products.
We are aware of supply issues with some insulin products for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. However, the vast majority are in stock. Comprehensive management guidance on alternative products has been issued to the National Health Service where needed.
Asked by: Boyack, Sarah (Scottish Labour - Lothian)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to each NHS board in each of the last three years to support an increase in the provision of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
In the last three years, the Scottish Government has invested £19.6 million of additional funding specifically to increase the provision of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors. This funding consisted of £5.1 million in 2020 to 2021 and £14.5 million in 2021 to 2022. It was allocated based on the percentage of patients with Type 1 diabetes within each given NHS Board area relative to the Scottish population. This data was taken from the Scottish Diabetes Survey 2020, which can be found here: https://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Diabetes-Scottish-Diabetes-Survey-2020.pdf .
The £5.1 million of additional funding in 2020 to 2021 was allocated as per the breakdown below:
Health Board | Total funding |
NHS Ayrshire & Arran | £308,700 |
NHS Borders | £91,325 |
NHS Dumfries & Galloway | £123,625 |
NHS Fife | £293,550 |
NHS Forth Valley | £252,725 |
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde | £872,025 |
NHS Grampian | £461,050 |
NHS Highland | £279,975 |
NHS Lanarkshire | £581,100 |
NHS Lothian | £663,275 |
NHS Orkney | £17,150 |
NHS Shetland | £19,675 |
NHS Tayside | £298,600 |
NHS Western Isles | £24,725 |
Total excluding VAT | £4,287,500 |
Total including VAT | £5,145,000 |
The £14.5 million of additional funding in 2021 to 2022 was allocated as per breakdown below:
Health Board | Total funding |
NHS Ayrshire & Arran | £824,253 |
NHS Borders | £269,404 |
NHS Dumfries & Galloway | £371,118 |
NHS Fife | £832,513 |
NHS Forth Valley | £719,165 |
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde | £2,478,769 |
NHS Grampian | £1,327,914 |
NHS Highland | £808,477 |
NHS Lanarkshire | £1,669,927 |
NHS Lothian | £1,886,890 |
NHS Orkney | £46,940 |
NHS Shetland | £49,008 |
NHS Tayside | £849,048 |
NHS Western Isles | £66,577 |
Total excluding VAT | £12,200,000 |
Total including VAT | £14,640,000 |
It is important to note that this funding was in addition to and not a replacement for local budgets. As you will be aware, the Scottish Government provides baseline funding to NHS Boards, and it is for individual Boards to determine how best to utilise this funding to meet the needs and priorities of their local populations. This includes ensuring those with Type 1 diabetes have access to the most appropriate treatment and care, including diabetes technologies.
Written Evidence Apr. 24 2024
Inquiry: NHS leadership, performance and patient safetyFound: Case Studies – Culture as a Barrier to Innovation Insulin Pumps – Type One Diabetes Type 1 diabetes