Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to address regional variation in access to continuous glucose monitoring, including in Dorset.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning health services to meet the needs of their populations. In doing so they must have regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance, including for diabetes. The National Diabetes Audit (NDA), and the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit (NPDA) along with NHS Digital’s NDA and NPDA dashboards provide comprehensive data on care processes and outcomes and highlight variation. The dashboards help commissioners, providers, and paediatric diabetes units benchmark themselves and target improvements.
NHS Dorset has a policy in place for the provision of prescribable continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
In order to ensure that Dorset patients are being treated appropriately, use of CGM is tracked against patient eligibility criteria as set out in NICE guidance and the NHS Dorset CGM policy.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of funding Continuous Glucose Monitoring for a wider range of diabetes patients.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Improving access to diabetes technologies is a priority for NHS England, which uses routine data from the National Diabetes Audit (NDA) to help integrated care boards and providers benchmark themselves and target improvements.
The NDA 2025/26 reports that 64% of people registered as living with type 1 diabetes and eligible for Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) had access to the technology and 65% of people registered as living with type 2 diabetes and eligible for CGM had access to the technology.
The eligibility criteria for CGM amongst type 2 diabetics are set in guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG28
NICE is an independent body with its own processes for reviewing and updating its guidance taking account of the best available evidence of both clinical and cost effectiveness
A new diabetes technology dashboard is in development, for publication in 2026. This will allow health systems and providers to better understand access to technology and target improvement efforts, to support higher uptake of CGM for those eligible.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review eligibility criteria for Continuous Glucose Monitoring for people with Type 2 diabetes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Improving access to diabetes technologies is a priority for NHS England, which uses routine data from the National Diabetes Audit (NDA) to help integrated care boards and providers benchmark themselves and target improvements.
The NDA 2025/26 reports that 64% of people registered as living with type 1 diabetes and eligible for Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) had access to the technology and 65% of people registered as living with type 2 diabetes and eligible for CGM had access to the technology.
The eligibility criteria for CGM amongst type 2 diabetics are set in guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG28
NICE is an independent body with its own processes for reviewing and updating its guidance taking account of the best available evidence of both clinical and cost effectiveness
A new diabetes technology dashboard is in development, for publication in 2026. This will allow health systems and providers to better understand access to technology and target improvement efforts, to support higher uptake of CGM for those eligible.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to widen eligibility for hybrid closed loop (HCL) pump devices for people with diabetes; what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the progress of the rollout of HCL pumps to eligible groups; and what estimate he has made of the cost of expansion.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The eligibility criteria for hybrid closed loop (HCL) devices for people with diabetes are set in guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta943
NICE is an independent body with their own processes for reviewing and updating their guidance, taking account of the best available evidence of both clinical and cost effectiveness.
As part of NHS England’s HCL implementation, HCL has been provided to over 600 pregnant women with type 1 diabetes. Further details on NHS England’s five-year national implementation strategy are published online, at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/hybrid-closed-loop-technologies-5-year-implementation-strategy/
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what action the Government is taking to end regional disparities in access to insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
To reduce variation and health inequalities, data on the uptake of continuous glucose monitors (CGM) for diabetics is collected as part of the National Diabetes Audit (NDA).
NHS England plans to routinely publish this data in the NDA Core Quarterly dashboard in 2025/26, which will provide the data insights integrated care boards require to deliver CGM to their populations.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the phased implementation period for access to hybrid closed-loop technology for people with type 1 diabetes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has developed a five-year national strategy with guidance to National Health Service providers on the phased uptake approach of hybrid closed loop (HCL) systems. Rollout started in April 2024 with pregnant women, children, young people, those planning to become pregnant, and adults already using pumps who want to transition to an HCL system.
So far under the strategy, over 600 pregnant women with type 1 diabetes have been provided with an HCL.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase access to continuous glucose monitors for people with diabetes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are currently over 200,000 people living with diabetes in England who benefit from real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)
In order to help integrated care boards (ICBs) improve access to CGM to eligible people, data is now collected as part of the National Diabetes Audit. NHS England routinely publishes this data in the NDA Core Quarterly dashboard in 2025/26, which provides the data insights ICBs require, including data on CGM uptake, variation, and health inequalities. Further information on this is available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/national-diabetes-audit
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the 10 year health plan on levels of inequality in access to wearable diabetes technology.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10 Year Health Plan aims to reduce the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and enhance the care of patients living with diabetes through the delivery of the three shifts. Hospital to community will enable those living with diabetes to manage their care in the best way for them through the Neighbourhood Health Service. Analogue to digital will make it easier for those living with diabetes to access tailored advice and manage their appointments at a time that suits them. Treatment to prevention will make it easier for people to access diabetes screening and support people to make healthier choices to prevent them from developing type 2 diabetes.
By 2035, all patients will have access to wearables. Wearables will enable patients and their carers to better manage their care by having access to their health data such as blood pressure and glucose levels. They will also enable remote monitoring to alert a patient’s care team to any issues so that appropriate interventions can be made quickly before they progress.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of providing free continuous glucose monitoring systems to patients eligible for the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on (a) the incidence of and (b) complications arising from type II diabetes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Continuous glucose monitoring systems are available on the National Health Service in line with National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines which state that, among other criteria, a person must have a diagnosis of diabetes. People with a diagnosis of diabetes are not eligible for the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP).
Therefore, no assessment has been made on the impact of providing free continuous glucose monitoring systems through the NHS DPP.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of providing funding for (a) continuous glucose monitoring and (b) other preventive technologies on (i) NHS expenditure and (b) complications arising from type II diabetes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data from the National Diabetes Audit suggests that the number of people with type 2 diabetes using continuous glucose monitoring is increasing. In 2022/23, 37,000 people were using continuous glucose monitoring, rising to 95,000 people in 2023/24, and to 155,000 people in 2024/25. Metrics that are useful for health systems to monitor access to glucose monitoring will be published later this year
Unlike for medicines, there is no national pathway to prioritise and nationally fund the highest impact health technology, including wearable technology. As a result, we see significant unwarranted variation in uptake, weakening the perceived attractiveness of the United Kingdom’s market. From April 2026, building on and adapting our experience with medicines, we will begin expanding NICE’s technology appraisal process, which includes mandated funding by the NHS, to cover some devices, diagnostics, and digital products. This will focus on those that meet the NHS’ most urgent needs and support financial sustainability.
By 2035, all patients will have access to wearables. Wearables will enable patients and their carers to better manage their care by having access to their health data such as blood pressure and glucose levels. They will also enable remote monitoring to alert a patient’s care team to any issues so that appropriate interventions can be made quickly before they progress. The 10-Year Health Plan aims to reduce the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and enhance the care of patients living with diabetes through the delivery of the three shifts: