Type 1 diabetes patients in England to get wearable blood sugar level monitors

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy All patients with Type 1 diabetes in England are to be offered wearable technology which enables them to monitor their blood sugar levels in seconds. “What we are seeing today is a key shift in thinking – a move to recognising that technology is an integral part of diabetes management, not simply an added luxury.” Dr Paul Chrisp, director of the centre for guidelines at Nice, said: “By recommending the use of either real-time or flash monitoring, our independent committee has made recommendations that will be a step forward in helping all people with Type 1 diabetes manage their condition. Having an alarm, which will alert them if this happens, will give them the peace of mind knowing they will wake up in the morning.” Professor Partha Kar, national NHS specialty adviser for diabetes, for the health service in England, added: “This announcement is the biggest step forward for Type 1 diabetes care in years, allowing everyone eligible to have one of these easy to use pieces of tech if they want to – building on the success of the NHS in its roll-out so far. “These monitors are a win win – they support diabetes patients to live healthier lives, reduce their risk of hospitalisation while also helping to reduce pressure on NHS services and provide better value for money for taxpayers.” It comes as another study published at the Diabetes UK conference found that artificial intelligence can help spot children with previously undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes.