Audit report calls for improved access to insulin pumps

By Editor
14th August 2019
Technology, Type 1 diabetes

More people with type 1 diabetes should be considered for pump treatment in line with NICE guidance, the latest National Diabetes Insulin Pump Audit report has recommended.

The 2017-18 report covering England and Wales has called for improved access to the technology to reduce variation in provision and also because of associations with treatment target benefit.

In a series of recommendations, the report, published this month by NHS Digital, is calling for all services delivering type 1 diabetes care to consider those who are eligible during annual, or more frequent, reviews.

The audit collected information on the number and characteristics of people with diabetes using an insulin pump, the reasons for going on an insulin pump and the outcomes achieved since starting on the pump.

It revealed a ten-fold variation between specialist centres in pump use by people with type 1 diabetes which was “unexplained”, with the report saying for the “causes and consequences should be investigated”. In response, the report recommends that all specialist services and commissioners should “consider whether there is adequate understanding, capacity and capability to explain and provide pump treatment.”

Between two thirds and three quarters of pump users are recorded as achieving their pump treatment goals, according to the findings.

More than 90% of people reached their target goal for hypoglycaemia and round 80% of people (83.9% for England and 71.6% for Wales) reached their target goal for glucose control, the report also revealed.

It also found that the proportion of people with type 1 diabetes on an insulin pump varied from less than 5% in some specialist services to over 40% in others.

The National Diabetes Insulin Pump Audit is part of the National Diabetes Audit (NDA). This report provided information on people with Type 1 diabetes on an insulin pump at national, Local Health Board (LHB), and Specialist Diabetes Service level for the audit period 2017-18. Analysis performed on the Type 1 Specialist Diabetes Insulin Pump Services Structures Survey (2018) was included for the first time in the publication.

To access the report, click here.

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