Approximately 50 per cent of people with type 1 diabetes in England are using wearable glucose monitors.
That is according to the findings of the latest National Diabetes Audit, which looked at the national trends of the condition between January 2021 and March 2022.
According to the results, diabetes technology was used less by those in the most deprived groups and in ethnic minorities, despite wearable glucose monitoring devices reducing glucose levels.
Glucose control in people with type 1 diabetes in England and Wales improved from 28 per cent meeting HbA1c targets in 2019 to 33 per cent meeting them in 2022, the audit has reported.
In addition, the findings have revealed that 30 per cent of people with type 1 diabetes did not attend specialist care in 2021-22 and were less likely to receive annual checks or achieve treatment targets as recommended by NICE.
Key recommendations outlined in the audit include:
- Commissioners of care should ensure that type 1 diabetes services have the capacity and capability to support all those who can benefit from appropriate glucose technologies and return blood pressure management to pre-pandemic levels. Improve glucose lowering using culturally appropriate dietary support, glucose monitoring and intensive insulin therapy to reduce the adverse trend of serious adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with early-onset type 2 diabetes.
- In England, commissioners of care should ensure that their providers of type 1 diabetes care embed principles of Core20PLUS5 in delivery of access to diabetes technology. In Wales, local health boards should support their providers of type 1 diabetes care to reduce apparent inequalities in use of insulin pumps.
- Commissioners of care should ensure that everyone with type 1 diabetes has access to a specialist service.
To read the audit, click here.