NHS access to insulin pumps in Scotland set to improve

More than 600 insulin pumps are to be made available to young people with diabetes across Scotland following new Government funding.
The NHS in Scotland has received £3 million to improve the country’s diabetes services after it was revealed that health boards failed to meet a target for insulin pump usage among young diabetic patients.
The goal was to have a quarter of all under-18s with type 1 diabetes on insulin pump therapy by the end of March.
While some boards exceeded the 25% target, others fell well below, including 8.3% in Lanarkshire, 2.9% in Highland and 0% in the Western Isles, leaving the average national figure at just 16%.
Insulin pumps are portable devices that are attached to the body and deliver constant amounts of insulin to help control blood sugar levels. They are particularly attractive to younger patients as they make the condition easier to manage by eliminating the need for regular insulin injections.
To improve access to these devices through the NHS, part of the funding announced by Scottish ministers will be used to pay for a further 660 pumps and a dedicated insulin pump support team will also be established.
Michael Matheso, Scotland’s Minister for Public Health, said he remains determined that all health boards continue to work towards meeting the “rightly ambitious goal” of supplying a quarter of under-18s who have diabetes with an insulin pump.