NHS England details plans for increased FreeStyle Libre access

NHS England has announced details of how it is going to make the FreeStyle Libre more widely available.
The health organisation has released updated criteria which now means more people will now be eligible to receive the flash glucose monitoring device.
NHS England announced last year that from April 2019 the FreeStyle Libre will be available for one in five people with type 1 diabetes.
Among those who qualify will be pregnant women who have had type 1 diabetes for at least a year, and those who have the condition and need to intensively monitor throughout the day.
The criteria published this week reveals the national arrangements for funding of relevant people with diabetes, taking into account self-funders who currently pay for their own FreeStyle Libre due to not qualifying on the NHS.
Diabetes charities JDRF, Diabetes UK and Input (now part of JDRF UK) had previously campaigned for this point to be considered following feedback from people with type 1 diabetes.
Dr Partha Kar, Associate National Clinical Director at Diabetes said: “This is an important step forward for the NHS and for people with type 1 diabetes.
“The guidance published confirms the NHS’s commitment to improving the care of those with type 1 diabetes and signals an end to the variation in availability to the life changing technology.”
JDRF Chief Executive Officer in the UK, Karen Addington said: “We are delighted that these new guidelines will effectively end the inequity of access to Flash Glucose Monitoring that people living with type 1 diabetes have experienced, based simply on where they live in England.
“JDRF has worked with NHS England and partners to secure this outcome and look forward to supporting the implementation in April.”