Scottish Government announces insulin pump investment
27 February, 2012
After many years of campaigning by the charity and patient groups, Diabetes UK Scotland has welcomed a Scottish Government announcement to invest over £1 million in delivering insulin pumps.
All eligible under-18s with Type 1 diabetes will now have access to life-changing insulin pumps under plans announced today by the Scottish Government.
£1 million funding allocated
Funding of at least £1 million has been allocated to NHS Boards to help them deliver pumps to under-18s who need them, as well as tripling the amount of pumps available to all Scots.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon made the announcement alongside five-year-old Daisy Slatter – at the time one of the youngest persons in Scotland to receive a pump. After years of multiple, daily insulin injections Daisy’s life has been dramatically improved by the medical device.
Freedom from multiple jabs
Ms Sturgeon said, "Insulin pumps mean freedom from having multiple insulin jabs a day – giving Scotland’s youngest diabetics a normal childhood.
"By the end of March 2013, this treatment will be made available to the 480 children and teens struggling with Type 1 diabetes who could benefit from it.
"Over the next three years, NHS Boards will also increase the number of insulin pumps available to all Scots to 2,000, tripling the current amount."
"Noticeably happier"
Daisy was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in November 2007 when she was just 18 months old. Daisy’s dad, Tim Slatter remembers, "After 11 months of blood sugar highs and lows, and jags coming from all directions we finally embarked on insulin pump therapy on 29 September 2008. It really did help to stabilise Daisy’s blood sugar levels and was noticeable within hours of the pump first being fitted.
"Daisy’s sugar levels were under far better control and she was noticeably happier, although she still pains a little bit when we have to change her infusion set. We were so delighted that she could now eat whatever she wanted, snack whenever and treats weren’t a problem, so long as we knew how many carbs she was consuming."
"Life-changing therapy"
Jane-Claire Judson, Diabetes UK Scotland’s National Director, added, "Today’s announcement is very welcome news and follows years of campaigning by Diabetes UK Scotland and pump users for improved access. The announcement and the Cabinet Secretary's personal leadership on this issue will give people with Type 1 diabetes new hope that they will have improved access to this life-changing therapy."
Campaign Update
8 January, 2013
Written Parliamentary questions show that by the end of 2012, 334 young people and 752 over 18s are now on insulin pumps. However progress across Health Boards is not even. We now also know that in order to meet the expected demand for insulin pumps the Scottish Government bought 558 units, as of the end of 2012, 202 pumps were distributed.
The situation for adults is broadly similar, with 800 adults on pumps an increase from 752 in 2011. Again there are variations across Health Boards.
At their meeting of on 6 January, the Public Petitions Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government and some NHS Boards. The Committee also agreed to invite NHS Western Isles and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to give evidence at the meeting to be held in Stornoway in March 2013. Link to Official Report 8 January 2013 (474KB pdf)
26 June, 2012
Public Petitions Committee discuss the petition further and agree to invite Nicola Sturgeon to a future meeting to give evidence. Official report. (pdf)
25 June, 2012
Public Petitons committee hold an informal meeting with officials and Consultants from Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board, also attending the meeting were patients and carers who were either on a pump or were waiting for a pump.
18 June, 2012
Press and Journal highlight problems with delivering insulin pumps to children in the Moray area.
17 April, 2012
Scottish Parliament Public Petition's Committee keep Diabetes UK Scotland's petition open and plan to visit Health Boards to find out why some areas are progressing better than others.
7 April, 2012
Scottish Government announce an extra £1.5m - now £2.5million will be provided. Every Health Board in Scotland should now be in a position to deliver pumps to people with Type 1 diabetes who need them.
28 February, 2012
Letter from Scottish Government to Health Board Chief Executives sets out targets for children and adults and set out the investment and action required by health boards. Link www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2012_04.pdf
27 February, 2012
Cabinet Secretary for Health Nicola Sturgeon announces at least £1m funding to bring a quarter of children with Type 1 with diabetes onto pumps.
10 January, 2012
Diabetes UK Scotland has submitted our response to the submissions made by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Fife. Tayside and Ayrshire and Arran, and the Scottish Government. The petition will have its next hearing on January 24.
1 November, 2011
Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee have asked Diabetes UK Scotland to present the petition on 1 November at 2pm. You can follow the evidence and read the official report on the Scottish Parliament's website.
27 October, 2011
Diabetes UK Scotland presents oral evidence to the public petitions committee.
25 October, 2011
Diabetes UK Scotland has been asked to give evidence in support of our insulin pump petition to the Scottish Parliament's Public Petitions Committee next week. While we have the very welcome news from Nicola Sturgeon that the Government intend to dramatically increase insulin pumps over the next few years we'd like to make sure that people with Type 1 diabetes in all areas of Scotland can benefit.
We'd like to take your views to the committee. What would you like to happen to make sure that as many people with Type 1 diabetes as possible have equitable access to insulin pumps? Email a short message to us and we'll try to include these in our presentation. We only have a short time to present so the shorter and pithier the better.
21 October, 2011
The Scottish Government on 21 October announced a major new investment in insulin pumps therapy across Scotland. Following years of campaigning by Diabetes UK Scotland and insulin pump users, Nicola Sturgeon announced in her speech to the SNP conference in Inverness that every person under the age of 18 who could benefit from a pump would have one by 2013; and that the Government will triple the numbers available to all age groups within three years.
Jane-Claire Judson, Director of Diabetes UK Scotland, said, "This is wonderful news. For too long, we have been campaigning alongside patients to improve access. We have lobbied politicians and Health Boards and seen minimal improvement. The Cabinet Secretary's announcement and leadership on this will give people with Type 1 diabetes new hope and we thank her for that."
17 October, 2011
Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board Annual Review
Insulin pumps were the subject of an in-depth question from Cabinet Secretary for Health Nicola Sturgeon MSP on how the board intended to increase the number of insulin pumps in the area. The health board split the answer into two. They said evidence for children was convincing and that there would be an increase from 37 to 45 by March 2012. There was as far as they were aware no immediate clinical need for any child to immediately start on pumps.
For adults, the health board were not as convinced by the clinical evidence as outlined by SIGN. They could see high clinical satisfaction. Delivering a service for adults would cost £5m and would be a decision for prioritisation by the Board.
The HB said that as part of the REPOSE trial, 20 adults would be starting on insulin pumps and this would report in two years time. The HB acknowledged that patients were anxious and that the definition of a waiting list would be more transparent and that they were anxious to lay to rest the issue. Nicola then asked for the date of the RESPOSE trial reporting back and asked what percentage of children with Type 1 diabetes would have pumps by 2012. The HB did not know the answer.
While we welcome improvements for children, we are disappointed at the lack of progress for adults. The Board has effectively deferred a decision until the end of a clinical trial. We understand that the trial won’t report until 2015 (at the earliest), so we can look forward to a four year hiatus in a decent level of provision. We will continue to campaign on this issue until all people with Type 1 diabetes in Glasgow & Clyde have good access to pump therapy.
19 April, 2011
Lobby of NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board
With the greatest number of people with Type 1 diabetes in Scotland, Greater Glasgow & Clyde has one of the lowest rates of insulin pump provision and had closed their insulin pump waiting list. The Health Board needs to recognise the impact of this on people with diabetes and their families. We hosted an open meeting to focus on the issue of insulin pump provision in Greater Glasgow & Clyde, and ran parallel to the Board’s meeting.
As the meeting closed, we were contacted by the Health Board offering a meeting. We have since learned that the Health Board have re-opened their waiting list for adults.
Media coverage
- Scots children with type 1 diabetes are to be offered insulin pumps. Herald, Scotsman, STV News 28 February, 2012
- Scottish Government news release and circular CEL 4 (2012) 28 February, 2012.
- Scots children with type 1 diabetes are to be offered insulin pumps. Herald
- 173 diabetes patients in the Lothians have received insulin pumps – Evening News, 22 September
- MSPs calling for more insulin pumps – Evening Times, 5 September
- It affects the lives of so many people, so why are we failing to control it properly – Scottish Daily Mail, 13 September
- Pumps can make live better – Sunday Post, 28 August
- MSP Margaret Mitchell calls for better provision of insulin pumps by health boards – STV, BBC, 28 August
- Diabetes UK Scotland in discussion with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde over access to insulin pumps – The Herald, 2 April
- Diabetes charity up in arms over pump threat – Evening Times, 19 April
- Diabetics on receiving end of contradictory information from health board – Herald letters, 19 March
- A cruel and short-sighted decision on treating diabetes – Herald letters, 18 March
- Life-changing diabetes aid target of cuts – Herald, 16 March
How you can further support Diabetes UK Scotland's campaign.
- Tell us if you are waiting for an insulin pump – email scotland@diabetes.org.uk
- Ask politicians what they intend to do about insulin pump services