We are calling for all Health Boards in Scotland to prescribe flash glucose monitoring following advice from the Scottish Health Technologies Group.
Diabetes Scotland welcomes the recommendations - announced on Friday 13 July by The Scottish Health Technologies Group - that flash glucose monitoring (we call it Flash) is safe and effective, and should be made available on prescription to individuals with diabetes who intensively manage their condition with insulin.
We have been campaigning for the technology to be made available on prescription to those who need it regardless of where they live in Scotland and - presenting a strong case in favour of Flash - became the first ever patient representative organisation to give evidence to the SHTG.
Diabetes Scotland now plans to write to those remaining Health Boards who are not yet prescribing the technology – Grampian, Highland, Western Isles, Orkney, Shetland, Tayside and Fife - asking for urgent clarification of their position following the SHTG’s recommendations and calling for a timetable for implementation.
Angela Mitchell, National Director of Diabetes Scotland, said: "We welcome the recommendations of the Scottish Health Technologies Group that Flash should be made available to people with diabetes who intensively manage their condition with insulin.
“We recognise that several Health Boards in Scotland were awaiting the outcome of SHTG’s evaluation of Flash before committing to prescribing the technology. Now, following the positive recommendation, we call on those Health Boards to make Flash available to everyone who can benefit and end the disparity of access in Scotland to this potentially life-changing technology.
“We will now be writing to Health Boards seeking urgent clarification of their position and calling for a timetable for implementation.”
Read the Scottish Health Technologies Group recommendations on Flash in full on the Healthcare Improvement Scotland website
