Flash Glucose Monitoring (Flash GM) is a new technology available on the NHS Drugs Tariff across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from November 2017.
This means in principle it is available to people with diabetes in the UK on NHS prescription. However, local decision makers will need to agree policies on prescribing the technology for people with diabetes in their area. It is important that healthcare professionals and local health decision makers are aware of the new technology so that they can make sure that people with diabetes have access to Flash GM in their local area.
Dr Victor Oguntolu is the Clinical Lead for Diabetes and Endocrinology at Medway NHS Foundation Trust. He sees how Flash Glucose Monitoring helps people to safely manage their condition, improving their quality of life. But an unfair postcode lottery of access means adults and children in Medway still have to pay hundreds of pounds a month to access this life changing technology
Help us end the unfair postcode lottery access to Flash.
Essential reading
We have developed these recommendations for the use of Flash GM in the NHS, jointly with other diabetes organisations representing people with diabetes and clinicians. They are based on the best currently available clinical and scientific evidence as well as experiences from people living with diabetes using this technology
We recognise that there is need for further research and audit to determine a full picture of the benefits and limitations of the technology to the NHS and people with diabetes.
- Flash Glucose Monitoring FAQ (PDF, 1.3MB)
This document answers the most frequently asked questions about flash glucose monitoring, from what this technology is, differences between flash monitoring and CGM to what we are doing. - Flash Map - what's happening in your area
To help you find out the situation in your area we’ve created the Flash Map, which shows the decisions on access in each area that we are aware of.
Sources of guidance
- Regional Medicines Optimisation Committee Freestyle Libre Position Statement
This is guidance to Area Prescribing Committees in England who are considering the applications submitted by clinicians and others to list Freestyle on local tariffs - Getting Freestyle Libre onto your formulary
From ABCD and Type 1 Diabetes Clinical Collaborative aimed at supporting clinicians to get Freestyle Libre onto the formulary in local areas. It includes a letter to all diabetes teams and information to make a case. - Position Statement on Freestyle Libre for Glucose Monitoring: Children
This guidance is the consensus of ABCD, Type 1 Diabetes Clinical Collaborative-UK, Association of Children’s Diabetes Clinicians (ACDC) and the National Children and Young People’s Diabetes Network - NHS England information on Blood Glucose Monitoring
- This letter from Partha Kar gives information about access to certain treatments for people with Type 1 diabetes.
- NICE Medtech Innovation Briefing 1MB (PDF, 142KB)
Provides explanation of the technology and a summary of the evidence (does not make recommendations).
Training
- FreeStyle Libre Academy
Abbott (the manufacturerer) is providing education for both healthcare professionals and people with diabetes. The FreeStyle Libre Academy has designed a free online resource, consisting of 9 bite-size modules to guide you through the features of the system, equipping you with the skills and knowledge to interpret the data provided by the FreeStyle Libre system.
Support for your patients
- Flash Glucose Monitoring - support pack (PDF, 298 KB)
Our support pack will help your patients find out more about Flash GM and decide if it would be right for them. It also highlights our campaign to make Flash GM available across the UK.
