Draft NICE guidelines propose wider access to glucose monitoring tech

JDRF is delighted that the National Institute for Healthcare and Care Excellence (NICE) has published draft guidelines recommending that all adults with type 1 diabetes should be offered a choice of flash or continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in England.

The draft guidance also recommends that children with type 1 diabetes are offered CGM in the first instance and if CGM is not suitable, they should then be offered flash monitoring.

Currently, NICE only recommends that flash monitoring or CGM are offered if patients meet certain criteria.

The proposal will now undergo stakeholder consultation before the NICE guidance on type 1 diabetes is updated in March 2022.

The advance follows JDRF’s ongoing work with NICE to expand access to type 1 technology. In 2019, JDRF submitted comments to the NICE stakeholder consultation calling for a change in wording that would require healthcare professionals to ‘offer’ rather than ‘consider’ CGM for people with type 1 diabetes who meet the criteria. This amendment has been incorporated into the draft guidance.

Whilst the recommendations are a positive development, ensuring that Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and healthcare providers enact the guidance will form a vital part of JDRF’s ongoing advocacy work.

JDRF Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Rachael Chrisp, says: “This is a big step forward and we are hopeful that by spring of next year, these changes will be implemented. We’re proud of the part we’ve played in strengthening NICE guidance on flash and continuous glucose monitoring.

“It’s been a cross-sector effort with outstanding leadership from NHS England’s National Speciality Advisor Professor Partha Kar together with charities such as JDRF, clinicians, researchers and advocates from the type 1 community.

“We know however there is still much to do to ensure that CCGs and healthcare providers take on this guidance so that everyone with type 1 has access to the treatments they want or need across the four nations of the UK.”

NICE guidance applies to England, but is likely to be adopted in Wales and have influence on Scottish and Northern Irish bodies.

JDRF will work with people affected by type 1 diabetes to submit a formal response to the consultation.