Artificial pancreas hope for diabetes

More than 100,000 people with type 1 diabetes in England are to be offered an artificial pancreas, which experts believe could become the "holy grail" for managing the disease.

- Andrew Gregory

The groundbreaking device uses an algorithm to determine the amount of insulin that should be administered and reads blood sugar levels to keep them steady.

A world-first trial on the NHS found it was more effective at managing diabetes than current devices and required far less input from patients. The device is now set to be rolled out across the NHS in England after it won approval from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice).

Nice's interim director of medical technology, Mark Chapman, said: "Some people living with type 1 diabetes struggle to manage their condition, even though they are doing everything asked of them by their diabetes team. This technology is the best intervention to help them control their diabetes, barring a cure."

In draft guidance published today, an independent Nice committee recommends its use for managing blood glucose levels in people struggling to manage type 1 diabetes. The technology allows a patient to go about their day-to-day life without having to monitor if their blood glucose levels are too high or too low.