Henry Smith MP has presented a petition of local residents in the House of Commons which calls on the NHS in Crawley to provide flash glucose monitoring technology to people with Diabetes, and has spoken in support of Government moves to ensure this provision for Type 1 Diabetics across England (on World Diabetes Day, Wednesday 14th November).

Speaking in Central Lobby after the presentation of the petition, Henry said;

“My thanks to those Crawley residents who took the time to sign this petition and collect signatures in support of Diabetics locally being provided with flash glucose monitoring technology, such as FreeStyle Libre.

“These enable Diabetics to live with their condition better by testing glucose levels without the need to continually prick their finger throughout the day with a needle, drawing blood to use a test strip to check blood sugar levels.

“The FreeStyle Libre works by having a small sensor on your body automatically measuring and continuously storing glucose readings day and night, which can be read via a sensor (the size of a £2 coin) in seconds using a pocket-sized scanner.

“Our petition calls for the Crawley Clinical Commissioning Group to provide this support for Diabetics locally, whose daily lives would be enhanced by wider availability of this device.”

While Diabetes UK estimate that 6.9 per cent of adults in the town have Diabetes, Crawley CCG are among under one fifth of CCGs which have decided not to make flash glucose monitoring available.

Also coinciding with World Diabetes Day, NHS England announced action to end the current variation faced currently by Type 1 Diabetics in some parts of the country accessing FreeStyle Libre.

From April 2019, these patients will be able to receive it on prescription from their local GP or Diabetes team helping them to better manage their blood sugar levels.

Henry said;

“I welcome the Government’s action to support people with Type 1 Diabetes in Crawley and throughout England. This announcement should mean an end to the variation in availability in this technology which will improve the daily lives of people with this condition.

“Of course, I continue to call on the NHS in Crawley to ensure this comes in before April next year, and for all local residents living with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes.”

Henry said in the House of Commons;

“I am here today on behalf of Crawley residents with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and all those who signed my petition calling on the Crawley Clinical Commissioning Group to provide flash glucose monitoring technology, such as FreeStyle Libre, on the NHS. Diabetes UK estimates that 6.9 per cent of adults in Crawley have Diabetes—a figure slightly higher than the English national average—but less than a fifth of Clinical Commissioning Groups have opted to make flash glucose monitoring available.

“As the right hon. Member for Leicester East (Keith Vaz) has said, I very much welcome the Government stating this morning—on World Diabetes Day—that for patients with Type 1 Diabetes, they are “announcing action to end the current variation patients in some parts of the country are facing to access Freestyle Libre.”

“People in Crawley who deal with Diabetes every day and I urge Crawley CCG and NHS England to ensure provision of this technology for people living with Type 2 Diabetes as well.​

“The petition states:

“The Petition of residents of Crawley,

“Declares that the unfair postcode lottery created by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) for access to Flash Glucose Monitoring (FreeStyle Libre) is detrimental to the health and emotional wellbeing of people with Diabetes and those that care for people with Diabetes; further notes that technology has been proved to be cost effective for many who are on intensive insulin therapy; further that it has been made available on prescription by the NHS and there is evidence to support its positive impacts; further that half of the country have now given access, but the other half have not; further that there is no reason why CCGs across the country should not make this life changing technology available to people with Diabetes who could benefit in England.

“The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons to urge the government to take immediate action with NHS England to make Flash Glucose technology available on prescription for people with diabetes regardless of their address.

“And the petitioners remain, etc.”