INPUTdiabetes

UK Insulin_Pump_Audit_May_2013

Copied from JDRF  link

12 April 2013

JDRF is paying its respects to Professor Harry Keen, a leading light of diabetes research and care, who has died this month (1925 – 2013).

Harry was an exceptional research scientist who helped to shape the understanding of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes that we have today. He inspired our current generation of leading diabetologists.

His body of work included the highly influential Bedford Survey in the 1960s. Notions of diabetes and its complications in that decade were, in Harry’s words, ‘pretty primitive.’ His survey, screening the whole adult population of Bedford for undiagnosed diabetes, helped scientists to grasp the full significance of blood glucose levels in relation to type 1 and type 2.

He was also a pioneer of insulin pump therapy, trialling an early pump device on a patient, Winifred Vincent, and seeing major improvements in her blood glucose control.

His career roles included Professor of Human Metabolism at Guy’s Hospital Medical School, and following retirement he became Professor Emeritus at Guy’s Hospital Campus of King’s College London School of Medicine. He was an Honorary President of the International Diabetes Federation and was heavily involved with a number of other diabetes organisations and charities.

Karen Addington, Chief Executive of JDRF, said: ‘On behalf of all at JDRF, I would like to convey our condolences to Professor Keen’s family. Harry was a truly great clinician and researcher. His work in the diabetes field, examining how we can prevent, treat and eventually cure type 1, is deserving of deep admiration. On a personal level I had a huge amount of respect for Harry. He will be greatly missed.’

JDRF’s interview with Professor Keen in 2008 can be read here

All the slots in this study have now been filled.  You can keep up with future opportunities via our Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Everyone seems to want to know your opinion!  However, this time its not about your shopping or DIY habits, and will not result in heaps of junk mail or spam!  Its good to take part – you get to mull over how you feel about the survey subject, tell someone who is going to use that information, and hopefully help to positively influence things for all of us.

Here are some current opportunities to get involved.

1) Online survey for people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, by The De Montfort University: “an opportunity for you to discuss your experience with various aspects of your diabetes and your attitudes with exercise. The information we get from this survey will be combined with a practical study we will also be conducting which may lead to recommendations to improve the lifestyle of people with diabetes in the future. The information could also help research toward a suitable exercise regime for people with diabetes.”

2) Online survey & attendance at De Montford University (Leicester) twice a week for 6 weeks, for people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes who use an insulin pump: “an opportunity for you to discuss your experience with various aspects of your diabetes and your attitudes with exercise. The information we get from this survey will be combined with a practical study we will also be conducting which may lead to recommendations to improve the lifestyle of people with diabetes in the future. The information could also help research toward a suitable exercise regime for people with diabetes.”

Information about De Montford University’s artificial pancreas project

3) Online survey about Type 1 diabetes and alcohol, for people with Type 1 diabetes aged between 18 and 30 years (anonymous).  ”The purpose of this survey is to find out how accurately young adults with type 1 diabetes can work out the alcohol content in drinks.” Please note a paper copy is available if you prefer.

Thank you for helping the diabetes community.

Last week, I attended a meeting with C8 Medisensors, along with bloggers Alison, Andrew, Anna and Mike.

This is not a blog, so I’ll just say the meeting was very encouraging, I am excited about the prospect of their non-invasive continuous glucose monitor which is expected to get CE marking this autumn and go straight to market in the UK & Europe.  It looks set to make CGM much more affordable.

Here are links to the blog posts by the other attendees:

Every Day Ups & Downs

Insulin Independent

My Pump

Shoot Up or Put Up

Lesley

This is good news!  Insulin pump therapy has been NICE-approved since 2003, but is still only available to less than half the benchmark figure.

NICE says:
Patients and the public will soon be able to see information on how quickly their local hospitals and primary care organisations are providing NICE-approved treatments and drugs, according to latest government proposals.
From September, every hospital and trust will be rated by an ‘innovation scorecard’, allowing patients and the public to see which trusts are adopting the latest NICE-approved treatments and drugs most quickly.
Hospitals and commissioning bodies will also be automatically added onto publicly available lists that show which latest NICE-approved treatments and drugs are available in their local areas.
The Department of Health says that under the scheme, “the NHS will have no excuse not to provide the latest NICE-approved drugs and treatments”.
It hopes the proposals will bring an end to ‘postcode prescribing’ whereby treatments and drugs are available immediately in some parts of the country, and yet are delayed in others.
The scheme will also see a group set up to help local NHS organisations implement NICE guidelines, in an effort to speed up the update of new drugs and treatments.
The group will help spread information on best practice among organisations in order to improve the speed of uptake.
Since NHS organisations receive funding for each new NICE appraisal, the DH says that financial issues should not be a barrier to the uptake of new innovative treatments.
Health Minister Paul Burstow said: “Patients have a right to drugs and treatments that have been approved by NICE.
“This new regime will be a catalyst for change – we are determined to eradicate variation and drive up standards for everyone.
“NHS organisations must make sure the latest NICE-approved treatments are available in their area, and if they are not, then they will now be responsible for explaining why not.
“Being transparent with data like this is the hallmark of a 21st century NHS. It is a fundamental tool to help healthcare professionals improve patient care.”
Sir Andrew Dillon, Chief Executive of NICE, said that the scorecards “will be valuable not just to patients but also help hospitals assess how well they’re performing and ensure that best practice is disseminated across the NHS”.
“What we hope is that the scorecard will help rapidly get a consistent response to national guidance,” he continued.
Stephen Whitehead, Chief Executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said: “The NHS Innovation Scorecard will be a valuable tool for supporting the use of the latest NICE recommended medicines across England.
“There is still a great deal of variation across the country on which treatments patients are able to access and so I am hopeful the scorecard will help highlight discrepancies which can then be addressed.”
He added: “We also welcome other moves to support the use of NICE recommended treatments, such as automatically including medicines on to local medicine availability lists and the creation of a group to help local NHS organisations implement NICE guidelines.”
The announcement follows calls by NHS Chief Executive Sir David Nicholson for all NHS organisations to publish information that sets out which NICE technology appraisals are included in their local formularies.
29 August 2012

The MRHA has issued a Medical Device Alert:

Animas ambulatory insulin infusion pumps.

Animas® IR 1200
Animas® 2020
One Touch® Ping® Glucose management system

Animas® Vibe™

Devices distributed before February 2012 and which do not contain the revised keypad are affected.

Problem: Risk of compromised insulin therapy due to failure of the buttons caused by keypad wear.

Action: Check the list of serial numbers affected in the Animas UK document.

Ensure that patients using the pump are aware of:
• the potential for buttons to fail.
• the need to examine the keypad regularly for signs of wear, such as peeling or tearing of the keypad edge from the pump.
• the need to have a back-up insulin delivery method available at all times.
• Patients and healthcare providers should refer to the updated Animas patient information in the appendix.
• Patients who identify problems with, or have concerns about, their pump’s keypad should contact their health care provider and Animas customer technical support.
• Report any problems with the pump to the MHRA.

NHS Chief Executive Sir David Nicholson has written to all Strategic Health Authorities and PCT clusters instructing them to end their blacklisting of any NICE technology appraised medicines.

We know that NICE technology appraised devices are being limited too.  We expect this measure to help improve access to insulin pump therapy.

http://www.nice.org.uk/newsroom/news/EndBlacklistingOfNICEApprovedDrugs.jsp

INPUT is delighted to announce that our founder, John Davis, has been awarded an MBE in the 2012 New Year’s Honours, for services to people with diabetes.

Congratulations to John; it is great to see him recognised for his tireless work.