Insulin Pump Therapy

A lot is being done “behind the scenes” to make insulin pump therapy a routine option in clinic for all.

INPUT is a Patient Group member of the Medical Technology Group, a coalition of patient groups, research charities and medical device manufacturers working to make medical technologies available to everyone who needs them. Uptake of medical technology in the UK is not as good as it should be, given their great potential to provide value for money to the NHS, patients and tax payers. The MTG believes that patients and clinicians need better information about medical technologies so that they can make informed choices about their medical care.

The MTG is currently campaigning to improve access to technologies recommended by NICE, including insulin pumps.

Further information can be found here: www.mtg.org.uk

—–

The NHS Technology Adoption Centre‘s mission is to work directly with the NHS at a clinical, managerial, and procurement level to identify and overcome the barriers to adoption of innovative technologies which have already demonstrated clear benefits to patients and will improve system efficiency.

The project worked with 3 mentor hospitals which had pro-active pump clinics, and 3 host trusts who wanted to establish good quality pump clinics. The project is now complete, and the host trusts are running pump clinics and ready to mentor other trusts. The “How-To-Why-To” Guide was published in June 2010. Aimed at clinicians, managers and commissioners it is available online here

INPUT was actively involved in this project.

—–

The NHS Information Centre is England’s central, authoritative source of health and social care information.  Acting as a hub for high quality, national comparative data for secondary uses, it delivers information for local decision makers to improve the quality and efficiency of frontline care.

Six innovative clinical technologies, including insulin pumps, are to be the focus of a new NHS Information Centre study.  The aim of this study is to encourage the use and uptake of innovation across the NHS, leading to improved treatment and a better experience for patients.

Further information can be found here: www.ic.nhs.uk/cim

—–

The University of Manchester e-Research Centre is running a 3-year project to study the required adoption processes and pathways for non-pharmaceutical technologies in the NHS, including insulin pumps.

Further information can be found here: www.merc.ac.uk/

—–

All Party Parliamentary Groups: APPGs include members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. APPGS meet together, relatively informally, to discuss a particular issue of concern. APPGs are either country based, e.g., the APPG on Zimbabwe, or subject based, e.g., the APPG on breast cancer – the topics reflecting parliamentarians’ concerns. APPGs generally have officers drawn from the major political parties and strive to avoid favouring one political party or another. Inevitably, they tend to focus most on the governing party’s priorities, discussing new developments and inviting Government Ministers to speak at their meetings. APPGs have no formal place in the legislature, but are an effective way of bringing together parliamentarians and interested parties. APPGs allow others in the subject such as campaign groups, charities and other non-governmental organisations in the field to become involved in discussions and influence politicians. INPUT regularly attends these meetings to keep insulin pump therapy high on their agenda.

The purpose of APPG for Diabetes is to raise in Parliament the profile of diabetes and its prevention; to monitor new initiatives; and to work to ensure a better deal for people with diabetes.

Further information can be found here

Anna (from insulin independent blog) has also posted about her impressions of an APPG meeting:

http://insulinindependent.blogspot.com/2011/06/improving-access-to-medical-technology.html

The purpose of the APPG on Improving Patient Access to Medical Technology is

• To raise awareness amongst parliamentarians of the developments and the benefits to patients of medical technology.

• To highlight the barriers to the uptake of medical technology.

• To improve access to proven, cost effective medical technologies.

• To highlight the economic advantages to the NHS and the fiscal benefits to the wider British economy.

• To develop recommendations to improve access to medical technology and get more value and better quality outcomes for the patient, the NHS, the taxpayer and the wider economy.

Click here to read notes from APPG meetings.