A Type 1 diabetic has told how she has been forced to wait over two years for a life-changing insulin pump – despite her blood glucose regularly spiking to dangerously high levels.
Katie Hindmarch takes daily injections to control the chronic condition which causes the pancreas to stop producing insulin.
Despite achieving good control throughout the day, Katie is living with hazardous readings while she’s asleep, leaving her at potential risk of complication such as blindness or organ damage.
Doctors have told the 24-year-old that an insulin pump would help her achieve better overall control of her condition, but due to lengthy waiting lists she’s no idea when she will receive a device.
Katie is just one of thousands of Type 1 diabetics who are currently waiting to access the vital equipment, known medically as hybrid closed loop technology.
She’s now calling for an end to the current ‘postcode lottery’ among health boards which is dictating who is given the support and when and where it can be approved.
Katie exclusively told the Glasgow Times: “Type 1 diabetes takes over every single part of your life - and it’s not easy to live with.
“Sometimes it can feel exhausting and all consuming, especially if my levels run too high or too low, which can lead to hypoglycaemia, taking you to the brink of collapse or unconsciousness.
“I’ve been told that my levels shoot up during the night because of a hormonal spike. It basically means that instead of sitting between six and seven, my blood glucose can rocket up into the high 20s, which can lead to longer term complications such as issues with my sight or kidney damage.
“I work hard to have good control during the day, but when I’m asleep and need to rely on my body to regulate itself, there’s nothing I can do. The frustrating part is the technology now exists to help me achieve the results I need, but I have no idea when I’ll get it because of the demand and limits on NHS funding.
“This technology can change my life but like many others I’m being left to fight for it with no idea when I might be accepted.”
Katie, from Cathcart in Glasgow’s Southside, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 10 and admits adjusting to injecting herself daily and regularly monitoring her blood sugar levels took a while to get used to.
She’s been given access to a sensor which attaches to her arm and monitors her glucose before sending the data directly to her mobile phone. But Katie says she needs to be on an insulin pump, which delivers insulin through a tube into her stomach, in line with the type of food she is eating, before she can fulfil her dream of having children.
She added: “Right now I’m putting my life on hold until I’m on the hybrid closed loop system. I’d like to start a family before I’m 30 but right now I can’t think that far into the future.”
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Katie is backing a campaign by Diabetes Scotland for fair and equal access to the life-changing technology.
The ‘Diabetes Tech Can’t Wait’ drive is calling for more funding to be made available to all health boards to ensure everyone is given access to the insulin pumps and sensors.
Katie, who works as a payroll administrator, adds: “It shouldn’t come down to where you live or how much funding a particular health board has been given. It’s about giving people access to technology that will give them a better quality of life – and protect their health.
“Type 1 diabetes is a full-time job, you don’t get a break from it. It’s constant, all-consuming and impacts every single part of your life. It’s not something you can reverse, it requires careful management day in, day out.”
Following guidance from the Scottish Health Technologies Group, the Scottish Government allocated £14.6 million for health boards to increase access to hybrid closed loop (HCL) tech across Scotland.
Diabetes Scotland’s National Director John Kinnear is calling for more to be done.
He believes that health boards can save money in the long-term by providing people with the kit to look after and manage their condition.
He added: “Access to diabetes tech should not be based on a postcode, it shouldn’t come down to where you live and how much funding a particular health board has.
“But right now there are significant regional and socioeconomic disparities in access to diabetes technology. We believe this is unfair and needs to change. We are hearing from countless people who find themselves in this position.
“That’s why we are calling on decision makers to go further and faster. We want to see 100 per cent of children and 70 per cent of adults living with Type 1 diabetes to be provided with hybrid closed loop tech by 2030.”
A spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “Our specialist diabetes teams are keen to help as many people as possible have access to new technologies such as insulin pumps, which can help manage the burden of type 1 diabetes, when combined with closed loop systems.
“We welcome the Scottish Government’s latest financial commitment to funding in this area. This will continue to support our specialist teams to deliver the latest technology to our patients."
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