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Heartbeat: £50K grant to support young diabetes patients with new tech

December 21, 2022

A grant worth £50,000 is set to help reduce health inequalities and access to diabetes technology for our young patients.  

The funds have been awarded by NHS England to our paediatric diabetes service led by Dr Chizo Agwu, Deputy Medical Director.  

Diabetes patients often have to check their blood glucose levels at least four to five times a day and insulin has to be administered four times a day.  

New technology means that it is now possible to monitor glucose via special sensors that report levels to a portal which is accessed by the clinical team. And insulin therapy means the medication can be delivered via a small, computerised device that delivers insulin in two ways:  

  • In a steady measured and continuous dose or 
  • As a surge dose, at the patient’s direction, around mealtime. 

 We caught up with Chizo who told us more: “There is evidence that new diabetes technologies including insulin pump therapy and continuous glucose sensors help improve diabetes control and reduce risk of long-term complications.    

 “Some families are unable to access these technologies because training sessions are delivered in group settings and usually in English. Some don’t have access to smart phones or laptops that will enable diabetes teams to offer remote monitoring of their condition.  

 “This money has been awarded as part of a pilot and will enable us to develop and provide more bespoke individual training sessions and support to families.” 

 To get the best out of the technology, a smartphone is ideally required and this is where the funding will come in useful as it will enable the paediatric diabetes service to provide laptops and smartphones to patients who need them.   

 “The money will also help us to provide extra nurses to support families via increased training sessions to explain the benefits of diabetes technology,” added Chizo.  

 “We will also be able to provide 1 to 1 support as well as interpretation where required. Psychology support will be made available too and we will be able to develop training resources in different languages.”  

 Chizo says the aim is to increase the number of children and young people using the new therapies by at least 30 per cent.  

 “We have just over 300 patients in Sandwell and West Birmingham and a third of those would benefit hugely from using insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring sensors,” Chizo said.