How many people have insulin pumps in the uk?

[helz95]

I was just wondering if anyone knew this, or where i can find information about this from 🙂?x

 

[Twitchy]

I think there's a specific pumpers group, INPUT or something, which might have some stats??... not sure where to start on that one, but I know we have a relatively low percentage compared to other countries...

 

[Sugarbum]

I think with more and more going on pumps across the UK it would be hard to get an accurate number...

It would be interesting to know.

 

[SacredHeart]

I believe it's somewhere around 2% of Type 1's 🙂

 

[novorapidboi26]

I believe it's somewhere around 2% of Type 1's 🙂

Thats really low, wow..........that 2% must be on here as well.........🙂

 

[Northerner]

I think that might be overstating it actually! I found this in Google Answers which suggests that it is much lower, although uptake has no doubt increased in recent years as the technology has become cheaper (!) and the benefits are more clearly seen.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/448466.html

 

[Copepod]

But note that most of the Google answer refers to countries other than UK.

 

[Northerner]

But note that most of the Google answer refers to countries other than UK.

Indeed, but there are figures for the UK there as well.

 

[SacredHeart]

I'm pretty sure I saw that 2% on something official, but what it was escapes me!

 

[Twitchy]

As if by magic, right on cue, a newsletter email from JDRF lol!!

"Many European countries have 15-20 per cent of people with type 1 on pumps, and in America this figure is 35 per cent.

But a recent survey conducted by the Medical Technology Group, of which JDRF is a member, found that only 3.9 per cent of people with type 1 in the UK can get insulin pumps. Where you live also has a dramatic effect on the standard of treatment you can expect. A ?postcode lottery? means that people in Blackburn (17 per cent) are 42 times more likely to get a pump than people in Luton (0.4 per cent)."

Hope that helps! 🙂

 

[rossoneri]

Yes the figures Twitchy reports came from a press release from The Medical Technology Group about the apparent postcode lottery for providing pumps in the UK. The original document can be found here
mtg.org.uk/download/file/Insulin Pump PRESS RELEASE.pdf
Unfortunately they do not appear to have released the figures for each PCT yet.

The more interesting statistic is that the NICE target for pumps is 12% of T1s. I suspect this is even less likely to be achieved after this week's public spending cutbacks are announced.

Does it matter?
Personally I think it does and not just because of the obvious but infuriating frustration for anyone who is wanting to go onto a pump regime but is struggling to get approval.
Further to this I expect it will make clinic staff more reluctant to recommend the possibility of pump treatment to patients who are not pushing for the change but who are suitable candidates. This was how I was offered the opportunity.
There is also the fact that as pumps become more widely used it is reasonable to expect that like BG meters the cost of both pump and supplies will come down and for some significant improvements to be made to the products supplied e.g. pre-filled insulin cartridges, which no doubt would reduce the problems with air bubbles.