Megan Ormond who has had diabetes since she was a teenager has taken part in a medical study of a new “closed loop” diabetic pump technology since last year having been told that taking part would mean she could get this system more quickly.
Now Megan has been told that because of budget cuts she will no longer be able to access the pump after the study ends. The system which checks HBA1C – a measure of glucose levels – has identified that Megan’s results are the lowest they have been since she was diagnosed. The system has been made available in England since 1 April 2024 by NHS Lothian is unable to roll out the system as they had hoped.
Ms Boyack said:“Megan’s case shows the absolutely shocking state the SNP Government has allowed NHS Lothian to fall into.
“Life changing technology and treatment are being denied to patients due to a lack of funding.
“That is unacceptable anywhere in Scotland, never mind our nation’s capital.
“The Scottish Government must act to ensure Megan and other diabetics are able to access this ground-breaking treatment as they were promised.
“There is real opportunity to improve the quality of life for diabetes patients in Edinburgh, but that opportunity isn’t just being denied to my constituents its being snatched away.”
Megan said: “When I got told that there is potential no funding for me to remain on the system, I felt let down and upset.
“It’s like dangling a sweet in front of a child and then taking it away.
“I was informed a few months back that it was highly likely that I would remain on the system but that’s clearly not the case.
“Part of my job of being a nurse is advocating for the most vulnerable in society but who is advocating for us type 1 diabetics?”
Michelle Carr, Chief Officer, Acute Services, NHS Lothian said: “All Health Boards, including NHS Lothian, are under significantly increased financial pressure. This means that difficult decisions are being considered and must be made.
“We are currently reviewing the provision of our Diabetes Technology, specifically the hybrid closed loop system which combines an insulin pump with a linked continuous glucose monitor, as funding for starting new patients on this system in 2024 is very limited.
“We will communicate to all patients currently on a waiting list for Diabetes Technology as soon as this review is complete.
“Where patients are on a clinical study, such as ones for this type of equipment, they will be informed about what happens when the study ends. In this instance, information was provided to all patients as part of the clinical study documentation. This clearly stated that when the study came to an end, the patients would stop using the combined system (insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor) and would return to what they had previously been using.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
