NHS to offer 150,000 people with type 1 diabetes an artificial pancreas

Move to make more than half of those living with condition in England and Wales eligible for device hailed as gamechanger

More than 150,000 adults and children with type 1 diabetes in England and Wales are to be offered an artificial pancreas on the NHS, which experts are hailing as a gamechanger" that will save lives and heartbreak".

The groundbreaking device, also called a hybrid closed-loop system, uses a hi-tech algorithm to determine the amount of insulin that should be administered and reads blood sugar levels to keep them steady. A world-first trial on the NHS showed it was more effective at managing diabetes than current devices and required far less input from patients.