More people to get 'life-changing' diabetes pumps

More people living with type 1 diabetes will be able to access "life-changing" insulin pumps following an agreement between Jersey's government and a charity.

The island's Health Department had agreed to fund 18 closed loop insulin pumps, which deliver the medicine automatically in response to changes in blood glucose levels to provide better control during the day.

But Diabetes Jersey has agreed to provide a further £112,000 funding for the pumps, which have an annual cost of about £7,000 per person, to take the number of pumps to 32.

Melissa McMahon, who has been using one of these pumps since September, said it was "absolutely incredible" more people would be able to access them.

Type 1 diabetes affects about 400,000 people in the UK and 400 in Jersey.

McMahon, who is the current Jersey and Channel Island ladies golf champion, is one of nearly 100 people in Jersey already using a pump, which users wear on their abdomen.

McMahon said she used to have to check her sugar levels using a finger-prick blood test every four holes during competitions.

She said: "From there then you had to think about 'oh do I need to eat something, or do I need to inject' which obviously comes with its own challenge, trying to concentrate for a four-hour round while thinking about diabetes as well as what shot you're going to hit next isn't easy."

She said, to start off with, she was nervous relying on a piece of technology to look after her health.

"But for anyone that's given the opportunity, it really does change your life," McMahon said.

"You don't have to plan where you're going to eat, thinking how many carbs you're going to eat.

"You don't have to plan on where you're going and how you're going to deal with that and what happens if you get low. It takes all the stress away for you."

Under the agreement, Diabetes Jersey will fund seven devices for two years.

Health and Care Jersey will then assume full responsibility for the pumps' continued provision.

Diabetes Jersey chairman Bill O'Brien said it was "really important for the individuals concerned" to have access to these pumps which are issued on a clinical requirement basis.

"On behalf of the charity, I'm so pleased that not only are they allocating a number of pumps already, but an additional 14 will be issued this year," O'Brien said

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