Dear Kevin
Further to our phone conversations, please find below a statement from the CCG:
The CCG has considered the recommendation issued by the Regional Medicines Optimisation Committee on the 25 October 2017 to make the following commissioning decision on the use of FreeStyle Libre®.
FreeStyle Libre® will be commissioned for patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) that meet one or more of locally agreed criteria. The patient must:
- Be aged four and above;
- Be under specialist care;
- Use multiple daily injections of insulin or insulin pump therapy;
- Be considered, by a specialist, to benefit because they currently finger prick test 8 or more times per day, and the introduction of FreeStyle Libre® will significantly reduce testing frequencies.
The CCG have made the decision based on the evidence for the device being cost neutral and it will be monitoring the use of the device and associated costs in collaboration with providers, patients and their families over the next 6-12 months.
FreeStyle Libre® will be provided initially on a 6 month trial basis. The decision to continue will be made by the diabetes specialist team, only where agreed criteria are met. The criteria includes a reduction in usage of blood glucose test strips, a reduction in hypoglycaemia frequency and episodes of severe complications, as well as hospital admissions, an improvement in the control of diabetes and improved quality of life.
The decision to provide FreeStyle Libre® sensors will remain the responsibility of the diabetes specialist team in secondary care.
All patients (or carers) must be willing to undertake training in the use of FreeStyle Libre®. They are required to commit to regular scans that can demonstrate evidence of FreeStyle Libre® use in self-management, as well as on-going regular follow-up and monitoring.
The CCG is liaising with the hospital and primary care to implement the new arrangement.
The full commissioning statement can be found on the CCGs website via this link:
http://www.valeofyorkccg.nhs.uk/data/uploads/publications/commissioning-statements/ys-position-statement-freestyle-libre-fnl-4-25-01-2018.pdf
I hope this information is helpful and we apologise again for the delay.