Why SNP's shameful decision on diabetes treatment is a false economy – Christine Jardine
The SNP don’t seem to understand that investing in prevention takes pressure off the NHS
It was a clip on the morning news which just seemed to sum up the issues we have in Scotland just now with our Holyrood government’s lack of ambition in health. An expert was explaining how not making so-called ‘fat jags’ available on the NHS was actually going to cost the service more in the long term, not to mention the health implications.
And that is not the only or, for me, the most heinous example of this destructive attitude. The Scottish Government’s decision to withdraw funding for tiny mechanical pumps for those with type 1 diabetes feels like a failure in their duty of care to 36,000 Scots with the condition.
In 2024, the Scottish Government committed funding for the tech which, if you or someone close to you has type 1, you will know is life-changing.
READ MORE: Why SNP must urgently rethink 'devastating' funding cuts to life-changing diabetes treatment
An artificial pancrease
Until recently, patients have had a constant daily routine of regular pin-prick blood testing and insulin injections. Even new monitors which take blood-sugar levels and feed them to an app on your phone only tell you those levels. They don’t address the actual problem. By acting like an artificial pancreas, the mechanical pump does. It learns about your body and makes predictions and decisions, keeping the right amount of insulin in your system.
Of course the ‘human’ still has to decide on meals or snacks, and tell the pump how much insulin that needs. But it gives you more if you need it or cuts off supply if you don’t.
I have close friend who was lucky to receive one before the Scottish Government pulled the plug. It has made an enormous difference. She recently said that she wondered if the health dangers she has been constantly aware of would ever have been a concern if she had always had a pump. There is no silver bullet, but it could reduce the likelihood of heart problems, as well as sight, liver and kidney problems.
And that is the key. Investing in prevention helps individuals avoid health issues and takes pressure off the NHS. Sadly, the withdrawal of funding is indicative of an attitude which puts this country behind our EU neighbours in accessibility to new drugs and treatments.
A lifetime of constant worry
Recent figures placed Scotland 11th out of 36 countries. For new cancer drugs, we were 19th. And before the SNP employ their ‘best in the UK mantra’, we are not.
With this latest decision on artificial pancreases, the Scottish Government is passing financial responsibility to health boards. However, there are very real concerns that the boards have neither the financial nor operational capability to meet the demand.
That will lead to longer waiting lists for the machines and have a direct impact on the physical and mental well-being of those waiting. Advances in healthcare, in many cases using technology, can reduce health inequalities and prevent deterioration for people with long-term conditions.
Type 1 diabetes is most often diagnosed in children or adolescents who then face a lifetime of monitoring insulin levels, several daily corrective injections and constant worry. We have the technology now to relieve them of that burden. To improve their health and their lives.
To choose not to is to fail both them and our National Health Service.
Christine Jardine is Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West
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