
Theresa May's diabetes patch not available to all patients | Daily Mail Online
May sported the diabetes patch the size of a 2 coin on TV a few weeks ago
But people like George Hakes, from Cambridge, London, denied same device
Around 350,000 people in the UK have type 1 diabetes and need tests every day
Theresa May sporting a diabetes patch the size of a 2 coin on TV a few weeks ago giving a speech to the Lord Mayor's Banquet
Catching sight of Theresa May sporting a diabetes patch the size of a 2 coin on TV a few weeks ago, George Hakes saw it as a hopeful sign hed soon be able to get one on the NHS .
The device, worn on the upper arm, continuously monitors glucose levels. Results can be read using a device which scans through clothing, reducing the need for finger-prick blood tests. For 350,000 people in the UK who have type 1 diabetes these tests must be done throughout the day, before and after eating and exercising and before driving, to monitor for dangerously low or high blood sugar levels.
George, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 11, needs to inject himself with insulin around six times a day and was measuring his blood sugar up to ten times a day with a finger-prick test. Its time-consuming and painful and doesnt give you an accurate picture of your blood sugar over time, just at that moment, says George, 27, a local government officer, who lives in Cambridge.
The device he spotted on Mrs May, the FreeStyle Libre, is the first of its kind. It monitors glucose in fluid between cells via sensor filaments the width of two hairs. A device roughly half the size of a mobile phone takes readings.
The patches last two weeks
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