AQW 45667/22-27
Mr Harry Harvey
Democratic Unionist Party
Strangford
Tabled Date: 07/05/2026
Answered On Date: 19/06/2026
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any patient groups who will have priority access to hybrid closed loop systems as part of the five-year implementation of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence TA943 guidance.
Answer:
Work is currently ongoing to ensure equitable access to hybrid closed loop (HCL) systems, in advance of the full implementation of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisal TA943, across all Health and Social Care Trust areas. This includes adopting a regionally coordinated approach, informed by direct learning from the NHS England phased implementation model, specifically designed to avoid variation in access, based on geography or individual Trust capacity. Delivery of HCL systems will be overseen through the Regional Insulin Pump Service (RIPS), providing a consistent governance framework for eligibility assessment, device allocation, clinical oversight, training and followup. This regional model supports standardised clinical criteria, shared pathways, and equitable access irrespective of where a patient receives care, while enabling Trust Diabetes Teams to identify and refer eligible patients in a timely manner. As part of the fiveyear phased implementation of NICE TA943, priority access to hybrid closed loop systems will be given to patient groups with the highest clinical need, in line with national guidance and established clinical practice. This includes, but is not limited to: children and young people with Type 1 Diabetes individuals experiencing recurrent severe hypoglycaemia or impaired hypoglycaemia awareness patients with persistently suboptimal glycaemic control despite optimised standard therapy patients with significant glycaemic variability or high risk of acute complications individuals already using insulin pump therapy where transition to HCL is clinically appropriate Access will continue to be determined through individualised clinical assessment and shared decisionmaking. As capacity expands over the implementation period, eligibility will widen in line with NICE recommendations, ensuring that access to HCL systems is delivered safely, equitably and on the basis of clinical priority, supported by regional oversight through the Regional Insulin Pump Service.
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