Worcester boy with diabetes given artificial pancreas device

Sam Collins, who has type 1 diabetes, has been using a new device which automatically controls his blood sugar

A boy with type 1 diabetes has been given a device described as an "artificial pancreas", which automatically controls his blood sugar.

Sam, nine, from Worcester, has been using the device for two years, which calculates when blood sugar is low.

A matching device is set to be rolled out on the NHS, amid concerns of limited availability.

His dad, Tom Collins, said it was vital it was given to all who need it.

"If people want it, they really need to have access to it, I think to try and limit it down is a bad move," he said.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence is currently recommending that only those who are unable to control their blood sugar are offered the device.

'Life-changing'

Approximately 400,000 people are currently living with type 1 diabetes in the UK, including about 29,000 children.

Their pancreas produces no, or very little, insulin, so they have to closely monitor levels of sugar, or glucose, in the blood and top up levels of insulin every day of their lives using injections or an insulin pump.

The new technology does that automatically, virtually mimicking the function of a pancreas - although it still requires information on food intake to work accurately.

Mr Collins, who is also Labour's parliamentary candidate for Worcester, said the new system was "life-changing" for those who have Type 1 diabetes.

"The difference it has made to our lives is huge, diabetes is a continuous stream of difficult decisions that need to be made and this relieves that load," he said.

"It's making decisions all the time in the background, meaning Sam can focus on enjoying his day, having fun and learning, rather than constantly having to think about his diabetes."

The family were able to use the device after joining an online movement to help develop new technology for diabetes sufferers several years ago, with Mr Collins involved in developing the app.

He said he hoped the technology will be more widely available to people with Type 1 diabetes in the future.

"I'm really excited it could be made available to people in the future, because it's so transformative to your quality of life," he added.

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