NHS rolls out new generation ‘artificial pancreas’ to help pregnant diabetic women

Thousands of pregnant women in England with type 1 diabetes will receive a pregnancy-specific artificial pancreas to help manage blood glucose and protect maternal and baby health.

The hybrid closed loop system combines an insulin pump, glucose sensor and mobile phone algorithm.

It calculates and delivers insulin around the clock, and uniquely allows women to set lower glucose targets required for safer pregnancy outcomes.

Kate Brintworth, chief midwifery officer for England, said: “This life-changing technology is great news for women with type 1 diabetes because their chronic condition can make it difficult for them to effectively regulate their blood glucose levels to have a safe pregnancy.

“Effective management of blood glucose levels before and during pregnancy for women living with type 1 diabetes has been shown to reduce the risk of poor maternity outcomes, such as miscarriage, stillbirth and birth injuries, and minimise risk to a baby’s development.

“The NHS is offering this cutting-edge ‘artificial pancreas’ because we want to transform the experiences of women with type 1 diabetes – helping to make this special time in their life safer, less stressful, and more enjoyable.”

Around 2,000 women with type 1 diabetes become pregnant each year in England.

Pregnancy hormones can make glucose control more difficult, raising risks of miscarriage, stillbirth, birth injuries and babies needing intensive care if unmanaged.

More than 600 pregnant women have already received the device through NHS diabetes specialist midwives and diabetologists in the first phase of rollout.

The system reduces the need for finger prick tests and insulin injections.

It also allows NHS teams to monitor women remotely, cutting hospital visits. By learning glucose patterns, it adjusts insulin automatically when levels rise or fall.

Poor glucose control can lead to larger babies – on average around 50 per cent bigger than typical for their gestational age – which increases later risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The rollout is part of NHS England’s Saving Babies’ Lives care bundle version 3, aimed at cutting stillbirths, preterm births and brain injuries.

Health chiefs have allocated £3.7m for local systems to support the rollout, within a wider £60m fund to expand access to other type 1 diabetes groups this year.

Partha Kar, type 1 diabetes technology lead at NHS England, said: “The rollout of this technology is another example of the NHS taking action to ensure that patients can benefit from the latest technological innovations to improve their medical care.

“The universal uptake of continuous glucose monitors by women living with type 1 diabetes was driven by NHS action on this issue in 2019 – a global first – and has led to improvements in outcomes for them.

“It has also paved the way for yet another ‘first’ for the NHS by enabling us to roll out this specialist hybrid closed loop system.

“This ingenious – yet simple – technology is helping pregnant women living with type 1 diabetes – and those planning a pregnancy – live better lives, improving maternal outcomes, reducing serious health complications, and making care simpler.”