A nurse from St Helens says she is not confident in the rollout of a new NHS technology designed to aid people with type 1 diabetes.
The new technology automatically regulates insulin levels in sufferers and has been dubbed an ‘artificial pancreas’.
Georgina Ravenscroft, 28, works for the NHS and has suffered from the condition since the age of 15.
She told MerseyNewsLive: “I’ve had experience of strict red tape and hoops you’ve got to jump through.
“There are certain buzzwords you need to say in order to qualify for new technology.
“I’m intrigued but not 100% confident.”
There are currently 269,095 people living in England with type 1 diabetes and tens of thousands of them qualified for the treatment in this world-first NHS rollout.
One of which was 30-year-old Gemma Linford from Kirkby, who received the technology last month.
She said: “I was really nervous to get it as I wasn’t sure what it was going to do or how much improvement it would offer.
“It’s made more of a difference than I thought it would, it’s changed the management of my diabetes.”
It was late last year that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) announced that the technology would be rolled out in 2024.
After being told by the nurse that she was would receive the insulin pump, it was only a week’s wait before it arrived at her door.
Despite initial scepticism, after over a month living with the pump’s support, Ms Linford is encouraged by her experience.
She said: “If there are any diabetics who are on the fence, like I was, then it’s definitely worth talking to your diabetes team about.
“Although it’s an extra piece of machinery, it has given me a lot more freedom.”
