Skip to main content

JDRF has now rebranded to Breakthrough T1D.
Our name has changed, our mission has not.

News

NICE Approves hybrid closed loop for the majority of people living with type 1 diabetes in England and Wales

In an historic advancement in the treatment of type 1 diabetes, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) today approves hybrid closed loop for the majority of people living with type 1 diabetes in England and Wales.
Breakthrough T1D profile picture
Breakthrough T1D staff 19 December 2023

Hybrid closed loop technology

NHS England and Wales are set to roll out implementation over the next five years. The treatment will start to be prescribed early in the New Year.

What is hybrid closed loop?

Hybrid closed loop (HCL), also known as the ‘artificial pancreas’ or automated insulin delivery system, is a treatment at the frontier of health technology, which takes a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and introduces an advanced algorithm to automate the delivery of insulin through a pump.

Not only does HCL make day-to-day life easier, it also enables people with type 1 diabetes to live healthier lives without fear, by reducing the risks of complications including heart failure, loss of limbs, kidney failure and sight loss.

Breaking new ground in medical research

Hilary Nathan, Policy Director  at JDRF said: “Hybrid closed loop technology breaks new ground in medical research and health technology. It’s a beautiful set of algorithms, which will save lives and heartbreak, as well as in the long-term save the NHS the cost of cardiovascular and retinal surgery, kidney dialysis and transplantation.

“It helps lift the burden of living with type 1 diabetes, reducing the risk of potentially fatal high and low glucose levels and reduces the likelihood of long-term complications. In type 1 medical research we stand on the shoulders of the Nobel Prize winning giants, Professors Banting and Macleod for their discovery of insulin. Hybrid closed loop defines a new era for medicine”

Transforming lives

Professor Partha Kar, national specialty adviser for diabetes at NHS England, said: “This will transform the lives of the majority of people living with type 1 diabetes in England and Wales. Around 150,000 people living with type 1 diabetes in England alone will have access to HCL over the next five years.

“This tech might sound sci-fi like, but it will have a dramatic impact on the quality of people’s lives, not to mention outcomes – it is as close to the holy grail of fully automated insulin as science can provide at the moment, where people with type 1 diabetes can get on with their lives without worrying about glucose levels or medication.”

JDRF funding

The development of HCL has been driven by JDRF. Over the past 16 years, we have funded over £115 million in international research and clinical trials. JDRF’s advocacy has been instrumental in making this technology available on the NHS in Scotland, Wales and England.

Roll out

The roll out will be phased over five years, with all children and young people, women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, and those people who already have an insulin pump to be offered HCL. The technology will also be offered to adults with an average HbA1c reading of 7.5% or more. NICE guidelines recommend people should aim for an HbA1c level of 6.5% or lower. Adults who experience disabling hypoglycaemia will also be offered the technology.

More work needs to be done in gaining access in Northern Ireland to this treatment. However, today’s news will create the momentum and evidence to help secure parity across the four nations.

You can see the full guidance on the NICE website.

You may also be interested in

Read more
Nina Willer, who used hybrid closed loop technology through pregnancy, and her child.

“I felt more trust in my own body”

Nina Willer tells us about using hybrid closed loop technology during pregnancy.

Read more
A woman researcher at work in a lab

Hybrid closed loop research

Find out how we've funded hybrid closed loop research for the past 20 years.

Related news

Read more
Grid of unbranded vials of insulin with purple tops
Research
27 June 2025

Update on NovoRapid PumpCart supply for YpsoPump users

We’re aware of growing concern around insulin supply in the UK, and we want to reassure our community that this is not a general insulin shortage. There is no need to change the type of insulin you use.

Read more
Two young people sat in a park, with type 1 diabetes continuous glucose monitor visible on their arms
Breakthrough T1D
20 June 2025

Warning issued for Dexcom G6 users as Android 16 update causes compatibility issues

If you use the Dexcom G6 app on your Android smartphone, the newest Android 16 operating system may disrupt how the app functions.

Read more
Two older men at home reading type 1 diabetes information booklets.
Research
17 June 2025

Healthcare systems unprepared for rising number of older adults with T1D

We're calling for urgent reform as new report reveals older people with T1D are systematically failed by health and social care services.

Read more
MEPs and Breakthrough T1D staff posing for a photograph at the European Parliament
Breakthrough T1D
6 June 2025

Breakthrough T1D helps organise event at the European Parliament

Breakthrough T1D has helped organise an event hosted by Tomislav Sokol titled ‘Accelerating Breakthroughs to Address Unmet Needs in Type 1 Diabetes.’

Connect with us on social