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Home > News & events > News > Letter to Gillian Keegan about the use of mobile phones in schools
Dear Secretary of State,
I am writing to you following your announcement that the Government is looking to ban mobile phones in school.
Around thirty thousand children in the UK live with type 1 diabetes. Continuous glucose monitoring and insulin dosage is delivered, for the vast majority of these children, via their mobile phone.
Insulin is a hormone which the body needs in order to convert glucose from food into energy. In type 1 diabetes the body does not produce insulin, meaning people need to administer insulin frequently at all times of day and night. A range of factors will cause potentially serious blood glucose highs and lows including food intake, exercise, tiredness, adrenaline.
Mobile phones are not just a form of communication for children living with type 1. Their phones are a lifesaving treatment device, recommended by the NHS and regulators to reduce potentially fatal high and low blood glucose spikes. They need their phones in exams, in the playground, in lessons, at lunch and during PE. There are agreed rules and processes to support children in all these circumstances.
Headline policies about banning mobile phones for children do not take into account advances in medical treatments and technologies, and blanket statements that offer little to no detail on exemptions can cause great consternation for parents and children with type 1.
I trust that such exemptions will be allowed and that you will make these known in due course.
I look forward to your reply.
Yours sincerely,
Karen Addington Chief Executive, JDRF, the Type 1 Diabetes Charity
Managing type 1 after a new diagnosis can be a steep learning curve. Our guide covers managing your child’s type 1, treatment and technology for children and how to manage all stages of your child’s education.
Learn about the different types of tech for monitoring blood glucose levels and getting insulin into your child’s body. Find out how to access type 1 tech on the NHS and learn from others’ stories.
Continuous glucose monitoring can help you manage your glucose levels in real-time and relieve the burden of having to do multiple finger prick tests throughout the day. Learn more about this tech.
Our highlights from a year full of breakthroughs in type 1 diabetes research and advocacy.
The framework aims to encourage UK researchers to consider different sexes (biological attributes) and genders (roles, behaviours and identity in society) to address gaps in health data.
Our Access for All report, launched today, highlights how far we’ve come with advancements in diabetes technology, but shows that many people still face barriers when trying to access T1D technology.
New international guidance detailing how to monitor and support people with early-stage type 1 diabetes (T1D) has the potential to reduce the trauma associated with being diagnosed with T1D, enable people to access the latest treatments to delay the need for insulin therapy, and reduce long-term health complications.
Immunotherapy, beta cell replacement, smart insulins – we’re driving research in the most promising areas to find cures and better treatments for type 1 diabetes.
