An HSJ roundtable, in association with Insulet, discussed the progress to date in rolling out HCL technology and what needs to happen next, including how to overcome barriers to uptake

For many people with type 1 diabetes, new technologies to help them manage their condition and avoid life-altering complications have transformed their lives over the last decade.

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Among the latest of these is hybrid closed-loop technology (HCL), which combines automated insulin delivery with continuous glucose monitoring, using an algorithm to deliver precise dosing. Ample evidence shows that this both lowers blood glucose levels and keeps users within a safe and acceptable blood glucose range.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended this technology for all children and young people with type 1 diabetes and around 60 per cent of the adult T1D population. NHS England has promised £440m over five years to fund implementation: allocations for the third year (from April 2026) were announced in December, and confirmation of funding for the fourth and fifth years of the plan.

This HSJ roundtable, in association with Insulet, discussed what progress the NHS has made with introducing this technology and what it needs to do to overcome implementation issues, while also addressing inequalities.

Read the detailed report here.

Panellists

  • Sarah de Biase, senior programme manager, improving population health, West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
  • Kelly Broad, deputy chief pharmacist, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System
  • Rajni Cairns, associate director, system engagement, uptake and adoption, NICE
  • Ali Chakera, consultant in diabetes and endocrinology, University Hospitals Sussex Foundation Trust
  • Kelly Harper, mum to Skye, a teenager with type 1 diabetes
  • Hjalte Hojsgaard, vice president and general manager for the UK/Benelux and DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) regions, Insulet International Ltd
  • Lesley Jordan, technology access lead, Breakthrough T1D
  • Partha Kar, type 1 diabetes and technology lead, NHSE, and consultant at Portsmouth Hospitals University Trust
  • Alistair Lumb, chair, Diabetes Technology Network-UK, and consultant, Oxford University Hospitals FT
  • Habib Naqvi, chief executive, NHS Race and Health Observatory
  • Alison Moore, HSJ (roundtable chair)

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