Insulin: Safety
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential cost implications for the NHS of insulin-related harm arising from inadequate discharge planning and community support.
Answered by Mrs Sharon Hodgson
The Government is committed to ensuring that people with Type 1 Diabetes and Disordered Eating (T1DE) receive support and care which meets their needs. NHS England will continue to work closely with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to understand emerging areas for consideration in national guidance and has committed to share the current T1DE pilot site evaluation outcomes, when available, with NICE to ensure findings are considered in the development of future guidance.
To reduce insulin related harm, the National Health Service’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme published guidance in April 2025 to support trusts to establish Diabetes Safety Boards, with more information available at the following link:
https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/supporting-hospital-teams-with-safe-inpatient-diabetes-care/
GIRFT is also undertaking a pilot across 20 integrated care systems as part of a Community and District Nurse Insulin Programme which works to empower community diabetes nurses and district nursing teams to support patients at home requiring insulin administration.
To further support services to provide high quality personalised care for all patients needing secondary mental health services, including those with diabetes, NHS England has shared new draft guidance with systems, the Mental Health Personalised Care Framework. The framework sets out how services must effectively assess, plan and manage people's care in collaboration with all relevant teams, including how they assess safety and risks of harm.
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