The Diabetic Duo call for funding for life-changing ‘artificial pancreas’

The campaigners, Beth McDaniel and Ellen Watson have gained a worldwide following for their online efforts to tackle the stigma surrounding the condition.

The pals, from Banbridge, says the new technology is the biggest breakthrough yet in dealing with diabetes.

“People with diabetes make an extra 180 decisions a day,” says Ellen, who was diagnosed at seven.

“This would make a world of difference to thousands of people.”

The new device, a Hybrid Closed Loop system monitors glucose levels and delivers the correct dose of insulin via a pump.

It was approved for use on the NHS by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in December 2023 and health chiefs in England announced this week they would roll out the devices to under-18s and pregnant women with

Type 1 diabetes and adults who meet its criteria.

Beth, who discovered she had the condition at 20, says it offers a brighter future.

“This would change our lives. It would give so many people hope for the future.

“Diabetes is relentless, and it’s such an invisible disability. We could have a horrible night’s sleep with up and down blood sugars and you just have to get up and go into work the next day.

“No one understands how hard it is unless you live with it.

“It can cause heart disease, kidney disease, strokes.”

The pair both use Dexcom G7 Continuous Glucose Monitors, which send real-time alerts to a mobile phone. They’re also the first device of their type which can provide glucose readings direct to an Apple watch.

Ellen, 24, previously had to finger prick and check her insulin levels several times a day and both campaigners have to inject insulin daily.

“I still have to do the odd finger prick but compared to what it was like in my childhood it’s minimal now.

“I lived for years with no technology. The advances and research have allowed us to focus on our everyday lives.

“The thought of children in the future having no injections and finger pricking is amazing.”

Even though they have lived with the condition for years the pair both completed a DAFNE course recently – dose adjustment for normal eating – which underlined how every choice they make affects their diabetes.

“It was hard to get your head around the formulas and ratios and all the external factors that affect your insulin,” says Ellen.

“It felt like we were back at school,” says Beth.

“It was really delving into the carb counting and examining everything that affects us like exercise, alcohol, takeaways.”

The pair have appealed to the Department of Health in Northern Ireland to fund the life-changing new technology.

“People would need fewer hospital visits, and it would make a world of difference to our lives,” says Ellen.

According to Diabetes UK over 100,000 people in Northern Ireland have the condition, of whom 8 per cent have Type 1 diabetes, where they produce no insulin.

In a statement a spokesperson for the Department of Health says work is ongoing to consider the commissioning and implementation arrangement for the new device following the NICE guidance.

“Significant additional investment will be required to support the provision of Hybrid Closed Loop systems to people living with Type 1 diabetes who would be eligible.

“It is worth noting that NHS England has developed a phased implementation strategy over a five-year period in response to the guidance, owing to the scale and scope of this recommendation,” the statement adds.