DoH announces ‘revolutionary’ new diabetes treatment

The Department of Health (DoH) has announced that a “revolutionary” new treatment will be offered to patients with type one diabetes.

It reports that from April 1st 2008, islet transplantation will be offered to selected patients with the condition at six specialised service centres across the countries.

In the first year, the DoH will invest 2.34 million pounds in islet transplant services, with this sum increasing to a maximum of 7.32 million pounds to meet the predicted annual need for the treatment in the long term.

Through the programme, patients with type one diabetes who have had a kidney transplant or who suffer from recurrent hypoglycaemia will be injected with insulin-producing islets taken from a donated pancreas.

Health minister Ann Keen said: “In developing islet transplants for people who suffer from hypoglycaemia, the NHS is at the forefront of worldwide clinical innovation.”

She added that the initiative will guarantee that patients who have not been able to treat their hypoglycaemia with conventional medicines will now be able to benefit from an improved quality of life.

In November 2006, research from the University of Cambridge revealed that artificial pancreases for children and juveniles could provide a healthier method of controlling type one diabetes.