Ethnic Minorities in England Face Lower Access to Diabetes Technology, Study Finds
A new national analysis from England reveals significant ethnic inequalities in access to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology among people with diabetes. The study found that Black and South Asian ethnic minority groups have lower CGM prescribing rates compared to the general population.
In 2024, 17.5% of the population served by integrated care boards (ICBs) lived in areas where CGM prescribing was below average. Furthermore, ethnic minorities made up only up to 5.3% of the population in ICBs with higher-than-average CGM prescribing.
With approximately 5.8 million people living with diabetes in the UK, Black and South Asian groups face a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes by age 25. Lead author Samuel Seidu highlighted that this is the first England-wide analysis using robust prescribing data to demonstrate ethnic disparities in CGM access for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
The study also found that ethnicity and deprivation together explain up to 77% of the variability in CGM prescribing for type 2 diabetes, indicating structural inequities in healthcare access. Despite NICE guidelines recommending that all adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes should have access to diabetes technology, the implementation of these recommendations remains inconsistent across England.
Anthony Walker, Diabetes UK policy lead, described the findings as evidence of real inequities. He urged for increased awareness, targeted interventions, and consistent adoption of NICE guidance to address these disparities.
Previous reporting by The Guardian has noted that affordability issues, such as the cost of smartphones, can limit access to NHS-provided diabetes technology for families facing deprivation. NHS England was approached for comment on the study's findings.
