Ethnic minorities in England less likely to have access to diabetes tech study

"Devices such as a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can help people check their blood glucose levels in order to better manage the disease. Without this technology, people with diabetes are left with much less efficient and inconvenient ways of managing their blood sugar levels, such as through finger pricking. The study, published in the journal Diabetic Medicine, found significant disparities in access to continuous glucose monitors, with people from black and south Asian backgrounds facing lower prescribing rates per 1,000 people."

"People from ethnic minority backgrounds made up 17.5% of the population served by integrated care boards (ICBs) with lower than average prescribing rate for CGMs in 2024. By contrast, ethnic minorities only made up to 5.3% of the populationin ICBs with a higher than average prescribing rate. About 5.8 million people across the UK live with diabetes, while people from black and south Asian backgrounds in particular are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes by the age of 25. Samuel Seidu, the lead author and a professor in primary care diabetes and cardio-metabolic medicine at the University of Leicester, said the study was the first national analysis in England to demonstrate, with robust prescribing data, that significant ethnic inequalities exist in access to continuous glucose monitoring across both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. He added: The disparity is not entirely surprising, although it is concerning as previous research internationally (especially in the US) has repeatedly shown lower adoption of diabetes technologies in minority ethnic groups. In the UK, minority groups already experience higher diabetes prevalence and worse cardiometabolic outcomes, suggesting structural inequities in care access."

Significant disparities in access to continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) exist across England, with lower prescribing rates for Black and South Asian populations. People from ethnic minority backgrounds comprised 17.5% of populations served by integrated care boards with lower-than-average CGM prescribing in 2024, versus 5.3% in higher-prescribing areas. Around 5.8 million people in the UK live with diabetes, and Black and South Asian individuals face higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes by age 25. Limited access to CGMs forces reliance on finger-prick testing and contributes to worse cardiometabolic outcomes linked to structural inequities and deprivation.

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