MORE than 6,000 people living with Type 1 diabetes in the South East will be given life-saving diabetes monitors.

Instead of using a painful finger-prick to measure blood sugar levels, residents will be able to use a a device the size of a £2 coin which can be worn on the arm.

The new device, rolled out through the NHS Long Term Plan, aims to make it easier and more convenient for people to monitor their blood sugar levels.

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People with Type 1 diabetes who have low blood sugar levels are at risk of hypoglycaemia, which can involve seizures and a loss of consciousness.

More than half of the people eligible nationally have received a device within the first three months of its being rolled out.

New data revealed on October 23 shows the early success of the scheme across the South East, with 6,231 patients now in receipt of monitors within the first three months.

Prof Partha Kar, NHS consultant in diabetes and endocrinology in the South East, said: “Providing flash monitors on the NHS is a huge leap forward and it is fantastic to see the roll out make an instant impact, this is another example of how the NHS is making sure patients can benefit from the latest technologies.

"I’m thrilled with how many people are already benefitting from the device and doing away with inconvenient finger-prick checks, less than a year into delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan, tens of thousands of people are experiencing first-hand the difference that cutting edge treatments on the NHS are making for people living with Type 1 diabetes across the country."

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The NHS Long Term Plan commits to rolling out the glucose monitors from April 2020 for every pregnant woman with Type 1 diabetes.