From surviving to thriving
Ammaarah's journey with NICE recommended type 1 diabetes technology
Backing the healthtech that changes lives
For years, Ammaarah Ahmed was just surviving with diabetes – always checking, always worrying. Today, thanks to a hybrid closed loop device recommended by NICE, she's thriving: sleeping well, saying yes to adventures, and feeling like herself again.
Hear from Ammaarah as she explains the remarkable impact hybrid closed loop technology has had on her life.
A decade of struggles
Twelve years ago, aged 22, Ammaarah was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. "Back then, I was not scared of much," she reveals. "I was a confident person and felt like I did not need to plan anything but my diagnosis changed everything."
Following her diagnosis, Ammaarah struggled to sleep, migraines were a regular occurrence and tracking her blood sugar levels became an ongoing challenge. "I felt like I needed a PhD in maths to manage my diabetes,” she recalls. “The mental burden was crushing.”
Over the next 7 years, Ammaarah found it increasingly difficult to manage her condition. She had hypoglycaemic unawareness and could not spot the signs of her blood sugar dropping dangerously low.
The situation became critical in 2019 when Ammaarah was involved in a car accident caused by her blood sugars dropping while driving. Her mental health was affected, and she struggled to leave the house.
Later that year, Ammaarah was admitted to hospital after falling into a coma. She reached out to her care team for help to better manage her blood sugar levels
“My medical team began talking to me about alternatives to finger prick testing,” she recalls. “We discussed hybrid closed loop technology.”
Sometimes referred to as an ‘artificial pancreas’, the hybrid closed loop device is made up of a continuous glucose monitor sensor and an insulin pump attached to the body. The monitor transmits data to the pump, which calculates how much insulin needs to be delivered into the body to keep blood glucose levels within a healthy range.
But despite positive conversations with healthcare staff, Ammaarah was disappointed to discover that she did not meet local NHS eligibility criteria for the technology.
NICE guidance marks new era of diabetes care
In December 2023, NICE announced that thousands of people with type 1 diabetes could be offered a hybrid closed loop device to help them manage their condition following publication of our technology appraisal guidance.
Our guidance recommends hybrid closed loop systems for adults with type 1 diabetes who are unable to control their condition despite best possible management with an insulin pump, or real-time or intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring.
With around 290,000 people living with type 1 diabetes in England and Wales, this decision means more than half of them are now eligible for the new technology.
The NHS is rolling out the technology over a 5-year period. This accounts for trusts having to employ extra staff, alongside specialist training for both patients and healthcare professionals.
“Hybrid closed loop systems are a game changer for people with type 1 diabetes. This technology is improving the health and wellbeing of patients and saving the NHS money in the long term.”
"This tech is as close to the holy grail of a fully automated system as science can provide at the moment - where people with type 1 diabetes can get on with their lives without worrying about glucose levels or medication.”
Ammaarah gets the green light
In 2024, Ammaarah was approved for the technology. When her nurse called to tell her, she cried. "That was the turning point for me," she says.
The difference was immediate. That first night, she slept all the way through for the first time in almost 12 years. "No alarms. No checking. Just sleep."
Over the following months, the changes kept coming. More energy. Fewer headaches. The ability to think clearly again. Her 3-year-old daughter noticed too saying: "You're happy now."
Friends started telling her she was 'back'. Ammaarah had not realised she'd gone anywhere but diabetes had quietly taken over her life.
"Before, diabetes was a dark cloud hanging over everything," she says. "Now, it's just part of my life – not something that controls it."
Ammaarah is living life to the full once more.
Ammaarah is living life to the full once more.
Hybrid closed loop technology in action
Hybrid closed loop technology in action
A model for faster, fairer healthtech rollout
Our positive recommendation of hybrid closed loop devices demonstrates how NICE technology appraisal guidance can transform patient access to life-changing medical technologies.
As part of the government's 10 Year Health Plan, NICE's role in getting high-impact healthtech to patients has been strengthened. We've launched the National Healthtech Access Programme in collaboration with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Office for Life Sciences. Through this programme, we'll evaluate a select number of healthtech products, that can significantly improve patient outcomes or ease pressure on NHS services, through our technology appraisal guidance. When we recommend healthtech through this route, it can receive national NHS funding and be rolled out fairly across the country, so it's available to everyone who needs it.
When we published technology appraisal guidance on hybrid closed loop systems for type 1 diabetes, uptake for children and young people (a priority cohort) increased from 36% to 62% within a year. This successful rollout is the model we want to replicate. It will send a clear signal across the system about which technologies are worth prioritising.
Discover what support looks like
Lives like Ammaarah's are changed for the better when the right technologies reach the right people at the right time. Whether you're commissioning NHS care or developing the next breakthrough, discover how NICE can help.
For NHS decision makers: If you’re considering healthtech solutions for your trust or integrated care board, explore NICE's healthtech guidance to understand how evidence-based recommendations can support confident commissioning decisions.
For healthtech developers: If you have a promising technology that aligns with NHS needs and you are seeking to scale use across the NHS, discover how NICE's healthtech guidance can support your innovation journey.
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