Lothians MSP Foysol Choudhury, led the Scottish Parliament’s first Member’s Business of 2025 on one of Scotland’s most pressing healthcare technology issues — access to medical technology for diabetic patients.
Access to diabetes technology is crucial for people with Type 1 diabetes (T1D), an incurable autoimmune condition that requires lifelong insulin therapy and constant management, including making up to 180 more daily decisions about their health to balance blood glucose levels.
Access to diabetes technologies is essential to reducing the physical and mental burden of type 1 diabetes and preventing serious complications like seizures, heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and death.
The physical and mental toll of T1D is immense, often causing symptoms like lethargy, nausea, and anxiety, as well as diabetes distress, but tailored treatments and access to current technologies are critical to easing this burden and improving quality of life.
This push for access to technology comes not only from campaign groups and politicians but also from those suffering long wait times to access HCL systems, with Scottish Labour figures showing about 3,000 patients waiting across Scottish health boards.
Nearly 1,000 are waiting in Lothian alone, with some in Scotland waiting over five years for an insulin pump.
During the debate, Mr Choudhury said: “Type 1 diabetes does not change once you cross the border, why should type 1s in Scotland miss out and receive worse care based on where they live?
“Diabetes technology is genuinely preventative care which will save the NHS money in the long term.”
He concluded: “I want to finish by asking members to place themselves in the shoes of a type 1. Knowing the technology to change your life is available, but there is no political will to ensure you get it soon.
“Imagine the frustration you would feel day by day. We cannot just tell people to wait.
“I want to thank the campaigners and type 1s who have been advocating and contributing to this discussion and thank them for their hard work.”
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