Who is eligible for a Freestyle Libre?

Freestyle Libre 2 is available for free through the NHS for many people with diabetes. The eligibility criteria were broadened in 2022 and it will take some time for this to filter through to all geographical areas. Those that are not eligible, many choose to fund it themselves.

NHS England Eligibility Criteria

The main points of the NHS England criteria for people that qualify for a Freestyle Libre are as follows:

• People with Type 1 diabetes – all people with type 1 diabetes are now eligible for either real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) or intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring (isCGM), based on their individual preferences, needs, characteristics, and the functionality of the devices available.

• People with Type 2 diabetes and any of the following:

• recurrent hypoglycaemia: frequent events of hypoglycaemia that occur each week or month and have an impact on quality of life

• severe hypoglycaemia: episodes of hypoglycaemia that require assistance from another person to treat

• reduced hypoglycaemia awareness

• a condition or disability (including a learning disability or cognitive impairment) that means they cannot self-monitor their blood glucose by capillary blood glucose monitoring but could use an isCGM device (or have it scanned for them)

• advised to monitor blood glucose at least 8 times a day