Region Nordjylland will increase annual funding for insulin pumps after figures showed adults with type 1 diabetes had significantly poorer access than patients elsewhere in Denmark.
Where you live in Denmark can still influence the diabetes care you receive, and North Jutland is now promising to narrow that gap. Region Nordjylland says it will spend an extra 10 million kroner a year on insulin pumps after acknowledging that adults with type 1 diabetes in the region have had poorer access to the technology than patients elsewhere in the country.
The issue matters because modern insulin pumps, particularly automated insulin delivery systems, can do far more than simplify treatment. According to Sundhed.dk and the Danish Diabetes Association, these devices deliver insulin continuously and can work with glucose sensors to adjust treatment more automatically than repeated injections. For many patients, that means fewer daily decisions, better sleep, less stress and, in some cases, a lower risk of complications over time.
Region Nordjylland’s own figures, obtained by Nordjyske through freedom of information requests from the five Danish regions, show how uneven access has been. All children and young people in the region who are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are offered a pump, but adult access has lagged behind. Of the region’s 3,150 adult patients with type 1 diabetes, 824 currently have an insulin pump, while about 80 new patients are expected to be offered one in 2026. The region’s goal is to raise uptake to 40%, which would mean 1,260 patients, leaving a shortfall of 436 at present.
Mads Duedahl, the chair of the regional council, told Nordjyske the gap was no longer acceptable, particularly given the vulnerability of many patients living with diabetes. He said the new funding should help the region catch up with the national average and, within a year or two, bring adult pump access up to the same level as the rest of Denmark. The region has not yet put an exact figure on how many additional pumps the new money will buy, but it expects the number of newly treated patients to roughly double in 2027 compared with 2026.
The debate has also exposed differences in how the regions decide who qualifies for pump treatment. Nordjyske reported that Region Zealand and the Capital Region follow the Danish Endocrine Society’s guidance, while other regions use their own criteria. In North Jutland, decisions are made on a clinical basis, taking factors such as blood sugar levels and age into account, and the criteria can be adjusted depending on available resources. Tanja Thybo of the Danish Diabetes Association said that variation of this kind creates a “postnummerlotteri”, or postcode lottery, in which treatment depends too heavily on where a patient lives. She argues that wider access to automated pump therapy is not only better for quality of life but also makes economic sense in the long run.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
