Can you check your blood sugar without pricking your finger in the UK?

Reviewed by the JForH team · 2026-10-30

Yes. A sensor worn on the back of your arm, such as the FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus or Dexcom ONE+, replaces most finger pricks. On the NHS, adults with type 2 diabetes usually get one only if they inject insulin several times a day and meet extra criteria, so most people with type 2 pay themselves. As of 30 October 2026, a Dexcom ONE+ sensor costs £35 ex VAT for 10 days on Dexcom's UK shop.

Can I check my blood sugar without pricking my finger?

Mostly, yes. A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is a small sensor you stick on the back of your upper arm. A thin, flexible filament sits just under the skin and reads your sugar day and night. Your phone, or a reader, shows the number in mmol/L.

Two main types are sold in the UK:

• FreeStyle Libre sensors from Abbott. The Libre 2 Plus is the one most people get on the NHS.
• Dexcom sensors. The Dexcom ONE+ is the one Dexcom sells to the public in the UK.

There are also wellness sensors such as Abbott's Lingo. They aren't made for managing diabetes, which matters if you have it (more on that below).

Can I get a Libre on the NHS for type 2?

Only if you inject insulin several times a day and one more thing applies. NICE's type 2 guideline, NG28, says to offer a flash monitor (such as a Libre) to adults with type 2 diabetes on multiple daily insulin injections if any of these is true:

• you have repeated or severe hypos,
• you can't always tell when you're having a hypo,
• a condition or disability means you can't do finger pricks, or
• you would otherwise need to test 8 or more times a day.

It should also be offered if you use insulin and would otherwise need a carer or health professional to test for you. A real-time CGM, such as a Dexcom, can be used instead if it costs the same or less.

If you have type 2 and don't use insulin, the NHS doesn't fund a sensor for you. Diabetes UK says self-funding is the main option. That covers most people with type 2, including those on metformin, gliclazide or a GLP-1 injection without insulin.

Rules are applied by your local NHS area, so ask your GP or diabetes nurse what yours does.

Is the FreeStyle Libre 2 still available?

No. Abbott UK says the Libre 2 sensor was discontinued at the end of August 2025 and replaced by the Libre 2 Plus. If your prescription or a website still says Libre 2, the Libre 2 Plus is what you'll get now.

Abbott offers new self-funders a free 15-day trial of a Libre 2 Plus sensor, subject to its conditions.

How much does a Libre or Dexcom cost in the UK?

About £35 to £90 per sensor if you pay yourself. Here's what we found on 30 October 2026:

We couldn't load Abbott's own UK self-pay prices, so the Libre rows are pharmacy listings. Prices change, so check before you buy.

To compare by the month: Dexcom's monthly plan is £79 ex VAT. A Libre 2 Plus at £50.99 lasts 15 days, so two a month comes to about £102.

Do I pay VAT on a glucose sensor?

Often not, if you have diabetes. Dexcom's UK shop shows prices without VAT and says that if you have diabetes you can claim VAT relief. Ask the seller how to claim it.

Can I buy a Lingo or Stelo in the UK?

Lingo, yes. Abbott's Lingo UK site offers a 2-week plan with 1 biosensor for £59. But Lingo says it is 'not intended for diagnosis or management of any disease including diabetes'. It's for adults 18 and over who want to see how food and exercise affect their glucose.

So if you have diabetes, especially if you take insulin or gliclazide, Lingo isn't the right tool. It has no low-sugar alarms and isn't meant to guide treatment.

Stelo is Dexcom's sensor for people with type 2 who don't use insulin. In the US it's sold without a prescription. Dexcom has said it plans to launch Stelo in the UK later in 2026. We couldn't confirm it was on sale here as of 30 October 2026.

Do I still need finger pricks with a sensor?

Sometimes. NICE says people using a sensor on the NHS should still have finger-prick strips. You'll want one if your symptoms don't match the sensor reading or if the sensor fails.

Sensors read the fluid under your skin, not blood. So the number can differ from a finger prick when your sugar is changing fast, such as after a meal or during a hypo.

Are diabetes prescriptions free?

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, all prescriptions are free. In England, a prescription costs £9.90 per item in 2026/27.

But in England, if you take medicine for diabetes, you can get a medical exemption certificate and pay nothing. The NHS Business Services Authority says it covers diabetes 'except where treatment is by diet alone'. You apply through your GP surgery.

• On metformin, gliclazide, insulin or any other diabetes medicine: you qualify.
• Managing with diet alone: you don't qualify for the exemption.
• If you're on the NHS sensor scheme, the sensors come on prescription, so the exemption covers them too.

Is it worth paying for a sensor if I'm not on insulin?

It can be, for a while. Many people with type 2 wear one or two sensors to see what their usual meals do. You might learn that porridge is fine but toast and jam sends you high, or that a walk after Sunday lunch flattens the rise.

It isn't something NICE recommends for everyone with type 2 who isn't on insulin, and you don't have to wear one all the time. A month or two of data, then using what you've learned, is how many people use them.

Things to weigh up:

• Cost: roughly £80 to £100 a month for continuous use, at the prices above.
• Skin: some people get redness or itching from the adhesive.
• Worry: watching every number can make some people anxious. Others find it reassuring.

How do I ask my GP about a sensor?

Book a review with your GP or diabetes nurse and go in with specifics. Say how many times a day you inject insulin, how many hypos you've had and whether you always feel them coming. Those are the NICE criteria they will check.

If you don't qualify, ask whether they'd look at your data if you pay for a sensor yourself and share a report from its app.

Find out if a sensor makes sense for you (free check)

Last updated: 2026-10-30. Educational information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before changing your treatment.