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Endocrinology · London

Continuous glucose monitoring, read by an endocrinologist.

Not a wellness dashboard.

A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Indicative pricing

What a private CGM programme costs in London.

Indicative ranges across UK private providers - Cleveland Clinic London Endocrinology, HCA The Wellington Diabetes, London Medical, London Diabetes Centre and Zoe Health for non-diabetic wellness.

In short

A 3 to 6-month CGM programme with an endocrinologist and dietitian: £850–£2,400.

Item Indicative range
Endocrinology consult and CGM review £280–£550
Abbott FreeStyle Libre 2 or 3 sensor (14 days) £45–£95
Dexcom G7 sensor (10 days) £75–£150
Medtronic Guardian 4 sensor (7 days, pump users) £65–£110
Eversense implantable sensor (180 days) £600–£950
Comprehensive CGM programme (3–6 months) £850–£2,400

Prices vary by device, by clinic and by how many endocrinology reviews and dietitian sessions the programme includes.

The journey

From first message to AGP review - in order.

One team from first appointment to nutrition follow-up, with the endocrinologist reading the data with you rather than emailing a chart.

  1. 03

    Before

    Baseline consult and bloods

    HbA1c, lipids, LFT, and a hormone panel if PCOS is suspected. A discussion of your goals: control, weight, energy, performance.

  2. 04

    On the day

    Sensor applied, app paired

    A 14-day Libre 3 or 10-day Dexcom G7 applied in clinic. Eversense is a small day-case implant. App paired and alarms set.

  3. 05

    On the day

    Food, sleep and exercise logging

    A structured 7 to 14-day log of meals, sleep and training so post-prandial responses can be tied to what you actually did.

  4. 06

    After

    AGP review with the endocrinologist

    Time-in-range, time-below-range, glucose variability CV%, dawn phenomenon, meal and exercise responses read together.

  5. 07

    After

    Nutrition and repeat wear

    A dietitian session translates the AGP into food choices. A repeat sensor at 3 months confirms the change was real.

When it helps

Who a private CGM is genuinely useful for.

NHS eligibility flagged where it applies - private access is fastest for T2 not on insulin, pre-diabetes, PCOS, athletes and non-diabetic wellness.

  • Type 1 diabetes

    Libre 2 or 3 and Dexcom G7 are funded on the NHS for all adults with type 1 per NICE NG17. Private access is faster for switches and set-up.

  • Type 2 diabetes on multi-dose insulin

    Libre 2 is funded on the NHS for T2 on multiple daily injections per NICE NG28. Private review helps optimise dosing and time-in-range.

  • Gestational diabetes on insulin

    CGM is offered on the NHS for insulin-treated gestational diabetes. Private wear from early pregnancy is common for tighter control.

  • Type 2 not on insulin, and pre-diabetes

    Not NHS-funded. Private CGM used to shape diet, weight loss and post-prandial spikes before insulin is ever needed.

  • PCOS and insulin resistance

    CGM alongside a hormone panel and HbA1c to see how meals, sleep and cycle phase move glucose - and to guide metformin decisions.

  • Athletes and fuelling

    Endurance and strength athletes use CGM to time carbohydrate around sessions, spot under-fuelling and read overnight recovery.

  • Wellness monitoring in non-diabetics

    Zoe, Levels and Signos-style programmes. Interesting data on post-prandial variability - long-term outcome evidence still evolving.

  • Red flag: unexplained hypoglycaemia

    Recurrent hypos, weight loss, night sweats or collapse need urgent NHS endocrine review - not a private wellness sensor.

Devices and metrics

The sensors we use - and the numbers we actually read.

Four device families and the four metrics that matter more than any single glucose reading.

  • Abbott FreeStyle Libre 2 and 3

    Small upper-arm sensor, 14-day wear. Libre 3 streams every minute to the phone with optional high and low alarms. The workhorse of UK CGM.

  • Dexcom G7

    10-day wear, 30-minute warm-up, one-tap phone or Apple Watch pairing. Strong choice for pump integration, exercise and Share follow-along for parents.

  • Medtronic Guardian 4

    7-day sensor designed to run alongside Medtronic MiniMed pumps in a hybrid closed loop. Chosen when the pump is already in the picture.

  • Eversense implantable

    A rice-grain sensor placed under the skin of the upper arm for 180 days, with a removable transmitter. Suits long-haul wearers who dislike weekly changes.

  • Time-in-range and AGP

    The ambulatory glucose profile is the report that matters: TIR 70 to 180 mg/dL, target above 70%, TBR below 4%, and glucose variability CV%.

  • Dawn phenomenon and sleep

    Overnight traces reveal the early-morning rise driven by cortisol and growth hormone - and whether late meals, alcohol or apnoea are shifting the curve.

  • Meal and exercise responses

    Tagging meals and sessions in the app lets the endocrinologist connect a specific breakfast, run or long ride to the shape of the glucose curve.

  • Combined with a dietitian

    The AGP is only half the answer. A dietitian translates the pattern into swaps, timing and portion changes that fit the way you actually eat.

Safety and interpretation

What to know before you wear one.

CGMs are safe and well-tolerated. The pitfalls are compression lows, adhesive reactions, drug interference and over-reading a single spike.

  • Skin reactions to the adhesive

    A small proportion of wearers develop contact dermatitis to the sensor adhesive. Barrier films and rotating sites usually solve it.

  • Compression lows overnight

    Lying on the sensor can cause a falsely low reading. Confirm with a finger-prick before treating a nocturnal alarm.

  • Lag versus blood glucose

    Interstitial fluid glucose lags capillary glucose by 5 to 15 minutes, more during rapid rises or falls. Trend arrows matter more than the single number.

  • Paracetamol and Dexcom

    High-dose paracetamol can falsely raise older Dexcom readings. G7 is largely unaffected but confirm with the team if in doubt.

  • Data overload in wellness use

    Watching every post-meal spike drives disordered eating in some non-diabetic wearers. A dietitian-led interpretation is the safeguard.

  • Insulin decisions without training

    Do not change insulin doses from CGM data without a diabetes team. Time-in-range is a coaching signal, not a self-titration protocol.

  • Eversense insertion and removal

    A minor day-case procedure under local anaesthetic. Bruising is common; infection is rare. The removable transmitter can be taken off for scans and swimming.

  • Red flags between reviews

    Recurrent severe hypos, ketones with high glucose, or new visual symptoms - contact the diabetes team or A&E the same day, not the next review.

Reading your AGP

Your CGM report in four parts. Read the last one first.

Whichever device you wore, the ambulatory glucose profile the endocrinologist sends you keeps to the same shape.

  1. 01 Header

    Device, wear time and data capture

    Which sensor, how many days of wear, and how much of the period was captured. Below 70% capture makes the AGP unreliable.

  2. 02 Metrics

    TIR, TBR, TAR and glucose variability

    Time-in-range 3.9 to 10 mmol/L (target above 70%), TBR below 3.9 (target under 4%), TAR above 10, and CV% (target under 36%).

  3. 03 Patterns

    Dawn, meals, exercise and sleep

    The AGP curve overlaid across days - dawn phenomenon, post-prandial peaks, exercise dips and overnight stability read together.

  4. 04 Impression

    Plan and next review

    Read this first: dose, food or lifestyle changes, whether to repeat a sensor at 3 months, and when the next endocrinology review sits.

Ready to start

Type 1, insulin-treated T2, gestational, PCOS, pre-diabetes, athletic fuelling or wellness curiosity - the reason changes the device, the length of wear, and the price. One working day for a firm quote.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Cover for CGM varies by insurer and by indication - usually funded for insulin-treated diabetes. Wellness use is self-pay.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about CGM.

NHS eligibility, choosing between Libre, Dexcom and Eversense, wellness use, and time-in-range.

  • Can I get a CGM on the NHS?

    Yes for many, no for some. NICE NG17 funds Libre 2 or 3 and Dexcom for all adults with type 1 diabetes. NG28 funds Libre 2 for type 2 diabetes on multiple daily insulin injections. Insulin-treated gestational diabetes is also covered.

  • Which sensor should I choose - Libre 3, Dexcom G7 or Eversense?

    Libre 3 is the default: 14-day wear, one-minute updates, low cost per week. Dexcom G7 has stronger pump and smartwatch integration and a Share function useful for parents of children with type 1. Eversense is a 180-day implantable for people who dislike weekly changes. Guardian 4 is chosen when a Medtronic pump is already in use.

  • How much does a private CGM programme cost?

    Sensors range from £45 to £150 per two-week Libre or ten-day Dexcom, and £600 to £950 for a 180-day Eversense. An endocrinology consult with AGP review is £280 to £550. A structured 3 to 6-month programme with sensors, reviews and a dietitian sits between £850 and £2,400.

  • I do not have diabetes - is CGM worth it for wellness?

    The data is interesting rather than settled. The Zoe PREDICT trial showed post-prandial glucose responses vary widely between people and are shaped by the microbiome, sleep and genetics. Whether tuning food choices to those responses improves long-term health outcomes in non-diabetics is still being studied. It can be genuinely useful with a dietitian - and unhelpful, or anxiety-driving, without one.

  • What is time-in-range and why does it matter?

    Time-in-range (TIR) is the percentage of the day glucose sits between 3.9 and 10 mmol/L. For most adults the target is above 70%, with time-below-range under 4%. Every 10% rise in TIR maps to a meaningful fall in HbA1c and long-term complication risk. It is the single most useful number the CGM gives you.

  • How accurate are these sensors compared with a finger-prick?

    Modern CGMs (Libre 3, Dexcom G7) have a mean absolute relative difference of around 8 to 9% against reference blood glucose - close enough for most treatment decisions, including insulin dosing. Interstitial fluid lags blood by 5 to 15 minutes, so confirm with a finger-prick if a reading does not match how you feel, especially for a suspected low.

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