Insulin pumps don’t often stop working, but this can happen for technical reasons or due to damage to the pump. If your pump does fail, telephone the helpline for your pump company immediately. If they are unable to solve the problem, they will organise for a replacement pump to be sent out. This may take 24 hours or longer to arrive.
Pump company helpline numbers
Insulet (Omnipod): 0800 011 6132
Air Liquide (Tandem): 0800 0121 560
Medtronic: 01923 205167
Ypsomed: 0344 856 7820
If your pump is not delivering insulin you will need to give insulin by pen injections until your replacement pump arrives. You should still be able to use your continuous glucose monitor, using the app on your phone to review the glucose data.
Remember there is no long-acting insulin in an insulin pump. If the pump is not delivering insulin, you are at risk of developing Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) which can happen within 4-6 hours after the insulin has stopped.
Check your blood glucose level and blood ketones.
If you have a glucose level of 14mmol/L or more, check for blood ketones. If you have ketones of 0.6mmol/L or higher follow the sick day rules for multiple daily injections and give long and fast acting insulin (by pen injection) immediately.
Emergency supplies to keep at home
You should always have emergency back-up supplies at home that needs to include:
- A supply of long-acting insulin and a compatible pen device.
- A supply of fast acting insulin and a compatible pen device.
- Pen needles.
- A blood ketone meter.
- Ketone testing strips (that are in date).
- A record of your pump settings - upload your pump every 2 weeks to have the most up to date information. For Tandem TSlim, Mylife Ypsopump and Omnipod 5 log into your Glooko account and go the devices section to find your settings. For Medtronic 780G log into your Carelink account, go to reports and select Device Settings.
If your insulin pump is faulty and cannot be used, you will need to revert to pen injections.
Insulin for carbs and corrections:
If your replacement pump will arrive within 6 hours, you can give pen injections of fast acting insulin with any food eaten/to correct high glucose levels.
- Work out your food doses and correction doses using your usual insulin to carbohydrate ratios and your correction/ insulin sensitivity factor (ISF) and give these doses with a pen.
Long-acting insulin:
If your replacement pump will not arrive within 6 hours, you will need to give both pen injections of both short acting insulin with food/ to correct high glucose levels and injections of long-acting insulin (to replace the basal insulin normally delivered by your pump).
- Check your last pump download for your total daily insulin dose and your total basal insulin. It is best to look at 2 weeks of information so that you can get an average total insulin dose over a 14-day period
- If your long-acting insulin is Levemir or Lantus, divide the total daily basal insulin by 2 (in half) and give this as 2 injections, one in the morning and one in the evening.
- If your long-acting insulin is Tresiba or Toujeo, give this as dose as one injection.
If you are unsure how to give an insulin injection with a pen, you can watch this video: How to do an Insulin Injection
You can set up the Mylife app on a mobile phone to help with insulin dose calculations. Please visit our page 'Mylife™ Bolus advice app' for more information.
If you have any of the signs/symptoms of DKA (see list below) – go to your local Accident and Emergency Department.
- Blood ketones of >3mmol/L
- Loss of appetite
- Stomach ache
- Difficulty breathing
- Weakness and sleepiness
- Smell of ketones on breath
If you need help working out insulin doses, contact the diabetes team using the emergency phone number 07940 476 811.
Most pumps have a 4-year warranty from the date they were given to you. However, the warranty may not apply if:
- Damage is from changes or modifications made to the system by the user or third persons after the date of manufacture.
- Damage is from service or repairs performed by any person or entity other than the appropriate pump company.
- The pump is lost or stolen.
If you need help setting up your replacement pump you can contact the company for help or call the diabetes team. You will need to reprogramme all your pump settings.
Once you have set up the pump/system if you use Medtronic 780G you will need to use the pump in manual mode for 48hours before switching to auto mode. For all other systems you can go straight back into auto mode.
If you use the Medtronic 780G you will need to use the pump in manual mode for 48 hours before switching to auto mode.
Click on the bullet points below to open the guides.
Medtronic 780G
Tandem TSlim
Omnipod 5
MyLife CamAPS
- Use the Ypospump Explorer app for access to videos and instructions for setting up the pump.
Page last updated: 08 January 2025
Review due: 01 January 2027