NHS Insulin Passport

[Mickeyminime]

Hiya guys, any idea as to where i can get a NHS insulin passport.

I did have one, but it's disappeared and have been looking for it for about a week now. I wouldn't call it important at the moment, but if my little wrist band broke off and something happened, specially to those who find me out cold and don't know what to do, the passport would come in handy.

Any info would be great. Thank you 🙂

Mikey x

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hello @Mickeyminime

Welcome to the forum!

I’ve only ever heard about them as a theoretical possibility - no HCP has ever actually mentioned them to me 😛.

My guess would be your GP surgery or hospital clinic if you attend there?

 

[rebrascora]

I don't even have a bracelet... is that something I should look into? I always carry my insulin and hypo treatment with me in a bum bag though, so anyone finding me should get the picture pretty quick.
Is the passport just your glucose readings and insulin dose log or something else? I never use that as I record all my stats and food etc on my phone app.

 

[ukjohn]

I had one of these passports given me by the nurse about 5 years ago, it contained what insulins and all medications that I was on and my diabetes type, it was so important because the Pharmacist was suppose to ask for it to check if you were getting the correct medication as listed, as I said so important that I have never in the 5 years been asked for it.


John.

 

[trophywench]

I've never been offered one and never yet in the last nearly 47 years, had the wrong insulin prescribed. It could be useful I suppose should I ever get knocked down by a bus when I'm alone - but there again since I rarely go out and about solo and have a pump attached to me that ONLY takes Novorapid Pumpcarts - one would hope that might not be misunderstood by whoever scrapes me up into an ambulance, wouldn't one? LOL

 

[Mickeyminime]

I don't even have a bracelet... is that something I should look into? I always carry my insulin and hypo treatment with me in a bum bag though, so anyone finding me should get the picture pretty quick.
Is the passport just your glucose readings and insulin dose log or something else? I never use that as I record all my stats and food etc on my phone app.

I'd highly recommend getting a bracelet, chain or wrist band with your type on it. My mum recommended it to me right away. Also my doctor mentioned that one of his patients acted very aggressive and was arrested. The police thought he was drunk or on drugs, but when they dealt with him over a few hours, they realised he was diabetic and that it wasn't alcohol or drugs, but his levels being high or low. I got told they kept him in until he was ok and released him without charge because it wasn't his fault. The chain etc would help you if you where found out cold on the streets as it would tell us if you where diabetic or not. The passport would also tell us what to do if you couldn't respond normally. You might speak but we might not understand you, the passport would tell us to check you and if your levels are high, to give you the meds and where to stick it. If your levels where low and something with sugar was avaliable, we'd give it to you, if not, call 999. After all, lets say you got robbed or you lost your diabetic equipment, a chain and passport would still come in handy.

I've never been offered one and never yet in the last nearly 47 years, had the wrong insulin prescribed. It could be useful I suppose should I ever get knocked down by a bus when I'm alone - but there again since I rarely go out and about solo and have a pump attached to me that ONLY takes Novorapid Pumpcarts - one would hope that might not be misunderstood by whoever scrapes me up into an ambulance, wouldn't one? LOL

I wasn't given a yellow tub to put the pins in until 7/8 months later. They even got my gender wrong on the paper by putting she, not he. They also said i was on 1 insulin, not 2. They didn't explain very much either, it was more like "we've dumped you on an island all alone and without any aid, tools or a survival guide to get you going, so goodluck and goodbye". That's all i got from them and since my first main checkup, my readings are higher than when they where when i was diagnosed. I'm sometimes having 2/3 hypos a day, not always, but when my levels where 3.3, i wasn't shaking, sweeting or on the floor. I checked twice and it was the same reading. I've been told the more hypos you have, the more you start to become unaware of the signs.

 

[rebrascora]

Since I reduced my carb intake to very low and use the absolute minimum insulin to deal with it, I am having much less problems with hypos. I can see the benefit of a bracelet or necklace and should look into that. My bum bag has the insulin and log book in it with my dosage although as I say, I never use it.

 

[Hepato-pancreato]

This is mine got it at diabetes clinic.

 

[Hepato-pancreato]

Folds to credit card size for your wallet.

 

[Hepato-pancreato]

Probably I should update it really as it’s all hand written. Eg... medication and dosage ( that needs updating).

 

[Thebearcametoo]

It’s worth mentioning that if you have an iPhone (you can probably do it on android too) you can set emergency info including medical details, next of kin etc. Emergency personnel should look there for info if you were unable to communicate. On Apple if you go to Health and then click on Medical ID you can add your info there. It then shows on the lock screen if you hit emergency so can be accessed without your passcode etc.

 

[Ljc]

This reminded me that I need to update mine.

Your Pharmacy or Gp practice should be able to provide one

 

[Matt Cycle]

Mine's pretty much pristine as it's never left a drawer since I got it.



As HP says they were given out by clinics or DN's at surgeries. It lists type of diabetes, name/address/phone, NHS number, GP and on the other side insulin type(s). I imagine it would become tatty pretty quickly if you were carrying it around all the time. At diagnosis I was given a plastic credit card style thing (I think Novo or BD produced it) which stated I was T1 diabetic and I had to write in insulin used and doses. Was constantly rubbing out and re-writing numbers! My Mum and Dad then got me an SOS Talisman necklace. It had a tiny long strip of paper inside in which you had to write all your details. Again a lot of rubbing out when addresses and numbers changed. Wasn't really keen on things hanging around my neck either and gave it up. Haven't bothered with anything since but as TW mentions I'd hope a medical person would spot the pump and know what it was.

 

[leonS]

I downloaded one as a pdf file from the internet a couple of hours ago, and printed it out.

The instructions say fold it to credit card size by following the instructions. I have spent the last two hours trying to find the instructions on how it should be folded!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Haven't bothered with anything since but as TW mentions I'd hope a medical person would spot the pump and know what it was.

Interestingly it was when I started on a pump that I decided I should try to wear some more obvious ID. I’ve got a talisman as you describe, but the chain long since broke so for about 20 years I’ve had it on my keys which are pretty much always in my pocket.

My feeling is that being on a pump makes any identification if I were in some kind of incident more urgent, since without long-acting my BGs would start to rise after only 3-4 hours if pump and me got separated. I’ve taken to wearing a wristband with an engraved tag that simply says ‘T1 diabetes’. More than likely that, along with wearing a pump would be plenty, and even if Threepio and I were separated, I still think the main thing is for paramedics to know I’m T1 and let them work it out from there 🙂