• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Unable to get flash monitor

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
That is very annoying.

Can I ask who you have requested it from?
The NICE guidelines recently changed in England but they are only guidelines and it takes some CCGs a long time to catch up. As a result, you may find that they are only available from your consultant not GP, for example.

It is definitely worth being pushy and ask for justification if they say "No".
 
Hi and welcome.

Sorry to hear you are having difficulty getting Libre prescribed. Can you tell us a bit about how you have approached the situation and the timeline involved ie when was the last time you tried and who you spoke to about it?

Prior to this month, you had to meet certain criteria for the NICE guidelines to apply and even then you had to really make a case for yourself and be persistent. Now just being Type 1 should be enough to meet the new NICE guidelines but unfortunately, they are just guidelines and some area will be more sluggish, shall we say, in adopting them than others. Having a supportive DSN/consultant is likely to help your case compared to approaching your GP for instance, so knowing what you have tried and when will help us to give you better pointers on how to go about it now.
 
Hi Jane. I was the same and so upset and frustrated as type 1 for 34 years. Several of my friends had one. Anyway in February I got so angry I chased my Diabetic Nurse and Diabetes Doctor at the hospital and he rung me back and within a couple of weeks he’d got it for me on repeat prescription via my GP. Legislation states that all Diabetics are eligible especially Type 1. Keep pushing your GP or specialist and hopefully you will get one soon. I kid you not it’s changed my life so much for the better and so nice not to have to do the finger testing….. Good luck. PS I live in Kent
 
SharonC said:
Legislation states that all Diabetics are eligible especially Type 1.
Click to expand...
I don't think that's correct. The current NICE guidelines suggest all people with T1 should be offered CGM (either isCGM or rtCGM) along with finger prick tests (since they're still needed sometimes), with finger prick on their own as a fallback (if CGM isn't possible or appropriate for some reason). I think (though I haven't checked) the guidelines for children are a bit different (preferring rtCGM over isCGM, for example).

For T2 the guidelines are rather similar to those of a while back: limited to a subset of people using insulin according to some criteria. (For other types I imagine it's usually clear which they're closer to, but I'm sure there's opportunities for disagreements.)
 
SharonC said:
Legislation states that all Diabetics are eligible especially Type 1. Keep pushing your GP or specialist and hopefully you will get one soon. I kid you not it’s changed my life so much for the better and so nice not to have to do the finger testing
Click to expand...
Hi. So pleased to hear you managed to get Libre prescribed and I really hope the OP can too. I don't mean to nit pick but it is important to be factual on an open forum and there were a couple of points you made which aren't quite correct and may give people false hope. Unfortunately NICE guidelines are not legislation as such so it is not a legal requirement to prescribe you with Libre ie. You couldn't take them to court for failure to prescribe it to you as far as I am aware. Also it is sadly not available to "all diabetics"..... Just all Type 1s meet the criteria and possibly some Type 2s on MDI.
Also, there are still occasions when finger pricking is necessary with Libre, so you should be aware of it's limitations and quirks and know when a finger prick to double check your levels is relevant. Some people find that it isn't accurate enough to bolus from. Most people would not use a Libre result to calculate a correction and it is recommended to double check hypos and check hypo recover via finger prick as Libre often takes longer to show recovery and will sometimes even show your levels dropping lower at 15 mins after hypo treatment which might cause you to take a further hypo treatment when you don't need it and end up with a big rebound.... Just saying.... some finger pricks are still needed. Most days I can get away without any but some days I might need several.
 
Bruce Stephens said:
I don't think that's correct. The current NICE guidelines suggest all people with T1 should be offered CGM (either isCGM or rtCGM) along with finger prick tests (since they're still needed sometimes), with finger prick on their own as a fallback (if CGM isn't possible or appropriate for some reason). I think (though I haven't checked) the guidelines for children are a bit different (preferring rtCGM over isCGM, for example).

For T2 the guidelines are rather similar to those of a while back: limited to a subset of people using insulin according to some criteria. (For other types I imagine it's usually clear which they're closer to, but I'm sure there's opportunities for disagreements.)
Click to expand...
I think that’s pretty much what I was trying to say
 
JaneElizabeth said:
Hi everyone has anyone else had a problem getting a freestyle libre monitor. I live in North Herts. type one and still can't get on on the NHS. Just wondered if anyone else has this problem.
Click to expand...
Hi @JaneElizabeth , could I clarify is it the monitor (or more accurately the Reader) that you can't get - or the actual sensors? I'm aware that there have been problems with resupply of Readers from Abbott.

All the advice about NICE guidelines still apply, but there is a silent presumption that many (most?) people will use a smart phone to read the sensors, ignoring the practical fact that not everyone has a compatible smart phone.
 
Hi Had my long awaited appointment with my diabetic nurse and asked her if I was eligible. She told me it is coming but not there yet. I did contact the Dr. Surgery the beginning of April after hearing on the news type one were now eligible but didn't realise it wasn't mandatory this is what I was told on a message from the surgery. I don't see a consultant at the hospitalI use to but think I manage it alot better now. Nurse did say it's down to North East Herts District. I feel quite let down.
 
If your GP or nurse at the surgery can't prescribe it, then ring your hospital diabetes clinic and ask them to action it. You can ring and leave a message on the clinic helpline giving your name and date of birth and a contact number and what it is about. If you don't have the clinic helpline number. ring the hospital switchboard and ask for the number or to be put through to it. Unfortunately you will need to keep trying. In the mean time, it would be a good idea to spend some time learning how to use it because it is not totally straight forward. Abbott have a Libre Academy on their website that you can enroll on and do the modules at your own leisure. This link should help you get started with your learning and there is a link at the bottom of that page to click for signing up to the Libre Academy. https://www.freestylelibre.co.uk/libre/discover/getting-started.html
 
Thanks for all the encouraging replies going to start pushing it from now on. Useful to know you may still have to do finger picks. Going on holiday to Spain in July love to have one by then. I'm a pensioner and not used to being so pushy!!
 
I know it isn't easy fighting your own corner and you shouldn't have to make a nuisance of yourself but unfortunately that is happening more and more within the NHS. I can assure you that Libre is worth the fuss so keep at it. Unfortunately the admin in my area for changing prescriptions is really slow, so do be aware that you may not get it by July, but do keep pushing and you could consider self funding for your holiday. You can buy them privately from Abbott and many of us did before we got them prescribed....Not cheap but worth every penny! Do make sure you have a compatible phone to use to scan the sensors as not all phones will work. I bought a starter kit which included a reader and that is what I use to scan my sensor, but it was extra.
 
JaneElizabeth said:
Hi Sorry I cannot get anything still pricking fingers Just read all of your message
Click to expand...
Thanks for clarifying.

In principle you are entitled to Libre 2 and you probably need to get back to your (former?) DSN. Your GP may be unhappy to prescribe Libre without the "rubber stamp" authorisation from at least a DSN or maybe a Consultant. A decent DSN will be able to facilitate that for you.

If this all proves to be a struggle, Google and download NICE Guidance Note NG17, have a read and note the relevant clause nos about entitlement. Then email your GP, quoting the clauses, copy that email to your local CCG and the DSN and politely but very robustly tell them you require this device. If still they are prevaricating, email your local MP asking him/her to assist you in getting a medication that is fundamentally essential for your health and well being; copy that to the other 3. Nobody likes answering questions from an MP!
 
rebrascora said:
If your GP or nurse at the surgery can't prescribe it, then ring your hospital diabetes clinic and ask them to action it. You can ring and leave a message on the clinic helpline giving your name and date of birth and a contact number and what it is about. If you don't have the clinic helpline number. ring the hospital switchboard and ask for the number or to be put through to it.
Click to expand...
Please be aware that, unfortunately, not all clinics are set up the same way as yours.
My diabetes clinic do not have a helpline as you describe.
My contact is direct to my DSN. I have her phone number and her email. Thank fully she is very responsive.
The direct number for my clinic is only useful to arrange (or cancel) appointments.
Even though she has been there all the time I have been visiting, the receptionist still knows nothing about diabetes management.
So, it's probably best not to assume there is such a thing as a diabetes clinic helpline everywhere.
 
Last edited:
Fair comment @helli I think this is one of the most frustrating things about diabetes support. There are no set systems or protocols so you have to find out how the system works in your area in order to get the support you need.

@JaneElizabeth If they don't have a clinic helpline and your GP can't/won't prescribe Libre then you may need to insist on being referred back to the clinic care so that hopefully a consultant will prescribe it. Unfortunately that will almost certainly take months as the diabetes clinics are badly backlogged due to Covid.

Not sure if Abbott are still doing the 2 week free trial of Libre 2 but might be worth checking that out and perhaps taking advantage of that for your holiday, but do make sure to take plenty of test strips with you as well.
 
Hope you are sucessful getting a libre
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top