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N H S ?

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pinky

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi there every body !
Just been diagnosed some 11 month now and to cut a long story short ! I have been trying to get a monitor so that I can keep a record of how I'm doing ?at first my doctor said that it was not needed to keep a count of my progress or decline on b/g level's at first I was on a diet to see if I could control but I failed and so I'm on two tab's a day and have just had another blood test so will have to wait to see how things are going, but what I want to know is did anybody have the same problem with trying to get a monitor from there g/p I now have a free one from abbots but the strip and needles are what is going to take the money I have put in a request for my g/p to see if he will put them on prescription for me but looking at facebook pages I not holding out any hope ? I don't know how much a blood test cost's from the N H S but it must be cheaper keeping an eye on your levels your self ? surely anything you can do your self to maintain good levels by yourself must be good for both you and on the N H S budget well that what feel how about you ? please do give me your thought's on this look foreward to your comments PINK !!
 
Hi Pinky and welcome. I was diagnosed recently after a routine blood test, then HbA1c test and return visit to Doctor. He said I had high level and I had to ask what the figure was and had no explanation of what it meant or what is normal. I asked about using a BG meter on myself and he said there's no need and what could I do about it if the readings are high anyway? Not sure what to think at present and still waiting to see a nurse for some dietary advice. I was considering buying a meter but the cost of supplies for it seems pretty high so will hold off until my next doctor visit I think.
Oh yes, doctor said to see him after 1 month but if I go in there what can he check if I don't have another blood test first? Is that just wasting his time and mine as I have to take time off to go there?
 
Pinky, you are absolutely correct - it is far cheaper for the NHS to provide the means for self-monitoring to motivated individuals like yourself than to rely on 3 or 6 monthly blood tests which can only tell you that you might not be doing so well but not tell you why. This is Diabetes UK's position statement on self-monitoring.

I would suggest that you follow a strict programme of testing (have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S as a good example of how to test efficiently). If you can show your GP that you understand the numbers and are using the tests in order to improve your diet and diabetes management then you will be in a strong position to insist on having the strips prescribed (the cost of strips to the NHS is around ?15 for 50).

Be prepared to stick to your guns - if testing helps you improve your control then really there is no reason to deny you the capability! Good luck! 🙂
 
hi both, alot of type 2 are in your situation and have a struggle to get prescribed meters and test strips, which you do need. Its absolutely ridiculous to say if theyre high you cant do anything. The main reason typoe 2 need the equipment is to see what effect different foods have on their sugar levels. everyone is different and have different thresholds of different foods their sugars can tolerate. Yes a healthy diet and excecise will help but so will knowing which foods have a bad effect on your sugars- even so called healthy foods can raise sugars alot. Without this knowledge you cant set yourself a proper diet to follow. Also if you make the necessary changes ie diet and excercise this may not be enough depending on your insulin intollerence and will help determine exactly what meds/insulin you need. There are many active healthy people who are type 2 but still require insulin. When you see your doc next time insist on having a meter/strips so you can monitor the effects of various foods. Test before food and 2 hours after, this is the only way you can monitor to see if any changes/meds are working.
 
Hi guys

I was advised i didnt need a meter, however now on certain medication, which requires testing, so my doc does provide the strips / lancets. They will however only provide enough to test a couple of times a day before driving, so if I want to do any "thorough" testing (pre/post food etc) I do have to buy these myself.

I figure its (hopefully) only for the short term till I get a handle on what I'm doing, then I can cut back to testing only prior to driving which should be covered by the strips they are providing.

I know the strips are expensive, but I am trying to view it as a short term measure to help my health. A small expenditure to help me learn how to control my BG levels seems a good investment to me. 😉

Good luck with your doctors 🙂 I hope they see sense for you!
 
Davmii said:
...then HbA1c test and return visit to Doctor. He said I had high level and I had to ask what the figure was and had no explanation of what it meant or what is normal. I asked about using a BG meter on myself and he said there's no need and what could I do about it if the readings are high anyway?
Click to expand...

I'm not quite sure how to respond to that it is just so unbelievably illogical!

What does the information allow you to do? It helps you to decide what food has what effect on your blood glucose levels. No 3-monthly test is going to help you decide whether basmati rice is better for you than potatoes an hour after eating them. You could guess based on a published GI value (an average of 100-odd people some of whom will have been sent skywards and others not by any food tested...). What happens to most people isn't going to help your eyes and your kidneys. What you need to know is what happens to your levels.

For clever people, Drs sure can say some stupid things sometimes :(
 
Thanks !!

Thanks one and all:D for your very quick reply's I did spend some 4 hours last night trying to get some sort of figure on how much it dose cost but so far no luck ! some one did say on one site just ring up your doc's and just ask ? but as I pass my doc's every day on the way to work it's worth ago "A" will you know if it worked this has become a mission now :confused: I not blaming the N H S they do a good job on the whole but it is not nationwide some people get it without any problems, again it a post code thing 😡 just a little fact I saw a story that N H S are thinking only thinking about putting botox on the N H S ? WELL THANKS AGAIN PINKY :D:
 
I think the botox thing is related to helping people with severe migraines rather than for cosmetic purposes. You are right though, postcode (or even GP) lottery when getting strips prescribed :( Hope you succeed on your mission! 🙂
 
Welcome to the forums Pinky 🙂

My GP hasn't been a pain about test strips but I'm not sure how much that would be the case if it wasn't for the fact I'm still under consultant care (long story!).

Hope you manage to convince your GP to let you have the strips - they have been absolutely invaluable in getting my HbA1c down.
 
I Give Up ?

Good morning!
Well just been down to pick up my new prescription and there was a note stuck to it from my doctor it said "SORRY ONLY ALLOWED FOR INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETES" and my nurse want to see me this Friday ? I would have thought it would be much better for me to take charge of this my self, but what I really feel like doing is to say to hell with it!!!! and eating and drinking what I like and just let the N H S pay for more and more blood test and putting up my tabs and then taking up doctors time and the hospital's time ? 😡 but don't worry I can't do that 😉 I will keep on trying to gather more info about this so much on the N H S is out there but it's pretty clear to me now that the N H S or the gov don't give much for us...! I was told by my nurse at my first meeting with her that there is no cure for this and with a good diet exercise ect ect I can control it but with out keeping some sort of record for your own peace of mind :confused: HOW DO I KNOW......!!!!!!!!! any way just to let you now how things are panning out THANKS for your input so far PINKY 🙂
 
Hi little miss chatterbox
Thanks I see that I have lot of posting to do before reaching your score? thanks for your welcome PINKY
 
I was diagnosed in october, 2009 at St Mary's hospital in London. I WAS GIVEN a meter by the DSN along with a good set of instructions. I tested just once a day at different times and over a short period learned how to control my condition.

With my improved diet, exercise and knowledge I am no longer on any medication. My GP still prescribes the test strips but because I test so infrequently now, a pot of 50 easily lasts me a year.

I am sure that I would not have achieved such a positive outcome without my modest testing regime.

Please feel free to show this post to your GP!

Andy 🙂
 
pinky said:
Good morning!
Well just been down to pick up my new prescription and there was a note stuck to it from my doctor it said "SORRY ONLY ALLOWED FOR INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETES" and my nurse want to see me this Friday ? I would have thought it would be much better for me to take charge of this my self...
Click to expand...

Hi Pinky, you are absolutely right, and don't take this lying down! I would suggest getting an appointment with your doctor and asking him/her to justify not prescribing test strips, given that you are highly-motivated to do it and it will help you to manage your diabetes. This is not acceptable, in my opinion, and is a sign of a complete misunderstanding of what diabetes management is all about. :( Diabetes cannot be managed by your doctor alone, with occasional tests - it is 99.999% managed by the person with diabetes, and you need to have the tools and if needed, the education required to use those tools and interpret the results.

Grrrr!!! I f I could, I would come to that appointment with you, this is such a poor response to your request to help yourself to better health :( Read Diabetes UK's position statement on self-monitoring again and make that appointment!
 
Hi Pinky,
Welcome, and good luck with your quest for strips.
It's taken me 4 months to get them on prescription after having to change to a new GP's surgery following the closure of my old one. I just kept plugging away at the 'expert' receptionist, who thought that restrictions applied to Insulin users also! It's a lottery out there with GPs and care given, see todays report from DUK.
 
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