Arranging A1C Test

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james27

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Type 1
I (M, 21) was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 2.5 months ago, with no follow-up from the hospital. I was given my medication and some leaflets.

Will the NHS make an appt for my first A1C test and communicate the details via letter? I understand that the NHS has been instructed to pare down healthcare for certain chronic conditions, diabetes among them, in light of COVID-19. I will, of course, get in touch with hospital if needed, but I first wanted to source some anecdotes and advice.
 
I rang and enquired as I was due a 6 month check. Whilst waiting to have it done I noticed there were at least 4 consultation rooms in use.
 
Normally an HbA1C test would only be done every 3 months when first diagnosed as it is the average blood glucose over a 3 month period but as time goes on less frequently but I would have thought as a newly diagnosed Type 1 you should have access to support on a regular basis to make sure you are coping well with your insulin regime as in the early days it may need tweaking to be correct for you.
How you get that test will depend on the system at your GP or diabetic clinic.
I would also add you need to be proactive when it comes to getting help that you need.
 
Hi, I was recently diagnosed with type 1 too (back in May of this year).

I have been offered an A1C every 3 months but as mentioned by some others in this thread, it’s probably when you’re new, they offer you the tests more frequently than once you’ve had it a while and are more confident managing it.

I had 1 done in September at the diabetes clinic and another one done only a week or 2 ago at my gp surgery (funnily enough they came back exactly the same number both times!)

I didn’t have to arrange it, they arranged both these tests for me, but if you haven’t heard anything then I would chase it up, particularly if you have any concerns.

Hope that helps!
 
james27 said:
I (M, 21) was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 2.5 months ago, with no follow-up from the hospital. I was given my medication and some leaflets.

Will the NHS make an appt for my first A1C test and communicate the details via letter? I understand that the NHS has been instructed to pare down healthcare for certain chronic conditions, diabetes among them, in light of COVID-19. I will, of course, get in touch with hospital if needed, but I first wanted to source some anecdotes and advice.
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As I understand it you should be offered an HbA1C test at the hospital. It could be simply a case of that you could have “fallen through the cracks” because of how a majority of hospitals are struggling due to Covid
 
In the current climate when many are not getting face to face appointments it is certainly possible that newly diagnosed people are getting less support and tests than might otherwise have happened. If you have Freestyle Libre and the consultant/DSNs have access to your data then I think 3 monthly HbA1c tests are less necessary as the data from Libre is more helpful and I think may eventually replace HbA1c, because the Time in Range facility gives a better reflection of your control than HbA1c where lots of hypers and hypos can cancel each other out and make for a good HbA1c when your actual readings might be really erratic. Once they are happy that your diabetes management is reasonably good, they will drop you to 6 monthly and then just annual appointments, with the option of ringing the helpline if you have any problems in the mean time. As others have said, there is little point in doing another hbA1c within the 3 month period but if you have Libre then I wouldn't be all that concerned about getting another HbA1c so soon and 6 months should be fine.


The way it works for me is that when I get a roughly 6 monthly appointment (it has been 8-10 months during the pandemic) with the consultant (telephone appt at the moment) I get some blood test labels sent through with the appointment. I then make an appointment with the nurse at my GP surgery the week before that consultant appointment to get bloods taken and I give the nurse the labels from the consultant so that she knows which blood samples he wants taken.
A week has always been enough so far for those blood samples to be analysed and the consultant to be i possession of the results by my appointment, so we can discuss them and anything else I want to address, like access to new tech or changes in insulin etc. I will also have downloaded my Libre to Libreview so that he can see all my results and ask any questions.
 
Ask your GP practice to do the test for you as the results will show on the hospital records anyway.
 
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