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Do you get your "Mandatory 8 annual diabetes checks"

H

helli

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
The Mandatory 8 annual diabetes checks were mentioned on another thread which made me wonder how many people get these every year.
As a reminder, these are

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I don't get all of these every year but I wonder if that is because
- I have never said "yes" to the smoking question so they made the (correct) assumption this has not changed
- I am (and look) slim so my BMI check is usually calculated by asking me my height and weight rather than measuring it.
- I am very active including lots of walking so it is assumed my feet are fine and not checked

The last time i turned up for my annual blood test (yes, this bit does seem to be annual), I was surprised when the phlebotomist got out a heart pressure cuff and measured my blood pressure. She then got me to take off my shoes to weigh me and check my height.
The smoking question may have been posed but my feet were not checked.

How about others on the forum?
Do you get all of your 8 annual diabetes checks or do some of them feel more optional than mandatory?
 
I think I do get all mine since moving to Dorset. When I lived in West Wales I definitely didn't, but services were quite stretched there. I missed out on eye screenings and foot checks mostly.
 
I'm in Kent and have always had all of the checks done so I guess I'm lucky!
 
I get all mine. I’ve never smoked but they always ask! Back in the day ( 15 years ago) I actually saw a podiatrist at the GP surgery, now it’s done by the HCA when I get bloods taken for all the other tests, so quite perfunctory, but they feel my pulses and I have to close my eyes when they tickle my soles. Surprised eyes weren’t on the list. My retinal screening has been changed to every two years.
 
Yes, our surgery in Suffolk is meticulous and well organised. Eye tests done separately as per yesterday's webinar.
 
Yes, our HCP goes through the lot when she takes my bloods. Also a huge and ridiculous questionnaire on alcohol consumption. (I say ridiculous, because she needs a tick for every box, so you say you only drink 6 units a week, and the next question is 'do you ever drink more than 10 units at one sitting')
 
Our surgery up here in West Lancs is also well organised and meticulous and all is done as required.
 
Yes, I've been getting all of those checks every year.
 
Yes, my annual review at the GP practice on or around the month of my birth covers these. Sometimes the HCA at my initial appointment does the foot checks along with the bloods and BP and weight and sometimes the Diabetes nurse at the GP practice, who I have my actual review with when the results come back, does the foot inspection, pulse and toe tickle.
I am pretty sure there is also a question about alcohol consumption as well as smoking and questions about exercise/activity and diet. I also get a second HbA1c and BP at the GP practice roughly 6 months after my annual review. I don't bother getting any bloods done for my appointment with the consultant now as I just feel it is duplicating work and he has access to my Libre data and GP blood results. He seems to be happy with that. I have started getting weight and height and BP done at his clinic though.

I have just gone on to 2 yearly Retinal Screening too and I am happy enough with that situation.
 
Yes, under Tameside NHS my GP surgery complete all on an annual basis and my hospital team check they have been done. And I can book more bloods if I need to, such as when I changed to the pump then HCL, working on my cholesterol. etc.
You have reminded me I need to rebook, I don't think my bloods will now be ready for my DSN appointment, but I needed that tooth out so had to rearrange.

In Warrington I only had the annual bloods, via GP. Never could get seen under the hospital, think apart from my pregnancy I only had 4 hospital appointments in 15 years.

Feet and eye maybe every 18 months - 2.5 years, really poor service. All of it, smears always late / cancelled, family planning, all so under resourced.
 
I did think it a little odd when eye screening got removed from of the ‘essential checks’ list, but I suppose that’s only because it is run/organised by a separate service now, rather than your GP. Plus, of course, for many eye screening is now a bi-annual check.

They don’t aways remember to check feet/pulses but my bloods get done, BP, and weight, plus smoking/alcohol questions at my GP annual review. Bloods are often repeated in advance of my pump clinic (which is meant to be annual, but seems to be anywhere 2-4 yearly unless I nag them since the pandemic.
 
Yes, at my surgery we are invited for a review in our birth month where all those checks are done and bloods taken. Then a couple of weeks later we see the diabetes nurse for a chat on how things are going and to discuss the results of the blood tests.
 
Never had a foot check but get all the others although not clear if its part of my diabetes check or cancer checkup. For the latter there's a whole raft of checks every three months or so and some overlap.

Not had an eye one either although my optician does them and will then refer me. Interesting that the eye check isn't under the GP anymore as when I asked at the hospital about screening I was told my GP would manage it as part of my diabetes care. When I said I wasn't under my GP for that due to its complexity with other stuff the doctor looked a bit stumped and couldn't answer how it would work.
 
Standup said:
Not had an eye one either although my optician does them and will then refer me. Interesting that the eye check isn't under the GP anymore as when I asked at the hospital about screening I was told my GP would manage it as part of my diabetes care.
Click to expand...

You can check this page and either get your GP to refer you to the local service, or contact the local screening provider directly.

www.nhs.uk

Diabetic eye screening

Find out who should have diabetic eye screening, why it's done and what happens, and when you’ll get your results.
www.nhs.uk www.nhs.uk

The national diabetes eye screening programme is now an independent thing, they sometimes use local health centre / GP practice premises, but the booking / letters etc aren’t from your GP surgery.

The screening is slightly different to the optician checks, and are pored-over in greater detail I think?
 
Yes, I have the annual diabetes check in my birthday month, and similar blood tests six months later.
I think I also get asked (how much if any) do I drink, and whether I have ever smoked.
The foot check is rather rudimentary (just the nylon filament "did you feel this?" test, rather than a blood-flow-in-feetal-veins test), but NHS Podiatry is very little better, if you can actually get to see them - I would say that feetal diabetic neuropathy is badly dealt with.
 
Last edited:
everydayupsanddowns said:
You can check this page and either get your GP to refer you to the local service, or contact the local screening provider directly.

www.nhs.uk

Diabetic eye screening

Find out who should have diabetic eye screening, why it's done and what happens, and when you’ll get your results.
www.nhs.uk www.nhs.uk

The national diabetes eye screening programme is now an independent thing, they sometimes use local health centre / GP practice premises, but the booking / letters etc aren’t from your GP surgery.

The screening is slightly different to the optician checks, and are pored-over in greater detail I think?
Click to expand...
Thank you but unfortunately I'm in Wales who do things differently of course. The Welsh page just says your doctor will refer you without clarifying which doctor but it was the hospital eye doctor (they probably have a better title than that!) who said it was GP driven.

So far as I know the optician does the same tests although they cost extra but won't interpret them. They can then refer you to the screening service which is what happened for me and 9 months later I got a one off appointment.
 
Yes, I get all of these (Barnsley, S. Yorks). I've just been informed my annual check will be moving to my birthday month, rather than diagnosis month but they are almost the same - December vs January, so not much difference.

Full doplar foot check last time but my mum has PAD so my chiropodist and myself are already paranoid about pulses!
 
Deb_l said:
Yes, I get all of these (Barnsley, S. Yorks). I've just been informed my annual check will be moving to my birthday month, rather than diagnosis month but they are almost the same - December vs January, so not much difference.
Click to expand...
My surgery do HBA1c every 6 months and the rest every 12 months (apart from weight, feet, blood pressure and smoking).
I can't remember whether my birthday or my diagnosis date is the the baseline for my tests because I was diagnosed exactly 6 months after/before my birthday
 
In 20years I have never had Diabetic Eye Check, mine have been in numerous differnt locations, under auspices of my Local Diabetic Eye Screening Service.
 
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