Draft testing petition

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AlisonM

AlisonM

Much missed Moderator
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1.5 LADA
Testing petition: Type 2s need to test

I'm thinking of sticking this up on the .Gov.uk petition website. Let me know what you think:

For any diabetic, testing levels of glucose in the blood is a useful indicator of their current state and may well be a valuable tool in preventing or controlling the advance of such common complications as neuropathy. Yet many Type 2 diabetics are refused the supplies needed to carry out such tests. It depends on the attitude of their Primary Care Trust to the costs involved whether a patient will be permitted to test or not. There is growing evidence that regular self-testing can give a diabetic good control over their condition, and costs far less in the long run than does dealing with the complications of the uncontrolled disease.

We, the undersigned ask that the government issue clear guidelines so that all diabetics may be encouraged to take control of their condition and their lives, without regard to the false economies that are currently in place.
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Cannot agree more

Donald
 
AlisonM said:
I'm thinking of sticking this up on the .Gov.uk petition website. Let me know what you think:
Click to expand...

Its not the Governement's job to issue medical guidelines nor has it the capacity to do so.
Such matters have been hived off to NICE. To be fair, NICE guidelines on T2 testing guarantee test strips to about 70% of T2s ( those on insulin and those on sulfonylureas e.g. gliclazide).
It is the T2s not on insulin or sulfs and the newly diagnosed who need the support in testing. We have to reverse the initial advice that "you don't need to test". But to be honest many newly dxed T2s are only too happy to be told they do not need to test. Its part of denial. And many of the T2s who do test, let us down by not acting on the results to change lifestyles and diet etc thus leading the researchers to the conclusion that smbg is not effective.

Your petition could do with sharpening up - mention of NICE guidelines, the initial "don't test advice", an emphasis on T2s on D&E/metformin ( i.e. the ones currently having to fight for strips) and idea that education on smbg should be an integral part for the newly dxed. And of course asking the Governement not to issues guidelines but to lean on NICE. I went on a DESMOND course and smbg occupied 15 minutes of the last of the five sessions.
 
Peter C said:
Its not the Governement's job to issue medical guidelines nor has it the capacity to do so.
Such matters have been hived off to NICE. To be fair, NICE guidelines on T2 testing guarantee test strips to about 70% of T2s ( those on insulin and those on sulfonylureas e.g. gliclazide).
It is the T2s not on insulin or sulfs and the newly diagnosed who need the support in testing. We have to reverse the initial advice that "you don't need to test". But to be honest many newly dxed T2s are only too happy to be told they do not need to test. Its part of denial. And many of the T2s who do test, let us down by not acting on the results to change lifestyles and diet etc thus leading the researchers to the conclusion that smbg is not effective.

Your petition could do with sharpening up - mention of NICE guidelines, the initial "don't test advice", an emphasis on T2s on D&E/metformin ( i.e. the ones currently having to fight for strips) and idea that education on smbg should be an integral part for the newly dxed. And of course asking the Governement not to issues guidelines but to lean on NICE. I went on a DESMOND course and smbg occupied 15 minutes of the last of the five sessions.
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Thx Peter, that's the kind of input I was after. I'll redraft it. And thx everyone else for your support
 
For all diabetics testing levels of glucose in the blood is a useful indicator of their current state and may well be a valuable tool in preventing or controlling the advance of such common complications as neuropathy. Yet many Type 2 diabetics are refused the supplies needed to carry out such tests. It largely depends on the interpretation of NICE guidelines made by their Primary Care Trust and the PCT's attitude to the costs involved whether a patient will be permitted to test or not. In addition, the newly diagnosed are often not taught the benefits of such testing as part of any regime aimed at controlling the disease. There is growing evidence that regular self-testing can give a diabetic good control over their condition, and costs far less in the long run than does dealing with the complications of the uncontrolled disease.

We, the undersigned request that the government instruct NICE to issue clearer guidelines on usage and education so that all diabetics may be encouraged to take control of their condition and their lives, without regard to the false economies that currently exist.
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Is that better?
 
AlisonM said:
Is that better?
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Very good.
But ... you are a "North Briton" ? The writ of NICE only runs in England and Wales. The Scottish NHS has its own guidelines written by its own body ( whose name I can't remember ) and I seem to recall the Scottish guidelines on diabetes were even more feeble than NICEs.
Anyway the same petition to Alex Salmond substituting the name of the Scottish body for NICE would be in order as well.
 
Peter C said:
Very good.
But ... you are a "North Briton" ? The writ of NICE only runs in England and Wales. The Scottish NHS has its own guidelines written by its own body ( whose name I can't remember ) and I seem to recall the Scottish guidelines on diabetes were even more feeble than NICEs.
Anyway the same petition to Alex Salmond substituting the name of the Scottish body for NICE would be in order as well.
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You're right and I intend to do just that.
 
That's the English version submitted, as soon as it's live I'll post a link. I'm having hard time tracking down the Scottish version of NICE. Anyone know what it's called?
 
Excellent. I've printed off that reply to use with my doctor on Monday.
 
AlisonM said:
That's the English version submitted, as soon as it's live I'll post a link. I'm having hard time tracking down the Scottish version of NICE. Anyone know what it's called?
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hello again,

Its called SIGN ( Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network) and its guidelines on Diabetes are here ...

http://www.sign.ac.uk/guidelines/fulltext/55/index.html

The Scottish guidelines seem to chicken out on T2 smbg ...

."2 Self-monitoring of glycaemic control

The literature in this area is difficult to assess. Many of the studies cannot be compared as the patient groups were different and glucose monitoring was usually just one part of a multifactorial intervention programme.57 However, a comprehensive package of care which includes glucose self-monitoring is usually effective in improving glycaemic control in type 1 diabetes.

No studies have adequately assessed the benefits of glucose monitoring on glycaemic control, or the relative benefits of blood glucose monitoring vs. urine testing. In general, urine testing is less costly than blood testing, however the preferred method of glucose monitoring varies according to type of diabetes. Some patients with type 2 diabetes prefer urine testing while patients with type 1 diabetes appear to favour blood testing."

The bit about T2s preferring urine testing sounds like MacBullshit.
 
Thanks for that Peter. I'll work on that tomorrow. The bit about urine testing certainly is McPants! I don't have any glucose showing in my urine, not even when my BGL was through the roof.
 
Hi Alison,

Well done! Personally, I think that we should bombard the politicians with such petitions. I've signed up!

Hope that you have supported my diabetes petition:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Diabetes-Advice/

These e-petitions need 500 supporters to ensure that 10 Downing Street will be certain to respond. My petition is getting there with 427 supporters so far. It would be a big shame if it doesn't get to the 500 mark.

Best wishes - John
 
wallycorker said:
Hi Alison,

Well done! Personally, I think that we should bombard the politicians with such petitions. I've signed up!

Hope that you have supported my diabetes petition:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Diabetes-Advice/

These e-petitions need 500 supporters to ensure that 10 Downing Street will be certain to respond. My petition is getting there with 427 supporters so far. It would be a big shame if it doesn't get to the 500 mark.

Best wishes - John
Click to expand...

Yes John, I have.
 
I have signed. Should I expect Da Heavy Mob at my door tomorrow?? :D

xx
 
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