Hi @MCAB
Thanks for your questions.
(1) how is Diabetes UK fighting our corner with CCGs to bring pressure to bear for them to bow to the inevitable?
We want to ensure that everyone who could benefit from using Flash GM has access to the technology, which for many can be incredibly beneficial – as we have heard from @Steven Clarke-Emmerson . We saw the first steps toward this in November 2017 with it’s addition to the NHS tariff. But there is now much more work to do. Putting pressure on local decision makers is at the forefront of this. In each nation and locally, we are working with Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), Health Boards, Trusts and Local Health Boards (LHBs) to persuade them to put policies in place so people can access Flash GM. This is coming from our regional teams, volunteer networks and our call to you to raise this issue in your local area and make some noise about Flash GM: Join the Fight
Flash GM is also new technology and therefore many people are not aware of its benefits. So, we’re also raising awareness amongst health professionals and people with diabetes about this new technology. In anticipation of the change in November, we joined other diabetes organizations and health professionals to create consensus guidelines about the technology. The guidelines recommend which patient groups would benefit, how healthcare professionals can help patients get the most from the technology and considerations for health service funders and providers.
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/resources-s3/2017-09/1190_Flash%20glucose%20monitoring%20guideline_SB_V9%5B4%5D.pdf
Going forward, we will be monitoring access, encouraging areas to develop policies and will need your help to make sure that we make as much noise as possible where this doesn’t happen. So if you would like to help raise the issue - https://www.diabetes.org.uk/get_involved/campaigning/flash-glucose-monitoring
(2) Can we have an in-depth article in "Balance" on the Freestyle Libre system (all aspects)?
We've covered the FreeStyle Libre in various levels of depth over the past year to 18 months, as news items and when doing features on diabetes technology in general, for example.
Most recently, we’ve covered the progress of Flash GM, in particular the success of it now being able to be prescribed on the NHS, while also highlighting that more needs to be done to avoid a postcode lottery.
We will be planning the content of the next issue in the new year, would there be anything that you would like to know more about which I could forward to our Balance team for suggestions?
Thanks for your questions.
(1) how is Diabetes UK fighting our corner with CCGs to bring pressure to bear for them to bow to the inevitable?
We want to ensure that everyone who could benefit from using Flash GM has access to the technology, which for many can be incredibly beneficial – as we have heard from @Steven Clarke-Emmerson . We saw the first steps toward this in November 2017 with it’s addition to the NHS tariff. But there is now much more work to do. Putting pressure on local decision makers is at the forefront of this. In each nation and locally, we are working with Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), Health Boards, Trusts and Local Health Boards (LHBs) to persuade them to put policies in place so people can access Flash GM. This is coming from our regional teams, volunteer networks and our call to you to raise this issue in your local area and make some noise about Flash GM: Join the Fight
Flash GM is also new technology and therefore many people are not aware of its benefits. So, we’re also raising awareness amongst health professionals and people with diabetes about this new technology. In anticipation of the change in November, we joined other diabetes organizations and health professionals to create consensus guidelines about the technology. The guidelines recommend which patient groups would benefit, how healthcare professionals can help patients get the most from the technology and considerations for health service funders and providers.
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/resources-s3/2017-09/1190_Flash%20glucose%20monitoring%20guideline_SB_V9%5B4%5D.pdf
Going forward, we will be monitoring access, encouraging areas to develop policies and will need your help to make sure that we make as much noise as possible where this doesn’t happen. So if you would like to help raise the issue - https://www.diabetes.org.uk/get_involved/campaigning/flash-glucose-monitoring
(2) Can we have an in-depth article in "Balance" on the Freestyle Libre system (all aspects)?
We've covered the FreeStyle Libre in various levels of depth over the past year to 18 months, as news items and when doing features on diabetes technology in general, for example.
Most recently, we’ve covered the progress of Flash GM, in particular the success of it now being able to be prescribed on the NHS, while also highlighting that more needs to be done to avoid a postcode lottery.
We will be planning the content of the next issue in the new year, would there be anything that you would like to know more about which I could forward to our Balance team for suggestions?
he said I need to get the hospital to prescribe The Libre, so I asked my DSN and she said lots of caveats were in place by the CCG, such as proving someone else had to monitor your bgs (eg: learning disability, physical disability, or severe hypo unawareness to the extent you're 'not with it for x amount of hours a day') so no further along then! When I have my next review I'm going to ask my Consultant. I'm also trying to get a pump, I'll report back.