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How long to get a pump

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Maryanne29

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
My diabetes care nurse has recommended I have an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor. But my local hospital (not the best in the country) has no appointments for the foreseeable future. Having done the research she advised me to do with Medtronics I am keen to get started but am coming up against a brick wall. How long did other people wait to get started?
Also, if I were to buy the initial equipment myself, would I get the supplies, including insulin on the NHS does anyone know?
Any help much appreciated as I am getting very frustrated by the process.
I have asked for a referral to another hospital but this has not yet speeded anything up.

Thanks.
Maryanne🙂
 
It depends on who is on the list & how long you have been on it. Good luck cos they are good 🙂
 
Had a look

Thanks for this link. I have had a look and it is very useful. I've saved the link in my Favourites. 🙂
 
Depends on your country - England / Wales / Scotland / Northern Ireland - and varies with area / NHS local body within each country.

INPUT can help residents of England, where NICE criteria apply. In other nations, there are other bodies that recommend how to use health technologies / medications such as insulin pumps.

Residents of Scotland should contact iPAG www.ipagscotland.org/
Information for residents of Wales http://www.inputdiabetes.org.uk/wales/
Information for residents of Northern Ireland http://www.inputdiabetes.org.uk/northern-ireland/
 
I don't know about buying pumps privately and then the NHS picking up the daily running costs. It the 80's I bought my own equipment for another illness as the NHS funding ran out and wanted my driving licence back.

Up until about 4 years ago I had to buy my own consumables and pay for the serving of the equipment, thankfully this was only around ?200 a year. In very the recent years the NHS will provide me the consumables, though I still have to pay for the servicing.

If the equipment breaks I did ask what the situation is on replacing it, they said it may be replaced by NHS equipment.

Before going down the buy it yourself route, check out what support and what the NHS will pay for.
 
Hi Maryanne,

The INPUT site is brilliant and should tell you all you need to know. If your consultant is unwilling to help, get yourself referred to another consultant at a hospital which supports pumps (listed on INPUT I believe). If you buy your own pump you will not be able to get NHS funded consumables; also I'm pretty sure the pump manufacturers will not sell you one without you having the support of a consultant.

We had to wait nearly 2 years for my son's pump. The hospital we were at did have some patients on pumps, but only one DSN was trained to support them, so there was a long wait for her to do each pump start. Our PCT at the time consisted of 3 hospitals, and the patients at the hospital where this DSN was based got prioritised above the rest of us!

Good luck with getting your pump, they are life-changing 🙂
 
Redkite said:
Hi Maryanne,

The INPUT site is brilliant and should tell you all you need to know. If your consultant is unwilling to help, get yourself referred to another consultant at a hospital which supports pumps (listed on INPUT I believe). If you buy your own pump you will not be able to get NHS funded consumables; also I'm pretty sure the pump manufacturers will not sell you one without you having the support of a consultant.

We had to wait nearly 2 years for my son's pump. The hospital we were at did have some patients on pumps, but only one DSN was trained to support them, so there was a long wait for her to do each pump start. Our PCT at the time consisted of 3 hospitals, and the patients at the hospital where this DSN was based got prioritised above the rest of us!

Good luck with getting your pump, they are life-changing 🙂
Click to expand...

Just to clear things up a bit.

Pumps are prescription only, so only way of getting a pump is via a GP letter or from a consultants letter.
You can have funding for the consumables though 🙂 I know this due to having to go down this root myself when I first started to pump.
I don't have a consultant or hospital team. My GP put his name to my pump request and backed me all the way.
 
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