Immigrating to the UK. What can I expect?

[danicatype1]

Hello everyone!

Newbie here. Type one for 14 years and plans to immigrate with my Hubby. We are currently based in South Africa.
Im currently on an old meditronic pump and using the freestyle libre.

I feel like I'm going into the unknown here and not sure what sort of level of healthcare I can expect going onto the NHS, and how costly it can end up being.

- Is it easy to get my scripts for my pump consumables?
- How easy is it to get my two libre sensors per month?
- Is it easy to get an appointment with an endo or will I be waiting forever?
- What does NHS cover in terms of costs?

Currently I have medical Insurance and pay a levy for some of my pump consumables per month. They're super easy to get and I just order them online. I can also get a next week appointment with an endocrinologist If I needed.

I just need to know what Im getting myself into when we move.. it keeps me up at night not knowing what sort of care/coverage I will have.

Sorry if this sounds dumb!
Any answers are much appreciated.

 

[Thebearcametoo]

It will depend a bit on what sort of visa or residence you have but in most cases you will pay the NHS surcharge upfront which is £624 each a year (less for children). This then covers your NHS charges. You’ll need to register with a GP who will refer you to the diabetes team. Essentially you are overseen by a specialist but the GP is the one who deals with ongoing prescriptions. Care should be like for like with what you’re already using but it may take a bit of chasing to set up but once it’s all on your repeat prescription all your pump consumables and your Libre will be free as well as back up pens and insulin, meter strips etc for if you have any problems with pump or sensor.

The NHS is pretty clunky and slow so things may not run smoothly in the set up. If you can get advice in the area where you’re moving to for the best GP practice (if there is a choice) and email the practice manager beforehand so that as much paperwork as possible is done and the referral to the specialist is in place it may speed things up.

 

[SB2015]

For those of us on pumps round here we get our pump consumables through the hospital, rather than on GP prescriptions. I use a Medtronic pump and order my cartridges and cannulas when I need them (actually a bit before so I don’t get caught out) They are delivered within a few days.

Libre sensors once agreed are dealt with through the GP Practice. Some have got sensors that link to their pump prescribed by the hospital, others of us self fund these. I choose to do that which enables me to use my 780G along with the Medtronic sensors in a closed loop system, which automatically monitors my glucose levels and adjusts my basal rate as necessary every 5 min.

 

[Hugo DUK]

Hello! I wanted to say welcome to the forum and good luck with the move! Moving continents can be difficult enough even without diabetes to deal with on top. Your questions aren't dumb at all and worrying about what sort of healthcare provision you'll get in the UK is natural.

The replies above are great advice; I'd add that you can see all your entitlements on the NHS on this page.

All people with Type 1 are supposed to be prescribed the Libre 2 by their GP, so getting them shouldn't (in theory) require special effort. In practice some areas have been slower to comply with the guidance than others, but they should all have fallen into line by now - if you find the GP you register with isn't happy to prescribe you one, don't hesitate to get in touch with Diabetes UK by email or phone and we can help you get the care you're supposed to.

 

[Drummer]

I think that you have been given the correct advice, but if you google for information about moving here and the NHS you should be able to find answers to specific questions.
My son in law has moved here from America and become a citizen here, and now has full cover for healthcare.
If you are moving and have a job here then the firm might be able to assist with information and advice if they have brought in others from overseas.

 

[rebrascora]

The only thing I would add to what others have said is that you would be well advised to bring plenty of supplies with you because diabetes clinics are very stretched here, particularly since Covid, which has caused their workload to increase, so getting an appointment for a clinic could take months. I doubt any of us could get an appointment with an endo within a week even before Covid, unless we were at death's door. Diabetic services are stretched here as is the NHS in general. It can be quite frustrating just trying to get an appointment to see a GP and there is an element of postcode lottery, so definitely make enquires ahead of the move with regard to finding a good GP surgery as a starting point... assuming you know the area you will be moving to. Some GP practices have a policy where you have to ring at 8am for an appointment and you can sit in a queue for half an hour only to find there are no more appointments available. Some operate a online system, which I find really good and this was how I was diagnosed with Diabetes.... Obviously they didn't just diagnose me from an email, but I sent them the info of my symptoms and they arranged an appointment with the nurse for a blood test and that was all very efficiently done within 2 days from me sending an email on a Sunday evening. Unless you go private, you can't just ring up and get an appointment with a consultant.... the GP has to do a referral and then you go into the system.... which is somewhat backlogged and wait to be sent an appointment.... At least that is how it works here. Once you are under the consultant, then they will decide how frequently they need to see.... or most likely now.... speak to you on the phone. My clinic has a helpline that you can ring and leave a message if you have a problem and you will usually get a call back within a few days depending upon the urgency of the problem, but that will be a Diabetes Specialist Nurse, not the consultant.
Anyway, I just wanted to give you a realistic insight into the situation here, so that you are properly prepared, with plenty of spares and a will to chase things up, repeatedly sometimes, in order to get what you need.