Insulin pump audit

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Yes, the UK is years behind other European countries with T1 care, not just access to pumps. The better paediatric teams are trying to establish a German model here - their T1 children achieve far better Hba1c's than ours. Targets here for children are for an a1c below 7.5, but only 14% of children achieve that.

Money invested now will prevent expenditure on treating complications in the future, but no government really plans for the long term, because it's what they do in the present that gets them voted back in, so that's all they care about!
 
From reading it, it's a shame that we are so far behind.

Where I attend hospital it's a very busy clinic so I thought it was more popular than it is
 
Part of the problem seems to be that pumps are regarded as purely for those who can't get any control at all, rather than a method for getting good control. As far as I know, if your A1C is under 8.5 you won't even be considered for a pump as an adult, which is essentially the same as saying you only get a pump if your diabetes is completely uncontrolled.

It raises a massive question about the poor sods who are in the 7.5-8.4 range who aren't considered by NICE's own slack goals to be poorly controlled, but aren't believed to be bad enough to be supported.

I just don't get why NICE doesn't get in line with WHO guidelines - diabetes should only be considered as 'controlled' at an A1C of 6.5% or lower and all those who can't achieve that with other treatment should be eligible for a pump. The clue's in NICE's own dreadful guidelines where they recommend AGAINST an A1c of less than 6.5% because it apparently means you will have lots of hypos - which might be true if you're stuck with pens, but not if you're on...1....2...3.....a pump!

Essentially the whole system is geared up towards mediocrity. We're actually discouraged against aiming for good control because they insist on us using mediocre tools....unless we have very bad control. And they wonder why on earth diabetes complications are a growing burden on the NHS.

It can't be a cost issue - look at how many other state heathcare systems offer insulin pumps. It's just the usual ineptitude from supposed experts who think they learned everything there was to know about diabetes in 1985.

I hope to god that JDRF and D-UK actually start doing something proactive now this audit has come out. Simply stamping feet and saying this isn't good enough, isn't good enough.
 
Deus, I've been refused a pump due to my hba1c's always being under 7.
I've only got it now due to sleep hypos & the fact I don't sleep very well due to fearing a bad one in my sleep
 
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