Libre Glucose Monitor

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AndySmith1969 said:
Can any one let me know how to get a monitor on the NHS please?
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Ask your GP. (And maybe (if that doesn't immediately work) your hospital team.)

It's on the list of things that can be prescribed, and the NICE guidelines now (since the update in April) recommend it for everyone with T1.

It may well be that your CCG doesn't want to fund it, in which case it may take a bit longer.
 
Hi. Normally a GP can't prescribe it. He/she has to refer you to the local Diabetes clinic. My clinic consultant has promised me an NHS funded one but I'm waiting.
 
My consultant said that he would approve it for me in the Feb and I didn't get it on prescription until the Oct and that was at the start of the pandemic. I was then told that I would be upgraded to Libre 2 in due course, but a year later I hadn't been upgraded but was not unhappy about that as I decided that I wanted to stay on the original model as I didn't need the alarms and it was working very well for me, so asked to remain on the original Libre. Don't think the paperwork was ever processed to upgrade me during that year. Currently still waiting to be prescribed Blood ketone strips and a change to blood glucose strips for the Libre. That was in Feb and still no sign of it happening. The diabetes clinics are swamped with a backlog and lots of new patients due to Covid and no extra staff to deal with them so I don't blame them for things not happening. I am managing with the kit I have which is the important thing and grateful for it, but that is easy to say as someone who is getting Libre on prescription now.
Many of us self funded the Libre until we got it prescribed so I don't know if that is an option for you in the meantime or if you are currently self funding. I know it is expensive and I am low income but it was worth every penny of my savings for me.

I find it odd when people suggest a GP can prescribe Libre when all our diabetes kit seems to be authorized by the consultant and the GP isn't even allowed to change the test strips/meter.
 
I was offered one at my last appointment with the Diabetes team at my local hospital.
You have to link them to it using libreview and they prescribe it initially for 6 months, then if they are happy with how the results are going, you get it added permanently.
 
Martin62 said:
I was offered one at my last appointment with the Diabetes team at my local hospital.
You have to link them to it using libreview and they prescribe it initially for 6 months, then if they are happy with how the results are going, you get it added permanently.
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That's how I received it, too. (Well, my request was forwarded to the team by my GP surgery. I'm no longer seen regularly at the hospital.)

I thought that system was now redundant (it's how things used to be, back when there was specific funding available for Libre)? That trial's not silly: it makes sense not to prescribe these to people who just don't get on with them, but there should no longer be any requirement that they be happy. (It does make sense to upload to LibreView and to let your hospital team view the results.)
 
Bruce Stephens said:
That's how I received it, too. (Well, my request was forwarded to the team by my GP surgery. I'm no longer seen regularly at the hospital.)

I thought that system was now redundant (it's how things used to be, back when there was specific funding available for Libre)? That trial's not silly: it makes sense not to prescribe these to people who just don't get on with them, but there should no longer be any requirement that they be happy. (It does make sense to upload to LibreView and to let your hospital team view the results.)
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I think I may have worded that wrongly, the 6 month trial is to see if I get on with it ok, and if after 6 months I'm happy to carry on, then it gets added permanently.
 
Yeah - mine was 6 months trial and I was up and down with Libre 1 - quite far down for me actually - but since I've had Libre 2, I've found it far more reliable so I do take note of what it tells me now!
 
rebrascora said:
GP isn't even allowed to change the test strips/meter.
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Who ever told you that? All you do is ring in or write a request for a change of test strips. Many people do not have access or need a consultant so all care comes from GP practice anyway.
 
@Pumper_Sue I spoke to the practice nurse who looks after the diabetics.. She can't even prescribe ketone blood testing strips for me, just Ketostix for urine which is why I asked the consultant to prescribe them.... still waiting..... but since I have Ketostix and I haven't needed them in 3 years I am not pushing it because I know they are stowed off at the clinic. It will happen when it happens.
 
rebrascora said:
@Pumper_Sue I spoke to the practice nurse who looks after the diabetics.. She can't even prescribe ketone blood testing strips for me, just Ketostix for urine which is why I asked the consultant to prescribe them.... still waiting..... but since I have Ketostix and I haven't needed them in 3 years I am not pushing it because I know they are stowed off at the clinic. It will happen when it happens.
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Look on your CCG drug tariff website and you can see exactly what can be prescribed.
None of my prescriptions are authorised by my diabetes team at the hospital except pump supplies obviously. GP does all that is required, yes the nurse can only prescribe certain things but the GP can issue other stuff.
 
Pumper_Sue said:
Look on your CCG drug tariff website and you can see exactly what can be prescribed.
None of my prescriptions are authorised by my diabetes team at the hospital except pump supplies obviously. GP does all that is required, yes the nurse can only prescribe certain things but the GP can issue other stuff.
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Can't find any drug tariff info on my CCG website and a search comes up negative.
 
JJay said:
If I've got your locality right (apologies if not) this might help https://joint-formulary.tees.nhs.uk/
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Many thanks for that. I was searching the CCG site. Didn't know to search "formulary".
Yes I think that is the right one. Unfortunately it doesn't look like they prescribe test strips and ketone strips for the Freestyle Libre reader in my situation and the Caresens Duo, which I already have, looks to be the only option for me for both ketones and glucose unless I was on a pump, so I guess I am stuck with this one. It does look like blood ketone strips for the Careasens can be prescribed but whether I would be able to persuade a GP to do so, is entirely another matter.

It certainly isn't easy to navigate the site and find the appropriate information. I wanted to see if Lyumjev was on the list but I am clearly missing something as I can't find mention of specific quick acting insulins although the basal insulins are mentioned by name. Maybe I am just too tired. Will look at it tomorrow with a clearer head. Cheers
 
To have the libre on NHS prescription where I live, the criteria is: if you do more than 8 finger prick tests daily, for a minimum of 3 months then you can have the libre sensor - clearly purely financial. I self fund at the moment due to my needle phobia (particularly hate the finger prick lancets!). If you want a host of great information on managing your diabetes via the libre look at the videos online:
dtn education - abcd - flash glucose monitoring. Hopefully, they'll get round to offering the libre to all T1s on the NHS soon! It's difficult to keep finding the money...
 
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