Omnipod

[Broomey]

Morning all
Any help would be most welcome
I was funding approved for an Omnipod in June and I was really excited. Consultant said there is a waiting list but would be a few months before I get going which I felt was reasonable.
I chased my consultant this week ans anid heard nothing and he has now said I am not priority - children and mums with gestational diabetes will always rank above me and the wait could be 2-3 years!!
I don’t understand why when I’m funding approved yet they can’t roll out the pod to me
Any helps or suggestions or am I like many others simply frustrated by this whole thing

 

[Tdm]

It may be due to the bottleneck of training.

 

[rebrascora]

As said, there is an issue with training and in particular training for the new hybrid closed loop systems (training not only patients but also training clinic staff to train patients) Many clinics are giving priority to training patients who are already on pumps to move them over onto the closed loop systems. This is meaning that new pump starts are pushed back for all but priority cases like pregnant women and young children, until they have as many people as possible on the closed loop systems, so this will be why your pump start has suddenly been put back quite a bit. It is hoped that in a few years most Type 1s who would like a pump, will get one and likely with the HCL capability, but unfortunately at the moment, they simply don't have enough trained staff to do all the training required. I think many people wrongly believe that pumps are "plug and play" when in reality they take quite a lot of setting up and adjusting to the individuals needs, so there is quite a lot of input required from clinic staff in the early stages particularly.

 

[nonethewiser]

2-3 years seems excessive time to wait, was approved for pump then started on Omnipod 2 months later, that's good few years back so your wait may be to do with shortage of trainers as @Tdm says.

 

[PhoebeC]

Same, I was referred and even with a cancelled referral appointment slowing it up a few months. I think it was August my first appointment with the DSN where she referred me to the Consultant, and live with the omnipod dash by the following March. I have just started on the Omnipod 5, I only had to wait a few weeks after the Consultant asked me about HCL.

It varies by location, due to the reasons others have given, the team, their knowledge, what patients they have on what already and who is more at risk. Children are, and so are pregnant women, the research is there.

I don't think that wait time is right or fair, but it depends on why you need or want the pump, and which you are going for. Read the posts in the tech / pump section, some great advice there. I found knowing all I could about what is available, helped me, and showing I have good knowledge, do the right things they advise and still have issues. Like me and my team have tried everything to sort my issues with my menstrual cycle impacting my levels out, all that was left was the pump and then HCL.

Is your DSN supportive?

 

[Ivostas66]

My advice would be to politely and regularly chase up with your DSN. All areas of the country have a target to meet within a 4-5 year timeframe. Here it is about 1800 Type 1s by 2028. They are moving those already on pumps first. The 11 on our introductory 'day' were 3 students, 6 of us between 30 and 60 years old with good control and two people with significant health issues that make management of diabetes challenging. Only 1 person was not already 'pumping' and most of us were set to the lowest target level on the pod.

I was popped onto the Dash in March and then the Omnipod 5 at the end of October. I wasn't really a priority case and my management of the condition was considered excellent (decent HBA1C and 70 - 80% time in range). However; my DSN and consultant focussed upon my job (teaching) and ill health (virus last year caused my BG to rise for a couple of weeks, steroids led to rollercoaster levels and lengthy time off work, culminating in a potential heart attack in April.).