• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

What kind of support should I be expecting from my GP?

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
R

rosiedoll

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Pronouns
She/Her
Hi - was last on here back at the end of July following my type 2 diagnosis and received lots of useful information and support. After three months of low carb and Metformin I lost two stones and my HbA1c reading fell from 64 to 41. My surgery told me to continue taking Metformin and to continue with dietary changes (have now lost nearly three stones) and my next blood test will be in July. I feel that I've just been left and it seems a long time until July to see how things are going. I'm interested to know what kind of support anyone else receives through their GP and also whether I should be keeping a check on my blood sugar in the meantime. All advice gratefully received.
 
rosiedoll said:
Hi - was last on here back at the end of July following my type 2 diagnosis and received lots of useful information and support. After three months of low carb and Metformin I lost two stones and my HbA1c reading fell from 64 to 41. My surgery told me to continue taking Metformin and to continue with dietary changes (have now lost nearly three stones) and my next blood test will be in July. I feel that I've just been left and it seems a long time until July to see how things are going. I'm interested to know what kind of support anyone else receives through their GP and also whether I should be keeping a check on my blood sugar in the meantime. All advice gratefully received.
Click to expand...
At my first meeting with my GP to formally hear my diagnosis, I was told not to ask questions, because he had a lot to tell me. He then read from a sheet. I could have done that at home myself. At that point, I decided I'd manage my condition myself, so bought a blood glucose meter and set to it.

Four months later my numbers were back to the "normal" range, where they have remained since.

To be honest, I'd urge you not to rely on your GP for day-to-day diabetes care. Yes, take your regular checks (feet, weight, blood pressure and blood tests) if they are on offer and certainly attend your eye screening, but for the day to day management, that's down to you.

Some folks have more positive experiences than I did, but they appear to be in the minority when it comes to T2s.
 
I was diagnosed in July having asked for a test. I saw a diabetic nurse in August and started metformin. I havent seen a Doctor about the diagnosis. HCPs deal with chronic conditions. I had blood test for annual review in December and saw HCP about results at start of this month. We did not discuss diabetes as I was stressed about my very high blood pressure. I was stressed because I thought that was it for a year. I'm please because the Diabetes nurse is back from sick leave and I have an appointment next month. My hba1c was 44. I am on an SGLT2 as well as metformin. Sadly I didn't join forum until after seeing the DCN and felt unable to refuse medication despite reading reducing from 69 to 58 by diet alone.
If you are worried make a fuss. You should still receive foot checks and eye checks. I have not made a fuss but wish I had.
 
To be honest you probably got more support than i did

And its kind of sad that that seems to the norm
 
Hi @rosiedoll . Well done on the weight loss and reduction in your hbA1c levels.
To answer your questions, it seems to depend on your doctor's surgery as to how much and how often they review your diabetes with you. Some people on the forum have had little or no support.
Others like myself have generally had regular reviews since diagnosis and discussed current management and future targets. Having said that the nurse did say if my hbA1c comes down to 50mmol/mol at next review in Feb I would go onto annual review.
I was given a BG monitor and test strips because I take Gliclazide. I will certainly continue to finger prick to check BG levels just to make sure things are going well.
Your next review is not so far away and you are managing your diabetes well. If a BG monitor gives you more confidence that you are staying on track then by all means use one.
 
rosiedoll said:
Hi - was last on here back at the end of July following my type 2 diagnosis and received lots of useful information and support. After three months of low carb and Metformin I lost two stones and my HbA1c reading fell from 64 to 41. My surgery told me to continue taking Metformin and to continue with dietary changes (have now lost nearly three stones) and my next blood test will be in July. I feel that I've just been left and it seems a long time until July to see how things are going. I'm interested to know what kind of support anyone else receives through their GP and also whether I should be keeping a check on my blood sugar in the meantime. All advice gratefully received.
Click to expand...

With a result like that there's probably not much support you need apart from the yearly checks. You have done a cracking job already, well done! They might try stopping the Metformin to see what happens.
 
I wouldn’t expect to see your GP at all ever again about diabetes. I’d expect a blood test once a year, and either to do your blood pressure yourself and give the reading in once a year or the nurse to do your bp and foot check. If your a1c is high then a follow up to discuss changes to bring it down.
 
The GPs at my surgery have concentrated most effort on getting me to take statins.
They have done very well in assisting me with problems with my feet since I got an Astra Zeneca jab for Covid, which I thought might have been the end of me but when it comes to good advice - or any advice, actually, about diabetes - all is silence.
 
In 14 years of being a diabetic after having pancreatic surgery, I’ve never seen a GP. I’ve also never seen a diabetes consultant at a hospital. I get my bloods taken yearly, and they call with the results, I’ve never even seen a nurse since 2019. I manage it myself, this forum has helped over the years and I also do lots of research myself. I suppose one day I may have to insist on seeing a GP or consultant, but I know my condition more than any HCP. I would take the fantastic result you have achieved and carry on as you have been. Go to to your check ups, especially the retinal screening, they’ve dropped mine down to every two years now, get your bloods done yearly, jobs done. Diabetes is a self managing condition on the whole. Good luck and many congratulations on an amazing result. The GP didn’t do that, YOU did.
 
Thanks everyone for your replies 🙂 It really helps to know others' experiences. I'm not overly impressed with my GP surgery anyway so I did wonder if I was getting short shrift but it seems to be the norm! I'll keep going and see where I am in July - it would be good to come off the medication!
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top