Proud to be erratic
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 3c
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In a recent thread there was some discussion about Dexcom Receivers and I commented that getting a Receiver was akin to a Post Code lottery. I now know that I was not correct.
I have been self-funding G7 sensors since the start of August. On Tuesday I received a most welcome email from Dexcom telling me that shortly I was going receive G7 sensors and these would be funded by the NHS under a contract between my Hospital and Dexcom direct. This was a surprise, in that I had made a request during my periodic formal Hospital consult to be upgraded to G7 in August and that request was acknowledged and would be referred to the Hospital's Endocrinology Technical Committee for consideration. Since then I'd heard nothing and I felt that my request was still "work in progress" and I should politely wait a bit longer before asking again.
The Dexcom email started:
Hello from Dexcom,
Great news, we are pleased to confirm that we have been instructed by your hospital to supply you with
First Supply
Your first shipment is due to dispatch to your home address on 25/10/2023, please allow up to 5-7 business days for your delivery to arrive.
There was other information about subsequent supply arrangements, product support,contact details for Dexcom and a standard anonymous closure from "Dexcom".
Then a postscript para:
Additional information on funding - https://www.dexcom.com/en-GB/nhs-funded-patients”
Followed by a second closure with a full name and job title of Customer Support Specialist, UK and Ireland, Dexcom.
Today I received my first order of 9 sensors and a G7 Receiver. Very efficiently manage by Dexcom in conjunction with DPD. Since I had a self-funded contract already in place I contacted Customer Services to be sure that my self-funding quarterly contract was cancelled straightaway - but not the Hospital funded contract. I needn't have worried they had already done that; but I now have this written in a further email this afternoon. Obviously I am a very happy bunny after this early Xmas present!
Out of curiosity I asked what the process was for other G7 users to obtain a Receiver and the Agent confirmed that Dexcom only supplied these either privately to those who self-fund or to NHS patients within a contract between a Hospital and Dexcom. As far as the Agent knew there was no generic supply arrangement between the NHS and Dexcom and thus no route for a Pharmacy purchasing team to source Receivers to fulfil GP prescriptions.
So it seems that Dexcom Receivers can only be NHS funded within Hospital contracts - yet Dexcom One sensors can be obtained on general prescription, whereas G6 and G7 can only be under a Hospital / Dexcom funding and direct supply arrangement. It all seems a bit convoluted or erratic (appropriate for me?) and not necessarily providing best financial value, but at least I now have a bit more understanding of how these NHS procurements can happen. It does sound as though its the same sort of process for NHS funded pumps etc.
I would like to think that there is still an NHS Contract Manager somewhere, with an overview on this procurement process between Dexcom and discrete NHS Hospitals. But the cynic in me thinks there isn't an obvious person watching over Libre 2 supply to the NHS, so why would there be for certain Dexcom supplies?
I have been self-funding G7 sensors since the start of August. On Tuesday I received a most welcome email from Dexcom telling me that shortly I was going receive G7 sensors and these would be funded by the NHS under a contract between my Hospital and Dexcom direct. This was a surprise, in that I had made a request during my periodic formal Hospital consult to be upgraded to G7 in August and that request was acknowledged and would be referred to the Hospital's Endocrinology Technical Committee for consideration. Since then I'd heard nothing and I felt that my request was still "work in progress" and I should politely wait a bit longer before asking again.
The Dexcom email started:
Hello from Dexcom,
Great news, we are pleased to confirm that we have been instructed by your hospital to supply you with
- ongoing Dexcom G7 consumables
First Supply
Your first shipment is due to dispatch to your home address on 25/10/2023, please allow up to 5-7 business days for your delivery to arrive.
There was other information about subsequent supply arrangements, product support,contact details for Dexcom and a standard anonymous closure from "Dexcom".
Then a postscript para:
Additional information on funding - https://www.dexcom.com/en-GB/nhs-funded-patients”
Followed by a second closure with a full name and job title of Customer Support Specialist, UK and Ireland, Dexcom.
Today I received my first order of 9 sensors and a G7 Receiver. Very efficiently manage by Dexcom in conjunction with DPD. Since I had a self-funded contract already in place I contacted Customer Services to be sure that my self-funding quarterly contract was cancelled straightaway - but not the Hospital funded contract. I needn't have worried they had already done that; but I now have this written in a further email this afternoon. Obviously I am a very happy bunny after this early Xmas present!
Out of curiosity I asked what the process was for other G7 users to obtain a Receiver and the Agent confirmed that Dexcom only supplied these either privately to those who self-fund or to NHS patients within a contract between a Hospital and Dexcom. As far as the Agent knew there was no generic supply arrangement between the NHS and Dexcom and thus no route for a Pharmacy purchasing team to source Receivers to fulfil GP prescriptions.
So it seems that Dexcom Receivers can only be NHS funded within Hospital contracts - yet Dexcom One sensors can be obtained on general prescription, whereas G6 and G7 can only be under a Hospital / Dexcom funding and direct supply arrangement. It all seems a bit convoluted or erratic (appropriate for me?) and not necessarily providing best financial value, but at least I now have a bit more understanding of how these NHS procurements can happen. It does sound as though its the same sort of process for NHS funded pumps etc.
I would like to think that there is still an NHS Contract Manager somewhere, with an overview on this procurement process between Dexcom and discrete NHS Hospitals. But the cynic in me thinks there isn't an obvious person watching over Libre 2 supply to the NHS, so why would there be for certain Dexcom supplies?
