Testing Strips....

[Lord_Lien]

I put in a request for some more test strips for my meter & was told that they only allocate 1 pot per year, I will have to purchase my own from now on. Being unemployed the £17.50 is quite a hefty chunk of my dole money. Is that just for our local area or something for anyone who lives in England?

 

[noblehead]

That is unfortunate, some type 2's do get more prescribed and some don't get any.

There's a bg meter called the SD Codefree, the test strips are around £7 for a tub of 50 strips.

 

[graj0]

I wish I could give you some good news, trouble being there isn't any. It's seems to vary from surgery to surgery, I don't get any strips prescribed at all. Do you think their decision might be different if they were made aware of your financial predicament, or do they already know?

 

[martsnow]

I put in a request for some more test strips for my meter & was told that they only allocate 1 pot per year, I will have to purchase my own from now on. Being unemployed the £17.50 is quite a hefty chunk of my dole money. Is that just for our local area or something for anyone who lives in England?

I know its sad to say but I feel that sufferers of diabetes are at the bottom of the pecking order when it comes to NHS funding. I have only been diagnosed type 2 in the last couple of months but have already come to the above conclusion. I feel the NHS is driven by the large Pharmaceutrical companies who make millions out of supplying us with drugs. The more drugs that are prescribed then the more millions of pounds profit they make.

Having said all this I live in the West Midlands and have been given a free meter and have a repeat prescription for 100 test strips per months. But this can vary from surgery to surgery in the same town?

I think it is another postcode lottery.......................

 

[ally1]

I used to get 50 strips a month but as I, my now on a new med, my go won,the prescribe them bought a code free meter and buy the strips. The code free strips are the cheapest to buy

 

[dinkum1946]

I put in a request for some more test strips for my meter & was told that they only allocate 1 pot per year, I will have to purchase my own from now on. Being unemployed the £17.50 is quite a hefty chunk of my dole money. Is that just for our local area or something for anyone who lives in England?

 

[dinkum1946]

That is a scandal that you are prescribed so little. I live in York and was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1988. I was placed on insulin in 2006 (humalog 25) I have been supplied with a free meter, strips, lancets, and injection pen and needles since then and all on the NHS. The only restriction that I have is on the manufacturer of the meter, needles, lancets, and strips (Nexus). I am thankful for this from my local GP.

 

[Type1Bri]

That is a scandal that you are prescribed so little. I live in York and was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1988. I was placed on insulin in 2006 (humalog 25) I have been supplied with a free meter, strips, lancets, and injection pen and needles since then and all on the NHS. The only restriction that I have is on the manufacturer of the meter, needles, lancets, and strips (Nexus). I am thankful for this from my local GP.

It is due to the fact you are now on insulin therapy that you get all of the bits mentioned above, it would be very dangerous to not test if you are on insulin

 

[jimsboss]

I must admit that I'm fortunate to have Diabetic Nurse who gave me a free meter and strips when I started on Meds. I was given a NHS form which stopped me paying for all prescriptions. I thought this was the same for all UK residents. I have also got one of the free meters advertised on his website. I hate to think what I would have to pay I lived elsewhere!

 

[Shar67]

I must admit that I'm fortunate to have Diabetic Nurse who gave me a free meter and strips when I started on Meds. I was given a NHS form which stopped me paying for all prescriptions. I thought this was the same for all UK residents. I have also got one of the free meters advertised on his website. I hate to think what I would have to pay I lived elsewhere!

OP may get free prescriptions but if GP is only prescribing 1 box of 50 that is all that will be provided free

 

[Lord_Lien]

Do you think their decision might be different if they were made aware of your financial predicament, or do they already know?

I did tell them I was not working & it made zero difference. I just test myself once a week now until I find work. Pain I know but its the only way I can do it.

 

[Cl1ve]

Hi . this subject has been going on a long time now and it still needs to be sorted out . i would try and tell your doctor that you need the test strips to moniter you levels not test them as a test implies a pass or fail . And put it in writing so if you do have any problems you can then hold them responsible . it may not work but its worth a try
Clive

 

[SweetGuy]

I think the people at the Department of Health think it is sorted out. The latest NICE Guidelines Dec 2015 say that Type 2s who are not taking medication that is likely to cause hypoglycaemia should not be routinely prescribed test strips.

 

[dbr10]

I put in a request for some more test strips for my meter & was told that they only allocate 1 pot per year, I will have to purchase my own from now on. Being unemployed the £17.50 is quite a hefty chunk of my dole money. Is that just for our local area or something for anyone who lives in England?

My doctor told me that there was no point in testing because I couldn't do anything to change things. Obviously nonsense. I have improved with LCHF. The real reasons they don't want you to test are:-
1). Then you would know that the HCLF diet advice is complete nonsense, and actually irrational; and,
2). They don't want to pay for the strips.

So, you are expected to manage your diabetes without knowing what your readings are.

Just want to echo other comments about the SD Codefree. Available VAT free from http://homehealth-uk.com/

 

[shantapatel]

I think the people at the Department of Health think it is sorted out. The latest NICE Guidelines Dec 2015 say that Type 2s who are not taking medication that is likely to cause hypoglycaemia should not be routinely prescribed test strips.

I was told the same .nice guideline says no strips for type 2 on metformin.so buy your own or no monitoring.