CGM Help

[Paul520785]

Hi all
- Hoping someone can help with some information -

From 1st April CGMs became available on prescription but subject to varying criteria.

I followed this up and this resulted in a Consultant appointment where I was told "You definitely qualify - I will fill in the form this afternoon and you should hear in 2 - 3 weeks"

Now over 4 weeks later and trying to find out where to follow-up.

Local surgery tried to help but did not even know how to get the process started.

Now wondering if others have solved this problem and how.

Any Ideas appreciated !!

Paul T1 for 60+ years Located in North Norfolk UK

 

[Deleted Account]

When you say "CGM", do you mean Libre (not a CGM)?
In my experience only a consultant can approve a Libre prescription.
My consultant sent a letter to my GP requesting they start prescribing the Libre for me.

 

[Seacrow]

If this were me I'd phone the hospital and ask to speak to the consultant's secretary. On eventually getting through tell her Mr. Consultant was going to set up the 'getting a Libre' process, and could she please see how far he has got in terms of sorting the initial sensor and reader, and asking your GP to provide on going prescriptions.

The secretary will be the one actually printing and sending letters, and could prioritize if yours is just stuck in a queue of correspondence.

Good luck.

 

[buckmr2]

I've been on the Libre (It's a FGM not a CGM (until Abbott bring that out in the UK (like India has now) next year (according to their rep.)).
I have to go to the hospital every 3 - 6 months to be reviwed and fill in a questionnaire to be able to keep it and also be in target >60% and be below target <5% of the time.
The prescription is then reissued if I'm within targets but only by the consultant. I can't get it from my GP
(North Durham CCG) only from my consultant.

 

[ert]

I've been told by OCDEM, Oxford that I need to gather data to support that I test over 8 times a day for 3 months. Honestly, I've only been testing this much since moving to insulin 2 weeks ago, so I will have to self-fund for awhile.

 

[Paul520785]

Thanks for the info - Really appreciate the ideas.

I have been testing about 10 times each day for several years now - proving that for a period of 2 months is very difficult as a meter normally only holds 500 records - about 2 weeks short and I personally regularly use 3 different meters which are kept in different locations. I use a process which reads the meters and then exports the results to a file. This I can now sort in date & Time order then print on paper (16 sides for two months).
My opinion is that any T1 must have more than 1 or 2 meters simply because they do not always work, get broken, don't float and are not sun proof.

I have been trying to contact my consultant's secretary for 2 days now but I know she is part time and does not work every week day. Can only keep trying!

More suggestions welcome

Paul

 

[LooperCat]

I've been on the Libre (It's a FGM not a CGM (until Abbott bring that out in the UK (like India has now) next year (according to their rep.)).
I have to go to the hospital every 3 - 6 months to be reviwed and fill in a questionnaire to be able to keep it and also be in target >60% and be below target <5% of the time.
The prescription is then reissued if I'm within targets but only by the consultant. I can't get it from my GP
(North Durham CCG) only from my consultant.

What range do they specify?

 

[Paul520785]

What range do they specify?

My Onetouch meters only record 500 results = 50 days. The request appears to want proof of 2 or 3months daily test. Quantity
I assume that is what you mean

 

[Paul520785]

Now over 4 weeks from appointment with consultant where cam was offered >> Have spoken to secretary ## still waiting
Very slow and frustrating.
At this rate I am beginning to wish I had not bothered to try to get one.
Now think parts of NHS are a total waste of the tax I pay!
Rant over. -

 

[Paul520785]

Now almost 6 weeks since seeing the consultant >> Freestyle Libre <<
Just received an e-mail from his secretary - She has followed up on the information provided and updated me -
She is brilliant -
.
.. So I have good news ? I think ?!
I am on a waiting list to attend a course and I should have the appointment notification in 2 to 3 months time!
.
So the timescale is from 2nd June to some time in November.
.
Can anyone tell me if this is the usual wait ?? Any tips on any follow up would help and probably reassure me. . . .
.
Any info on alternative sensors would help me - Any suggestions ??

 

[LooperCat]

My Onetouch meters only record 500 results = 50 days. The request appears to want proof of 2 or 3months daily test. Quantity
I assume that is what you mean

No, I meant when they say to be in target range >60% of the time, what is the target range they set for you?

 

[becca59]

Now almost 6 weeks since seeing the consultant >> Freestyle Libre <<
Just received an e-mail from his secretary - She has followed up on the information provided and updated me -
She is brilliant -
.
.. So I have good news ? I think ?!
I am on a waiting list to attend a course and I should have the appointment notification in 2 to 3 months time!
.
So the timescale is from 2nd June to some time in November.
.
Can anyone tell me if this is the usual wait ?? Any tips on any follow up would help and probably reassure me. . . .
.
Any info on alternative sensors would help me - Any suggestions ??

What a load of rubbish. Delaying tactics.

 

[Paul520785]

No, I meant when they say to be in target range >60% of the time, what is the target range they set for you?

Never had a target other than get H1BAC down from 8% to 7% about 12 years ago!

 

[LooperCat]

Never had a target other than get H1BAC down from 8% to 7% about 12 years ago!

I was replying to @buckmr2 who said they had to be in range >60% of the time, was just wondering what range they had specified - I was just asked to drop my HbA1c by a certain amount to get mine. Was just curious.

 

[MeiChanski]

Now almost 6 weeks since seeing the consultant >> Freestyle Libre <<
Just received an e-mail from his secretary - She has followed up on the information provided and updated me -
She is brilliant -
.
.. So I have good news ? I think ?!
I am on a waiting list to attend a course and I should have the appointment notification in 2 to 3 months time!
.
So the timescale is from 2nd June to some time in November.
.
Can anyone tell me if this is the usual wait ?? Any tips on any follow up would help and probably reassure me. . . .
.
Any info on alternative sensors would help me - Any suggestions ??

I cannot comment because it was quite different for me. I saw my consultant on 10th June and he looked at my readings, gave me a month prescription for Fiasp and sensors at the hospital. From there onwards, around 2 weeks my GP surgery received the go ahead to continue prescribing it to me. I know a few others on this forum had to do a course or a trial prior to getting it on prescription.

 

[Paul520785]

Further info request

As I now know I will get a freestyle libre in about 6 weeks time I am after suggestions / recommendations as to which app to load to new iPhone to read the sensor.
I have an iPhone 8 Plus but I would like to be able to export data to excel and compare with the test strip results so I can get a long term comparison of the results to identify the variances at low and high BG levels.

Also now wondering if anyone gets different cgm monitors on the NHS.

 

[Fndwheelie]

AFAIK, there’s the FreeStyle LibreLink app which you can find on their website, if you don’t have the freestyle libre reader you need this to activate the sensor. And I believe there is one third party app you can run on iOS but there’s complications with it as it’s not freely available, you need a developers licence or something so that has kinda put me off looking into it. Hopefully one of the more educated libre users will offer their tuppence worth to help you more than I can.

 

[MeiChanski]

Further info request

As I now know I will get a freestyle libre in about 6 weeks time I am after suggestions / recommendations as to which app to load to new iPhone to read the sensor.
I have an iPhone 8 Plus but I would like to be able to export data to excel and compare with the test strip results so I can get a long term comparison of the results to identify the variances at low and high BG levels.

Also now wondering if anyone gets different cgm monitors on the NHS.

Theres the freestyle libre app, where you can activate your sensor without a reader. On the freestyle libre app you can add notes and upload to libre view or diasend - whichever one your hospital uses to see charts, hypos and your notes.

If you want it to be more CGM like, you'll need to purchase a third party transmitter like the miaomiao - @Mel dCP is an apple user, she has a miaomiao and uses spike app along with it.
I don't know what you mean by CGM monitors? Libre isn't a CGM, but a FGM. Dexcom G6 from what I heard is more difficult to get on the NHS. Usually if you get the libre sensors, I think you'll get a reader with it. I didn't get a reader because I have both the reader and my phone already.