Hi Lucy,
I live in Horsham and I'm treated by the SDN team at (Name of Hospital removed) . Make sure you don't get your Hospital Trust confused with your PCT when researching this stuff. The team at (Name removed) have essentially stopped treating me until I start on a pump, as nothing we're doing on MDI seems to make any difference now, hence my steadily declining control and general health.
I sincerely hope pump therapy will show an improvement, once the initial adjustments and learning curve are out of the way that is. If not, I'm screwed! As for pump suitability, that's really down to meeting the NICE clinical guidelines; key criteria being either:
1. HbA1c remaining greater than 8.5 despite closely managed MDI therapy, or
2. Where attempts to maintain target HbA1c levels result in debilitating hypos (consistently), or
3. In general terms, where treatment by others means proves impractical or ineffective
If you think you meet any of the above criteria than you are entitled to request treatment by pump therapy. This will be far easier with your care team's support though, so if you're not getting this you should request a referral to a specialist endocrinologist or diabetologist. You might also consider changing GP.
You should know that the first thing a diabetes specialist will want to see is that you're sufficiently aware of your illness to manage pump therapy. That means your carb counting and dosing skills should be strong, as should your general knowledge of influencing factors (diet, exercise, illness) when managing your treatment.
Hope that helps!
Pete.