Freestyle Libre On Bbc One Breakfast 8:50 26 July

Mr_Pot

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The freestyle libre and the problems people have getting it have just been covered. The first shot was of the PM using it. You should be able to find it on iPlayer
Don't get too excited, it was a very short and superficial item.
 

ringi

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But it's the first time the issue has been discussed on mainstream media as far as I know and the commons Select Committee on diabetes discussed it recently.
 

Mr_Pot

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But it's the first time the issue has been discussed on mainstream media as far as I know and the commons Select Committee on diabetes discussed it recently.
I agree, any mention that raises awareness is a good thing but the problem with news items are that they are so restricted in the time available that the information they can impart is, as I say, superficial. Hopefully a programme with more time will be able to take up the subject and cover it in more detail. I don't like the expression "postcode lottery" in this context, lotteries are random but the difference in supply of CGM in different parts of the country results from decisions being made by CCG's, hopefully they don't toss a coin to decide. A good subject to cover in a programme would be how they come to these decisions.
 

BeccyB

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I thought that it was a good piece. Any news report is going to be limited in time and I think they covered a lot of important points - obviously how much of a postcode lottery it is, and the fact T1 is autoimmune. Also showing the 2 case studies showed this isn't "fat & lazy diabetics" and that this is life changing and helping children have a better today and future (of course thousands of adults would benefit too but the kids focus a lot of people's minds more!)
 

Mr_Pot

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I thought that it was a good piece. Any news report is going to be limited in time and I think they covered a lot of important points - obviously how much of a postcode lottery it is, and the fact T1 is autoimmune. Also showing the 2 case studies showed this isn't "fat & lazy diabetics" and that this is life changing and helping children have a better today and future (of course thousands of adults would benefit too but the kids focus a lot of people's minds more!)
I agree they made good use of the 3 mins 30 secs allocated, but it is a complicated subject and in the same programme they found 6 mins to talk to an author plugging her new book.
 

DavidGrahamJones

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I don't like the expression "postcode lottery" in this context, lotteries are random but the difference in supply of CGM in different parts of the country results from decisions being made by CCG's, hopefully they don't toss a coin to decide.

I can see your point. One's chances of getting a prescription for the Libre does depend on where you live, not so much per post code but per CCG.
 

BeccyB

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I agree they made good use of the 3 mins 30 secs allocated, but it is a complicated subject and in the same programme they found 6 mins to talk to an author plugging her new book.

Good point!
 

lizdeluz

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I'm not that happy with the Libre. On this forum, people have reported that it can be unreliable on day 12 or 13 onwards, etc. Perhaps more time needs to be given to developing it. The PM is using it, I'm glad, but I think that it is only half-fit for purpose at present, and that instead of calls for it to be available to everyone, maybe, first, the product could be made as trustworthy as blood sugar monitors and finger sticks.
 

ringi

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Sorry I don't care how "trustworthy" the libre is, provided people are getting better A1c and fewer hypos by using it.
 

Scott-C

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Sorry I don't care how "trustworthy" the libre is, provided people are getting better A1c and fewer hypos by using it.

Ringi, I know you like stats, so I thought I'd mention a couple of recent developments in Scotland.

Several health boards here are already precribing libre on very liberal terms - I get it in Lothian just because I'm T1, no conditions.

Other areas here, though, have stated that they are awaiting a report from the Scottish Health Technology Group, which assesses new products and reports on clinical and cost effectiveness after looking at published papers and doing their own cost modelling.

Health boards are required to consider SHTG reports, not necessarily follow them, but it would be surprising if the reports are not followed.

Their report was published on 13 July as Advice Statement 009/18:

http://www.healthcareimprovementsco...dvice_statements/advice_statement_009-18.aspx

I don't know enough about statistics to say whether their methodology is good or bad, but, after hedging it with caveats to do with there still being uncertainties, and work needing to be done on various areas, they are satisfied that it leads to statistically significant improvements in a1c in previously poorly controlled insulin users.

There's a 60 page long evidence note linked to on the page which sets out their methodology. I didn't take notes when reading it but there's mention of not only a1c but cost savings from reductions in treating severe hypos requiring NHS assistance, and improvements in quality of life.

http://www.healthcareimprovementsco...s/shtg_-_evidence_notes/evidence_note_81.aspx

Shortly after this was issued, the Edinburgh Centre for Endocrinology and Diabetes published this abstract:

https://www.easd.org/myeasd/home.ht...type-1-diabetes-a-large-real-world-assessment

When they were busy giving us libre on script, they'd asked about 200 self-funders to fill in some details of our past use, experiences etc. They then raked around in their databases to look at our historic a1cs and produced a report indicating that self-funders showed an increase in meeting the a1c target of <58 from 28% to 42%, which the authors describe as statistically significant. And, as with SHTG, they also mention improvements in stress and social aspects.

I think these two reports are useful bits of evidence in making the case that libre improves lives and is cost effective.
 
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