Is this normal within the NHS these days?

[Mothman]

Hi all,
i was diagnosed T2 in July of this year, managing to keep it under control with the diet but i have only seen my doctor twice. Havnt see a diabetes nurse nor been offered the advice of one nor discussed dietary details with anyone. A little bit worried about my feet though, feeling isnt what it used to be in them, especially the soles.

Is this the norm these days re advice from the NHS?

Andy

 

[barleymo]

Why have you only seen doctor twice - your choice or theirs ? I saw only my doctor for few years, only got passed to specialist nurse when I started having trouble with control on my own. If you are worried you really should talk to your GP and they should explain what will happen.

 

[Mothman]

OK, thanks for that, i think i will have another chat with the Doc,only just noticed about my feet. Havnt been much cos there havnt been any other problems so far.

Andy

 

[Dougie22]

It does seem to vary quite a lot.

I've no other medical issues apart from overweight and high cholesterol. I'm 58.

I was diagnosed at Easter and so far I've had:

- A 40 minute session with the practice nurse incl urine test and a pile of NHS leaflets about diabetes
- An ECG at the local hospital to check for heart issues and/or act as a refernce point for comparison
- Photos of my retinas taken to check for eyesight problems and to act as a reference
- Appointment with podiatrist to check my feet
- Appointment with dietician to discuss diet in T2
- Two meetings with my doctor to discuss HbA1c results and Cholesterol issues
- A full day (six hours) DESMOND course for the newly diagnosed with T2

So I think my surgery has been really thorough in covering all the bases but it seems this is not always the case.

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Hi Mothman, two appointments in 5 months doesnt seem unreasonable to me, I was on 4 monthly appointments when first diagnosed and many dont get seen that regularly.

As long as you get an annual retinal scan and foot check I would think your care is sorted, you may want to ask for a dietician appointment but other than that it all seems pretty much covered to me :thumbup:

If you are concerned about your feet however make an appointment and ask your doctor to check them out now dont leave it :thumbup:

 

[Mothman]

Thanks Sid, i will.
Havnt had a retinal scan, nor the foot tests etc, nor a chat with a dietician, havnt been offered anything, not even a testing kit but as i use my mum's thats ok. Just find it a bit strange that the surgery dosnt seem too bothered and its me that has to push them all the time.

Thanks for all your input guys.

Andy

 

[Unbeliever]

Try not to worry too much Mothman. At one time the bnewl diagnosed were bombarded with too much info , oo may tests etc immediately after diagnosis . Many found it overwhelming and thought they were not going to be able to live a normal life.

Nowadays , they seem to take it more slowly to give you time to adjust . Of course we are all different . Obviously you feel as if you have been just casr adrift to cope alone and would like more reassurance.

It is also the case hat they like things to settle after diagnosis - wih the condition as well as your feelings about it. You may find that when next you see the nurse or whoever you will be given more information . One of the most difficult things is getting used to the system . The HCPs often seem to expevct you just to know how things work.

Personally , I would feel very happy if I never saw my Nurse again :lol: ,On man's meat is another man's poison as they say.

It will all start to make more sense to you soon I am sure.

 

[Mothman]

Great help bud, thanks. Its just me not knowing what to expect from the system.

Andy