has anyone been refused test strips for type 2

[thrifty]

Hi Frankie

I am due to attend a DESMOND course in April and will also bring up point about test strips. I have even had to fight to get a place on this course. I was referred to it in Dec and have heard nothing since. I casually mentioned it when I saw a dietician ( had to fight to see her too ). She said I should have heard and would chase it up. Weeks later, having heard nothing, I rang her. She had spoken to the coordinator that very morning ( yeah, right ) and I would hear that week. Two weeks later I got a letter, rang straight away and was told that the first dates in March had gone and I have to wait till April. This will be 3 weeks after my second HBA1c test having been on diet and exercise only. I know it will be high as I have been testing with strips I bought myself and I am having consistently high readings following NHS advice on diet and changing now to low carb wont give me long enough to reduce the result. OOhhh and the statins are playing havoc with my hair so v fed up at moment...lol

 

[Mini40]

I find it interesting that the NHS would not want to spend money on test strips but will still have the handle the complications of diabetes at a much higher cost. Penny wise, pound foolish.

 

[lifesway]

Hi im recently diagnosed now on my second week of metformin i wasnt offered any testing strips at all just had to see the dietition nurse who explainedwhat i should or not be eating.i think i now have to wait 3 months until the next bloodtest so i wont know how my bs is until then so hoping its a bit beter now they told me it was 13 on s fasting test and didnt tell me the nrxt

 

[garythegob]

viewtopic.php?p=363533#p363533

This is a petition i have set up to force government to change policy of some doctors not prescribing strips to diabetic on medication,


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[vicky_l]

Hi

I am clearly one of the blessed ones I bought a monitor myself not expecting to get one when I saw my gp next she provided me with one of their own as she couldnt give me the strips for the monitor I had bought however the diabetic nurse was not impressed that I had been given one at all infact got the impression her nose was out of joint

I have run out of strips and worry if I use them too often I will have the privileged taken away but at same time as finding it helpful I find it addictive to know what is happening in blood glucose terms so for now am not replacing my strips for a while and eating sensibly but likewise feel tired all the time falling asleep and never seem to have slept enough

I hope you all find the resolution you need to get better control of this condition and to feel like you are being given same treatment as every other type 2 diabetic not a postcode lottery

Vicky_l

 

[mpe]

I got the no need to test, only HbA1c results matter. Also got a pack advising "starch with every meal" diet.
Bought meter and test strips myself. I'd already cut down on starchy foods anyway, "healthy" shredded wheat went too when I saw what it was doing to by blood glucose level.

 

[vicky_l]

:x why it it the cost of treatment determines what we get

I mean I know the books have to balance and stuff but surely the cost of strips would then in time bring down the cost of caring for complication care for diabetics which would then be avoided and the lost of hours in work etc etc

:x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x

sorry mini rant over

 

[pav]

I got the no need to test, only HbA1c results matter. Also got a pack advising "starch with every meal" diet.
Bought meter and test strips myself. I'd already cut down on starchy foods anyway, "healthy" shredded wheat went too when I saw what it was doing to by blood glucose level.

If I relied only on the HbA1c test result by the time my next annual one was due, I would of been right in the mire. My annual one was done in last Nov / Dec and was highlight for retest which was done and doctors went away happy. I restarted testing in late Dec against doctors recomendations. Found my BS had risen sharply to the 22's if I ignored my own feelings that some thing was wrong hate to think what they would of been like later on.

I am on new meds now and relearning, what foods I can and can't eat, white bread is now out of the question, and if I have some thing like a omlete plain or with meat I need to have a slice of wholemeal bread (or simular) to help keep the BS resonable. Meal times are another thing I need to relearn as with metformin if I skipped or had a very over due meal it did not make much if any difference. With new meds need to have meals in a more regular pattern (still finding this bit hard).

My doc has agreed at the moment to re-add and increase the qty of test strips so I can monitor more closely whats going, and basically I am starting from the begining again.

 

[vicky_l]

my doc says test once a day at different times to get an overview of what is going on but am testing pre and post and know strips might run out and not be able to get any more for a while will try but am expecting a reaction if I do I will have to pay for own for three months til next test then fight to get them prescribed more regularly based on improved results

Hope that works for me

and others too

xoxox

 

[hanadr]

The NHS doesn't budget for the long term.
To my mind far too little is spent on preventive medicine. I'd also love to see more spent on support services. Things like physio available in classes and nutrition [Not carb eating!]
etc. However this could only see results in the long term and unless policies change, it WON'T happen.
Funding strips is definitely a long term thing. £10 a pack for strips per month [my estimate of tthe cost to the NHs, for a reasonably well controlled T2] would easily wipe out the cost of an amputation and aftercare over the time.
Hana
PS I don't know what the NHS pays for a pack of test strips, but I know I pay £ 15/16 direct to the suppliers!

 

[carlisfandango]

not had test strips for a while
but g p still asks me my sugar level
on each visit ???

 

[vicky_l]

thank you hanadr for that idea :lol: contact supplier for test strips never thought of that dont know why tho :wink:

thats dumb carlisfandango why dont you say havent been testing as havent had strips Has docs stopped supplying or you stopped requesting Oh by the way welcome to group just seen you just joined :clap:

xoxox

 

[diabolic sister]

Where I work in a medical school there are about 100 tubs of strips and 24 monitors sitting on a shelf not being used, bought for a teaching unit. The strips will be out of date in August. I think I'll ask my boss if I can have them and distribute them somehow because this situation is ridiculous.

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[diabolic sister]

The strips that is, they definitely wouldn't give the monitors away.

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[garythegob]

Hi everyone, as some of you know, a lot of type 2 diabetics are being limited or even REFUSED test strips and other testing equipment!

The government guidelines state that ALL DIABETICS ON MEDICATION SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO TESTING EQUIPMENT TO MONITOR THEIR BG, but some PCT's card refusing to prescribe them, forcing the diabetic to purchase them themselves!

I have set up an e-petition to try and get this changed, PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK AND SIGN THE PETITION!

THANK YOU

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/46791

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[Viking]

Petition signed.

 

[ER880]

Hi, I have had T2 since about june 2010 and was given test strips @begining. after a few months the PCT changed policy and they were stopped. I have recently lost my job due to my health and so am now unemployed/sickness benefit. my doctors r refusing to supply strips saying T2 should only need to test once a year @home as long as I have a blood test every 3-6months! I was due to have a minor operation last week but it was cancelled due to my HBA1c being 11%, the hospital insists I should test daily so now I was given some old testing strips (1yr+ out of date) and was getting numbers between 4.6 - 10.2 which seemed correct. I was running out so decided I had no choice but to buy the strips + lances, £41 it cost me for 200 lances and 50 strips (£27), I have a wife who doesn't work and a 3yr old son and after bills we have £65 per 2 wks for food, clothing and travel (hospitals etc). So no money for healthy food - bloods are high with junk fatty food, don't buy strips - eat better but can't be sure my sugars are good = can't check/adjust my diet if I need to!! crazy system!! I am due a big operation that I have been waiting for for over 2yrs but now looks like it won't happen because of my sugars!

 

[pav]

If the hospital would put that in writing to you that you need to test it would be great, you could then go back to the GP and give them a copy of the letter re-asking for test strips. If no luck that way may be worth also putting a complaint in saying you are being denied access to strips is resulting in a denial of further required treatment. You could also copy it to your MP and see what the reaction is like then.

 

[ER880]

thanks, yes I told my doctor but again just said we don't give them. I have a query with my MP already so may add it lol!
thanks for the idea tho, here's hoping!

 

[mpe]

I got the no need to test, only HbA1c results matter. Also got a pack advising "starch with every meal" diet.
Bought meter and test strips myself. I'd already cut down on starchy foods anyway, "healthy" shredded wheat went too when I saw what it was doing to by blood glucose level.

If I relied only on the HbA1c test result by the time my next annual one was due, I would of been right in the mire. My annual one was done in last Nov / Dec and was highlight for retest which was done and doctors went away happy. I restarted testing in late Dec against doctors recomendations. Found my BS had risen sharply to the 22's if I ignored my own feelings that some thing was wrong hate to think what they would of been like later on.

I'm apparently on a 3 month schedule. But have to remember to make the appointment myself.
Apparently nobody in the NHS has ever heard of Harry Nyquist...