End of warranty & no replacement

[Alzibiff]

My Medtronic Veo is now a few months older than 4 years and therefore no longer under warranty . This is not good but the NHS Trust who provided it and who continue to fund the consumables have a policy which is effectively "fix/replace on fail" rather than being proactive and replacing pumps once the warranty expires.

I find the situation particularly worrying as whilst in warranty I had a pump fail on me which was replaced within hours of me reporting it to Medtronic - and that was on a Sunday.

If my pump fails now, I would have to call a telephone number - which is attached to an answering machine - wait for my message to be picked up and then go through whatever processes my Trust has in place for replacing failed units with new ones. Past experience tells me that when my existing pump fails (and it will at some point, nothing lasts forever), it will fail during a weekend or at the start of some big Bank Holiday period.

Of course, I have the backup of insulin pens and needles but with those comes all the rigmarole of trying to fathom out doses of long acting and short acting insulin - not happy!

Is this situation common and perhaps more importantly, is there anything I can do to insist that the Trust replace my out of warranty pump given that when I started with it, I was told that I would get a new one - and a chance to choose another model - at the end of the warranty period.

Alan

 

[noblehead]

I don't know the answer to your question Alan, I'll 'bump' your post up so that other pump users may see it and reply.

 

[Lucypieee]

Re: End of warranty & no replacement

From the looks of what you were saying, your trust has already stated that you will have a new one at the expiry of the warranty, maybe remind them of that?
Did you sign any document that states it would be replaced when you first got your pump?

I would also highlight the danger of you having to wait for a replacement through them as you do not have the warranty.

I don't have this experience as I've only been on the pump for 2.5 months, however, I do recommend speaking to INPUT (www.inputdiabetes.org.uk) if your trust fail to listen to reason, they will be able to offer suggestions and speak to your trust as needed.


Sent from Diabetes.co.uk Forum App

 

[Alzibiff]

@Noblehead - Thanks for the bump
@Lucipieee - Thank you for the reply

I don't recall signing anything to be honest and yes, I have reminded those who I have spoken to, (my consultant and DSN), about the policy at the time which as I said, was to provide a new pump at the end of the warranty. Response - "that was the policy at the time". End of discussion.

The DSN is stuck with what the Trust tell her to say and goes into a script which includes words to the effect that washing machines often carry on once their warranty period has ended. :crazy:
I am afraid that those who make and implement these policies simply do not understand or appreciate the way a T1 insulin pump user lives his/her life and the only balance sheet they are concerned with involves money and not carbs! It really does go against the grain when a health trust is operating a "fix on fail" policy rather than one to "prevent and keep the wheels turning".

As for expressing "..the danger of you having to wait for a replacement ". This will not wash either - I have backup insulin pens, needles and a supply of long acting insulin in the fridge. The real frustrating thing for me is that when the pump fails, there will be:

• a panic period which will probably start on a Friday evening prior to a Bank Holiday Monday
  an 'out of optimum control' period for me
  a lot of running around to deliver the failed pump for testing by the Trust's medical equipment department
  a wait of goodness knows how long for a new pump to be ordered
  more running around to collect the new pump when it is delivered. (My trust insists that all new devices get tested by themselves before issue to patients.

How much money are they going to save? Not a clue but not as much as they think I suspect which will be a tiny drop in the ocean for their budget but a drop with big consequences for this individual.

Alan

 

[iHs]

Hi Alan

When I got my Combo pump in 2010 I automatically thought (took it for granted) that when the warranty came to its end which I thought was 4 years, the pump would either be replaced with an updated model from the same company or I could choose another pump from another company. The pump rep was a bit non committal and the dsn was the same and said that with the way finance was being done, the pump would be renewed when it developed a fault but until it developed such, then I would need to carry on using it. This might be only 4 years, then again it might be 6 years. If it wasn't for the fact that I would like to use cgm which I'm not sure if I can afford to pay for privately, then I don't really want to wait for about 6 years before the Combo gives up the ghost.

I have a feeling somehow that all pump users will be facing this until the price of pumps gets considerably lower.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Re: End of warranty & no replacement

My hosp say I will get a replacementt of my choice in Sept next year at the 4yr mark... The still say this after my latest check up. However.... My hospital is not holding the purse strings... As I have a different pct being outside of the official catchment area... So I suspect that I may have a battle too with the actual pct funding... But not the hospital....
I dont actually want a new pump... So I am quite happy to keep going with the pump I have until it fails....