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50 Year Old Shropshire Lad

R

RJDavies

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Hi my name is Russell and I am a newly diagnosed type 2 at the age of 50.
I take metformin 500 twice a day. When diagnosed I was given a prescription and told to get on with it. I was not given a blood monitor or any information regarding monitoring food intake. How does the NHS think we are going to gain control without any monitoring.
I am fortunate that my wife is a type 1 and is A diabetes specialist midwife. So I have access to blood testing, however I have purchased a Libra freestyle sensor which I believe everyone should have access to.
Finger pricking only tells you what your blood sugar is at a specific time, not whether it is on the increase or decrease or what it was at its highest or lowest.
We are all different and react differently to foods and drinks in a different way at different times of the day so having access to a full historic blood sensor system is of great help to help us understand what our body’s are doing with what food and at what time.

We don’t need this constantly, perhaps two weeks in every three months will help us educate ourselves what is acceptable and what is not.
I live in an SY postcode and currently can’t get any funding from the CCG on this matter but every postcode around me can get funding. Surely the government should have blanket funding for education in this matter.
 
As a Type 2 I think you stand zero chance of ever getting funding for a Libre from the NHS.
Most of us can't even get meters and strips.
 
Sorry forgetting my manners.. hello and welcome to the forum.
I have seen @daisy1 intro to the amazing benefits of low carbing to keep your blood sugars in line?
 
bulkbiker said:
As a Type 2 I think you stand zero chance of ever getting funding for a Libre from the NHS.
Most of us can't even get meters and strips.
Click to expand...

There isn't an appropriate response available for this. I can't like it, I can't agree, though, yes you're right, but it shouldn't be the case. Any realistic cost benefit analysis that took full account of the costs of dealing with complications, deteriorating health, etc, over time, would recognise the value of giving these things to people with diabetes.

I know you know that, of course.................
 
bulkbiker said:
As a Type 2 I think you stand zero chance of ever getting funding for a Libre from the NHS.
Most of us can't even get meters and strips.
Click to expand...
But don’t you think that for those of us who want to help ourselves it would be the way forward, and as for your zero chance Wolverhampton and Powys do have funding.
 
E3E64D4A-78D4-4740-BC8F-E7A39740A711.jpeg
RJDavies said:
But don’t you think that for those of us who want to help ourselves it would be the way forward, and as for your zero chance Wolverhampton and Powys do have funding.
Click to expand...

Hi RJD and welcome! I agree with @bulkbiker , definitely no funding for the Free Style Libre for Type 2s in Oxfordshire where I live. Plus I think you’ve been misinformed about Wolverhampton, have a look at my screenshot taken from here:
http://www.wolverhamptonformulary.nhs.uk/formulary/BNF/Section 6 Endocrine/bnf6.asp#616
 
RJDavies said:
But don’t you think that for those of us who want to help ourselves it would be the way forward, and as for your zero chance Wolverhampton and Powys do have funding.
Click to expand...
Yes of course it would... but as there is nothing within my power to do anything about it I'd rather spend my time trying to get people off meds and controlling by diet. I think that's where time is best spent at the moment.
By spreading the word of LCHF/ketogenic eating (which seems to be gaining some traction) we can win a battle rather than bash our heads against a budgetary brick wall.
And I think you'll find that the funding is for Type 1's and not 2's..and I would guess not for all Type 1's even.
 
RJDavies said:
But don’t you think that for those of us who want to help ourselves it would be the way forward, and as for your zero chance Wolverhampton and Powys do have funding.
Click to expand...

Only for Type 1s, and they have to fulfill certain criteria. Not every T1 gets funding. Many on here have been refused because they do not meet the criteria (which is set locally)

There is zero chance Type 2s will ever get it, as said by @bulkbiker , we can't even get meters and strips unless we are on insulin or Gliclazide type drugs. I think we are all in agreement that this is poor forward planning by the NHS. The majority of us are told we don't need to test because we are not on insulin.

I buy my own Libres and use them as and when I feel it would help me.
 
RJDavies said:
But don’t you think that for those of us who want to help ourselves it would be the way forward, and as for your zero chance Wolverhampton and Powys do have funding.
Click to expand...
I can assure you that there is no funding for type 2's in the West Midlands where I live, I can't get it at the moment although my trust (Solihull) say they are considering it at the moment for certain type 1s (dunno what criteria is being applied though).
 
The NICE recommendations are for HbA1c of 6.5%, but what I've noticed on this forum, is that there is a wide range of numbers for newly diagnosed type 2s.

I can understand why someone with a not too bad HbA1c, might not need a glucose meter, but someone newly diagnosed, with a higher HbA1c might, even that doesn't seem to be a factor. There is just so much variation in need, that the guidelines don't seem to reflect that.

My health area, we don't have CCGs in Scotland, does offer Freestyle Libre to type 2s on intensive insulin therapy, I think is the phrase, but it's all very patchy at the moment.

A postcode lottery, where really there shouldn't be one.
 
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