Accu-chek mobile blacklisted by my NHS Trust

My surgery did exactly the same last year sometime. They stopped issuing AC Mobile meters and cassettes due to cost and replaced with another brand. I don't know which as I'm not lucky enough to have them prescribed for me. I have also seen other posts on the forum saying the same thing. It is all down to the cost of the cassettes.

If your under the care of a hospital diabetes clinic then you could ask them to intervene and write to your gp, but there's other meters that are equally as good as the Accu-Chek Mobile such as the Accu-Chek Aviva Expert (you may have to obtain this through your diabetes clinic) or any of the Bayer Contour Next meters.

I got a contour next meter from Bayer but my surgery wouldn't prescribe the strips cos they cost more than the contour ones that I have been using, they then changed me to a Tru u meter which is the cheapest . I don't mind helping the nhs but am annoyed that when I now order I only get 1 box instead of 2! I now just order more frequently which actually costs them more because each prescription costs money

jazzysquirt said:

I don't mind helping the nhs but am annoyed that when I now order I only get 1 box instead of 2! I now just order more frequently which actually costs them more because each prescription costs money

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That's just crazy @jazzysquirt

As said to the OP, if your under the care of a diabetes clinic get your Consultant/DSN to write to your gp surgery to say you need sufficient test strips to manage your type 1 diabetes, requesting strips and receiving 50 at a time is just madness and makes no sense at all.

You might want to show your gp surgery the following letter too:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa.../Safe-care-of-people-with-type-1-diabetes.pdf

Yes, my surgery have stopped prescribing Accu-Check stuff and have gone onto others. Everyone with monitor at the surgery got a letter a few months ago informing them of the monitor system they would prescribe. I've now got a GlucoRx Nexus and I chose a Mini rather than the regular size. I've not used it yet, except for some comparison tests. All this is due to reducing costs to the surgery

I agree, it seems to be a national thing, judging by other posts on this forum.

Still getting AccuChek Mobile cassettes prescribed here (London) - I use CGM so don't need that many but will be mighty angry if they stop them.

Still getting them here in the Midlands as well, wouldn't be surprised if they're stopped though, to be honest accu check don't do themselves any favours with this, the number of "meter error please retest" that the machine comes up with is a bit daft...

I think because the AC mobile is a totally unique meter an argument could be made that other meters are unsuited to your work/life. It depends how much it upsets you and how supportive your hospital clinic will be.

I would hate to have to go back to pots of strips or the faffy foil wrapped things Abbott produce.

I absolutely love that I can just slip the AC mobile into my lab coat and test literally on the move. There's not any surfaces in my lab where I'd feel comfortable putting down a test kit because of the nature of my work (lots of chemicals, bacteria etc.) It's also invaluable when I'm out and about shopping and exercising and I've gotten my late night dark bedroom testing technique down to a fine art!

To take all that away from me just to save a few £ every month, to make testing feel like a frustrating chore again and inevitably end up discouraging me from testing....It seems a bit cruel and not at all good value for money.

Thankfully my AC mobile is still provided by my GP but I am literally fearful of the day they try to fob me off with a standard meter I think my blood pressure has risen just thinking about it!

Stuartflash said:

Just went to pick up my latest prescription for test cassettes from my chemist only to be told my GP has blacklisted them as their are deemed too expensive.

No warning! No alternative given! Advised to make a GP appointment to get a suitable replacement.......not what a type 1 who drives for a living wants to hear.

Anyone else recently ran into any issues like this?

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It may not, now, be your GP - - many CCGs have a pharmacist who goes to each GP in their area and checks the prescribing, and crosses off items not deemed ok, and you have no notice given. You just go to order a repeat, and it is not there. When the new plans come in, it may be even more different in different areas of the uk

This happened to me a couple of years ago, however, I protested about the meter they gave me not being suitable to download information etc. It might also be worth checking with your local CCG as I was led to believe, by my local one, that changes to meters, test strips applied to type 2s and not type 1s.

I was told at my last GP Diabetic Clinic that they won't take me off the Accu mobile yet as the hospital clinic haven't mentioned doing so. I feel like it could be imminent though as I gather the cassettes cost the NHS a couple of pounds more than the strips. Such a nuisance faffing about opening strips and knowing what to do with the used ones.

I too had to change meters and strips due to my NHS deciding they were too expensive. We did get a letter describing the change to True You meters. Which don't allow me to add meal before and after tags and they take ages to register the results. I finally gave up and went back to my bayer contour USB and am self funding the strips. I keep nagging the GP but don't seem to be getting anywhere!

I just looked up the overall expenditure on prescription medication for diabetics to the NHS, it is 7.8% of overall diabetes related expenditure when 60% is to do with complications....
Based on data from 2012, would suggest the biggest cut could be made in reducing complications, not by changing the test strip types!

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/cost-of-diabetes.html

And bg testing is 1% of this!

Looks like another NHS postcode lottery I think generally we'd all like to help the NHS out but where is the consistency? For diabetes and other serious illnesses where people need such things there should be national guidelines that must be followed, and if a CCG has funding issues and want to economise they should be made to give patients plenty of notice that a change to prescribed medication or equipment will take place. Oh! I've an idea how they could save a bit of cash NATIONALLY to help with diabetic meter strips all over the country, get rid of some over paid employees

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/co...ore-than-nhs-recommendations/20009402.article

I have an Accu-Chek Mobile which was given to me by my diabetes nurse along with prescription for a replacement cassette and a box of 204 lancettes. The cassette only lasts 90 days, so if you don't use all 50 tests in this time you will need to replace it. There is a validate option in the menu which tells you the date the cassette runs out. As I am over 60, my prescriptions are free.

To be honest, I would probably buy a cassette if I needed to. They cost around £20 online and in my case I would only need one every three months

Johnjoe13 said:

Looks like another NHS postcode lottery I think generally we'd all like to help the NHS out but where is the consistency? For diabetes and other serious illnesses where people need such things there should be national guidelines that must be followed, and if a CCG has funding issues and want to economise they should be made to give patients plenty of notice that a change to prescribed medication or equipment will take place. Oh! I've an idea how they could save a bit of cash NATIONALLY to help with diabetic meter strips all over the country, get rid of some over paid employees

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/co...ore-than-nhs-recommendations/20009402.article

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very good idea, i had no idea what enormous salaries they had - not right at all and anyone with that sort of cash is hardly the right person to deal with cutting items people very much need - with those salaries, no doubt they and their families could afford to buy extra - The problem is that the present policy where the CCG in one's area sends their own pharmacist to look through prescribing in each GP surgery probably saves little money overall, as the pharmacist does not know the individual patient. In my case, when strips and other things were removed, i had to have 2 appointments to get items put back .