Annual blood test and diabetes checks still happening?

[Janrad49]

I had an HbA1c and cholesterol check blood taken last week. Still waiting for the results.
This was a semi annual as I reminded the last doctor I spoke to and the PPG that they should be semi annual according to NICE guidelines.
However I was very surprised to get the call for the blood draw. Surgery had one other patient that looked a bit like an emergency.

I have had blood test & a telephone consultation from diabetic nurse at surgery .im also due eye test & review by diabetic specialist nurse .also got to take my blood pressure for a week

 

[MrsA2]

I spoke to local surgery today. Apparently the diabetes person has left and so no one is doing anything
I pushed and managed to get my hba1c added to some other tests I'm due. Thank heavens I have more than diabetes....!

 

[JohnR127]

My regular checks are all suspended indefinitely. In addition to no annual diabetes review or retina checks, no district nurse 6 monthly equipment check, no amputation rehab, no bypass surgery surveillance. All have written nice letters.

 

[Maggie_Broon]

Hi All,

Hope everyone is safe and keeping well.

I have my yearly blood test/eye check etc in march/april but this year due to situation we all are in, I have not received the letter from NHS.

Just before I contact my GP, can I confirm if you are having your tests done as per normal schedule?

N

Hi Just seen this. My eye test was cancelled in April and so far not had any further appointments so don't think i'll have any appointments anytime soon until it is safe to do so.

 

[Parisemo]

Hi Just seen this. My eye test was cancelled in April and so far not had any further appointments so don't think i'll have any appointments anytime soon until it is safe to do so.

I am type1 and have not been able to have a blood test but my diabetic consultant did phone me asking how I was getting on. Did I have any problems etc. I keep my diabetes well controlled.

 

[L reyn]

Hi All,

Hope everyone is safe and keeping well.

I have my yearly blood test/eye check etc in march/april but this year due to situation we all are in, I have not received the letter from NHS.

Just before I contact my GP, can I confirm if you are having your tests done as per normal schedule?

N

Hi All,

Hope everyone is safe and keeping well.

I have my yearly blood test/eye check etc in march/april but this year due to situation we all are in, I have not received the letter from NHS.

Just before I contact my GP, can I confirm if you are having your tests done as per normal schedule?

N

Some Gp open next week some are not government sent up diebties help line soon as hospitals will not set up diebties for few mouths But now call 111 got last information for now

 

[Dianemacfaden]

Hi All,

Hope everyone is safe and keeping well.

I have my yearly blood test/eye check etc in march/april but this year due to situation we all are in, I have not received the letter from NHS.

Just before I contact my GP, can I confirm if you are having your tests done as per normal schedule?

I had my appointment letter back in early March and my appointment date was the first week of lockdown. I managed to get my bloods taken at the hospital instead of by my GP and my consultation was by phone call with my consultant. I got my blood results and a bit of advice but never got any letter afterwards. Not sure what will happen about annual eye and foot checks? I would contact them if I was you to at least get the basics done.

I had my consultation by telephone and it was the first week of lockdown. Luckily I managed to get my bloods done at the hospital as my GP surgery wouldn’t do it. I didn’t get my follow up letter and was told I wouldn’t get one this time. My HBa1C is steady at least. Not sure what will happen with annual eye photos and foot checks though?

 

[SueJB]

I am supposed to have my diabetes review on 30th June at OCDEM, Churchill hospital and despite emailing them twice, I've had no reply so don't know if it's been cancelled or not. I don't want to turn up to find it's cancelled, neither do I want to waste their time by not turning up. Strangely, I received a message from my local GP surgery saying that my review is overdue and I need to make 2 appointments.

 

[DCUKMod]

I am supposed to have my diabetes review on 30th June at OCDEM, Churchill hospital and despite emailing them twice, I've had no reply so don't know if it's been cancelled or not. I don't want to turn up to find it's cancelled, neither do I want to waste their time by not turning up. Strangely, I received a message from my local GP surgery saying that my review is overdue and I need to make 2 appointments.

Sue, I had an Endo appointment at a different trust last month.

About a week before the appointment I received a text to say the appointment would take place, as normal (i.e. at the Clinic), unless I was informed a couple of days prior to the appointment.

A couple of days before, I received a text informing me the appointment would still take place, but by phone (and not to attend hospital). Almost at the same time, I had a call from the Clinic to ensure I had received the message, it'd be OK and to check the phone number I should be contacted on.

I had a reminder the day before too.

It might just be too soon for them to know if it's happening or not. Could be worthwhile waiting until less than a week to go?

 

[SueJB]

Sue, I had an Endo appointment at a different trust last month.

About a week before the appointment I received a text to say the appointment would take place, as normal (i.e. at the Clinic), unless I was informed a couple of days prior to the appointment.

A couple of days before, I received a text informing me the appointment would still take place, but by phone (and not to attend hospital). Almost at the same time, I had a call from the Clinic to ensure I had received the message, it'd be OK and to check the phone number I should be contacted on.

I had a reminder the day before too.

It might just be too soon for them to know if it's happening or not. Could be worthwhile waiting until less than a week to go?

Thanks. I got a phone call this morning saying just that.

 

[DCUKMod]

Thanks. I got a phone call this morning saying just that.

Wasn't me on the phone, was it?

Only joking. Glad you have clarification though.

My telephone review wasn't perfect, but it was good to get it done. I hope yours goes ahead in some way.

 

[Lowcarb 2]

Hi All,

Hope everyone is safe and keeping well.

I have my yearly blood test/eye check etc in march/april but this year due to situation we all are in, I have not received the letter from NHS.

Just before I contact my GP, can I confirm if you are having your tests done as per normal schedule?

N

Hi I had my last blood test on January and six weeks ago I started a new insulin with guidance from my community diabetic nurse, next week i am going to ring her to arrange more blood test just to see how I am doing on this new insulin other than that I fill confident to go it alone and knowing I have the nurses number in my phone when I need to talk

 

[jenrose]

I saw the DN last November and in the 18 months before I had lost my mum and my husband and lost a stone in weight and so am well underweight so she said to eat more and not worry so much about the bs and she would see me in April but due to the COVID I have not heard yet when I will see her again. I am eating well and probably too much carbs and have not put a pound on at all. I had a retinopathy test last January and an eye test in March literally just before the lockdown was beginning and just as well as the optician discovered from tests that I have age macular degeneration.

 

[nsh2111]

Cheers everyone for responding. Seems really a area by area or surgery by surgery different outcome. I did call my GP and was told that the diabetes nurse have now started sending letters so hopefully mine will be along shortly.

 

[juneHamp]

Hi All,

Hope everyone is safe and keeping well.

I have my yearly blood test/eye check etc in march/april but this year due to situation we all are in, I have not received the letter from NHS.

Just before I contact my GP, can I confirm if you are having your tests done as per normal schedule?

N

I had a message yesterday from my GP surgery to say they are not doing annual reviews at the moment. Today I had a letter from the hospital, I have a phone appointment with the dietician at the end of June.

I’ve been struggling with lots of hypos and a bit of a Sugar level roller coaster ride. Sadly no blood test means no HbA1c to put this into context.

frustrating at a time when we are at particular risk!

 

[oldgreymare]

Thanks. I got a phone call this morning saying just that.

@SueJB I also attend the OCDEM at the Churchill. I luckily had my last set of blood tests and my retinal screening literally 3 days before the lockdown began. But clinic appointment for late April was cancelled about a week before, no phone consultation.

Not surprisingly my DAFNE course for July has been cancelled. Just hoping usual clinic appointment in September goes ahead...in the meantime have been able to get my results online.

 

[Bildad]

I had a text from the surgery to say I was due a diabetes review (news to me) and could I contact the surgery for an appointment for a phone consultation with the practice nurse. Being an obedient person I duly contacted them. My first question was did I need a blood test? No they were only doing emergency blood tests.
What then would my diabetes review consist of as they couldn't do a foot check, blood pressure check or weight check and if they didn't do a blood test they couldn't comment on my control or lack there of? Apparently she would ask if my blood glucose readings were OK and if my meds were causing any side effects.
I pointed out that I have been told by them not to test my blood and was not given a meter I didn't have any idea if my blood glilucose was in or out of range also I am not prescribed any medication.
I suggested the perhaps this was not the best use of NHS time and resources and declined my chat.
My last Hba1c was 34 and mysugr suggests it is now somewhere about 29 so I will await a return to face to face consultations for my annual checks.

 

[Heathero]

Phoned Diabetes centre re change of Insulin to Fiasp when Covid arrived! Having difficulty stopping hypos during the night was told ratio should be increased but no specific help as I was unable to answer some questions.Have reduced ratio pre bed but no change as yet may need to reduce more but a correction bolus was needed early morning.. Was told a call back would occur when someone with more experience able to help. But doesn’t know when.My check up for July cancelled too. Feeling slow and tired with headache lasting till mid day .

 

[oldgreymare]

@SueJB I also attend the OCDEM at the Churchill. I luckily had my last set of blood tests and my retinal screening literally 3 days before the lockdown began. But clinic appointment for late April was cancelled about a week before, no phone consultation.

Not surprisingly my DAFNE course for July has been cancelled. Just hoping usual clinic appointment in September goes ahead...in the meantime have been able to get my results online.

Well slightly bizarrely, I had a call out of the blue from OCDEM this morning which turned into an online consultation...it appeared to be mainly to check that I would be OK to share the results of my privately funded G6 use with the clinic (I said yes as anything that gets the NHS to sponsor more CGM use is so valuable), I confirmed no, that I was not interested in a statin prescription, BP and weight not great but OK. Now confused when I get next set of bloods - being set back to December?
In meantime, I find letter from Clinic for appointment today - fortunately the phone call happened first so no need to drag myself to the Churchill. Looks like it will take a bit of time for the new 'normal' monitoring to kick in.

 

[Robbity]

I've been about due for an (approximately!) annual check up, and had a surprise phone call from our surgery this afternoon asking me to book in for my blood test, and alo a blood pressure check requested by GP. They are finally taking things seriously and admitting just one person at a time into the surgery, masks and all... I did warn receptionist that I have a horrendous and long term cough (which I eventually discovered was yet another nasty side effect of Amlodipine ) as I don't want to scare the living daylights out of them if I start coughing when i get there...

However I'm more concerned about the delay in my annual eye check appointment, as I know after six and a half years what my glucose levels are and therefore what my HbA1Cs are likely to be. My eye check was cancelled just as the corona virus scare began - I actually received the letter telling me to ignore my (apparent) appointment, before I'd received notification of it!