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Blood Glucose Test Strips Refused by GP

  • Thread starter Thread starter BGW
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B

BGW

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Hi All,

Put my usual three monthly prescription in for Type II tablets and glucose test strips and was informed by the Doctor's surgery that Type II glucose strip tests would no longer be supplied by the NHS on prescription!!!

Is this just a local GP being mean, or is it now standard practice in these austerity times?
 
Post code lottery and PCTs More and more areas this is happening
If your on Hypo Meds like Gliclazide can have a good try and fight it

Good luck

just had a small fight trying to lower the amount of incontinence supplies . :?

Bob
 
Hi and welcome to the forum :D
It's not just you, lots of type 2's are having this problem. I have recently gone onto insulin but my DN told me that strips for all non insulin type 2's have been stopped.
If you click this link, there is some advice about getting strips that may be of help to you.
viewtopic.php?f=20&t=19002
 
Thanks for the replies and the link was very useful.

Testing HbA1c every 6 months is not very comforting...
 
Which is your health authority, BGW? I'm making a list preparatory to doing a big media lobby. Shan't be mentioning people, just PCTs - Bucks, Rutland-and-S Leics so far.

Viv 8)
 
viviennem said:
Which is your health authority, BGW? I'm making a list preparatory to doing a big media lobby. Shan't be mentioning people, just PCTs - Bucks, Rutland-and-S Leics so far.

Viv 8)
Click to expand...
Hi Viv,

you can add Cumbria to your list as well :(

Tony
 
I was talking to my GP today and as far as he knows so far he's still prescribing test strips for Type 2s.

Thaks for the other PCT names. Any more out there?

Viv 8)
 
Which is your health authority, BGW? I'm making a list preparatory to doing a big media lobby. Shan't be mentioning people, just PCTs - Bucks, Rutland-and-S Leics so far
Click to expand...

Kent
 
viviennem said:
Which is your health authority, BGW? I'm making a list preparatory to doing a big media lobby. Shan't be mentioning people, just PCTs - Bucks, Rutland-and-S Leics so far.

Viv 8)
Click to expand...

Add Hertfordshire to the list as I was refused test strips on my last visit.

Steve
 
Hiya, Blimey quite a few areas here, so far I havent had any probs with supply of test strips, am North Lancs [on insulin/victoza ] am going to my surgery tomorrow , will ask my practice nurse of supply to type2's not on insulin. As I notice both cumbria n west pennines have been hit. Will let you all know of the outcome. Anna.x :)
 
I'm in one of the areas mentioned by a previous poster and haven't had any problems, but I don't over order strips. The last time I saw my GP, I was ordering prescription items and he was going down my list and he mentioned the strips so I said yes please. I'm not sure if it makes any difference but I'm on Gliclazide and I also think I'm one of his best controlled diabetics.

Viv - I can pm you with my area, but would rather not put it on the forum. The area mentioned is covered by several pcts.
 
Glic is a Hypo causing medication and hence your doc SHOULD provide strips to allow testing if driving. My GP does. I am in Rossendale, N of Manchester.
 
Which is your health authority, BGW? I'm making a list preparatory to doing a big media lobby.

You can also include Manchester Viv.
 
))Denise(( said:
.... but I don't over order strips....
Click to expand...

This may be a factor - when I was using a lot of strips, I bought some on Ebay.

Now I have to wonder how they came to be on sale there so cheap. There are always a lot of sellers, each with one or two boxes. Occasionally, I've looked back a month or two later and found the seller's account deleted, but sometimes have found a suspiciously similar account.

Sure, some sellers are obviously commercial operations, but are a handful of them individual patients 'over-ordering' and then making a bit of cash on Ebay?

If so, those short-sighted people may be partly at fault for GPs tightening up on prescriptions.

Mark.
 
anna29 said:
Hiya, Blimey quite a few areas here, so far I havent had any probs with supply of test strips, am North Lancs [on insulin/victoza ] am going to my surgery tomorrow , will ask my practice nurse of supply to type2's not on insulin. As I notice both cumbria n west pennines have been hit. Will let you all know of the outcome. Anna.x :)
Click to expand...
Hi, update on this is yep in the future test strips will be granted to type1 and type2's on insulin only, type2's on tablets have to self supply , my practice nurse isnt happy with it as some type2's are taking hypo inducing meds yet the same rule will apply [her words].. insulin users however can continue with free NHS test strips. I know it isnt a fair or equal balance. Anna.x :)
 
So far I have 12 PCTs on my list that are not prescribing test strips for non-insulin Type 2s . . .

Any more? I'll leave it over the weekend and then email You-and-Yours, maybe copy in my MP and wots-his-name the health minister. Lansley, isn't it?

Viv 8)
 
Hi Viv,

You could quote from Page 14 of this document from DUK, they do seem to be listened to more than individuals.
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/c ... L_8010.pdf
It clearly states that you should be given test strips and educated on how to use them, even if you are on diet and exercise only.
I conducted a poll on here last year about the patchy care that was evident throughout the UK and posted a synopsis of it to dear Andrew Lansley. I got an acknowledgment that it had been received and it had been discussed before AND THAT WAS IT. :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

There was a petition which we signed that a past member put on the Government Petitions Website but that was ignored as well. The reason given was that it was received at a time when the Govt. who had received it was leaving office and a new Govt. was now in power. I suppose this meant that it had to be re-presented :?: :?:

I think the more you read these documents, including reviews etc. it becomes apparent that some of the HCP's are anti test strips for Type2's because their knowledge is lacking in how to interpret the results that you obtain from testing. This is a fault of the Educators and the shortage of trained Diabetes Specialist Nurses. You only have to ask some receptionists at some surgeries if you can make an appointment to see a DSN, (the abbreviated term) and they don't know what you mean. Ask to see the nurse who looks after diabetic patients and they know then. This is usually a task assigned to one of the practice nurses with limited knowledge about the condition.
 
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