York-Shrew
Newbie
- Messages
- 3
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
I recently tried a G4 Dexcom for a week, borrowed from the hospital, but decided against getting one of my own as Dexcom refused to tell me how long they would support the G4, and the G5 works out at a minimum of £61/week as it's a two part product - 7 day sensor and 3 month transmitter. Nor would they say how long the G5 would be manufactured or if it would be compatible with its successor.
I'm now trying a Libre via a trial at the hospital, so I get a free handset saving myself £250. Sensor 2 is working perfectly thanks to my DSN fitting it. Sensor 1 fitted by the Rep fell off 40 minutes after application. The Rep also didn't have a clue about Omnipods and whether or not a sensor and pod could cohabit on an arm. However this product is also a rip-off. One sensor lasts 14 days and costs just shy of £49 PLUS you've got to pay £4.95 postage!! They've also designed a product that has to be disposed of in a sharps bin, but is too large for all by the industrial sized bins; the packaging is too large to post through a domestic letterbox; and it has the smallest, least sticky adhesive pad they could find. Most of the people trialling at my hospital have been using secondary tape to keep it stuck down. The weirdest limitation is that Abbot have only bothered to get a licence to wear it on an arm, despite the fluid it measures being present around they whole body.
Whilst both products provide great information in their own way, they really are far too expensive for the NHS to be considering funding with their current budgetary constraints. I would urge anyone using a CGM or considering using one to provide feedback to the manufactures on cost and limitations. Only with loads of people telling them "it's a great product and I would love to use it but,,," will we be able to get them to reduce the cost and make improvements.
I'm now trying a Libre via a trial at the hospital, so I get a free handset saving myself £250. Sensor 2 is working perfectly thanks to my DSN fitting it. Sensor 1 fitted by the Rep fell off 40 minutes after application. The Rep also didn't have a clue about Omnipods and whether or not a sensor and pod could cohabit on an arm. However this product is also a rip-off. One sensor lasts 14 days and costs just shy of £49 PLUS you've got to pay £4.95 postage!! They've also designed a product that has to be disposed of in a sharps bin, but is too large for all by the industrial sized bins; the packaging is too large to post through a domestic letterbox; and it has the smallest, least sticky adhesive pad they could find. Most of the people trialling at my hospital have been using secondary tape to keep it stuck down. The weirdest limitation is that Abbot have only bothered to get a licence to wear it on an arm, despite the fluid it measures being present around they whole body.
Whilst both products provide great information in their own way, they really are far too expensive for the NHS to be considering funding with their current budgetary constraints. I would urge anyone using a CGM or considering using one to provide feedback to the manufactures on cost and limitations. Only with loads of people telling them "it's a great product and I would love to use it but,,," will we be able to get them to reduce the cost and make improvements.