• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Diabetes glucose monitors 'available to thousands more'

Better news than it has been but this is really just saying all CCGs should apply the same criteria (today some add their own) from April 2019.
It does not mean Libre is available to everyone with type 1 diabetes.

And there is no mention of available to people with type 2 diabetes even if they are on insulin.
 
I must admit to a degree of scepticism about this and as has been said it does not go far enough even if it is implemented.
 
The news coverage I saw this morning (BBC or Sky News) talked about "all those who qualify".

Insurance companies often state the pay all qualifying claims, but sure as heck, they don't pay all claims made.

As usual, the devil is in the detail.
 
I'm absolutely delighted that there has been a slight change. I'm very aware of the "all those who qualify" tag and hope that all CCGs have identical sets of criteria for those who qualify.

I'm curious though that when Health Secretary Matt Hancock says: "Rolling out these monitors will not only make life more convenient, it will save the NHS time and resources by preventing people becoming ill in the first place." that statement doesn't apply to type II diabetics as well.

Still, a step in the right direction although is waiting till April 2019 a coincidence? Perhaps there is an extra £350million in the kitty after all. Although I doubt it very much.
 
The one thing that stood out for me was that they implied only 25% of 'type 1s' will get it. So as always, there will be strict criteria. I wouldn't mind not getting it so much at my age, if it meant all children & young people all got it but I doubt that will happen either.
 
KK123 said:
The one thing that stood out for me was that they implied only 25% of 'type 1s' will get it. So as always, there will be strict criteria. I wouldn't mind not getting it so much at my age, if it meant all children & young people all got it but I doubt that will happen either.
Click to expand...

Its basically those who qualify for pumps already which makes sense really as its those who generally have more difficult to control D that the standard hard to control type.
 
Engineer88 said:
Its basically those who qualify for pumps already which makes sense really as its those who generally have more difficult to control D that the standard hard to control type.
Click to expand...
@Engineer88 feeling sad:(, that'll teach me to read more carefully. Just took it at face value that I'd get one. Bummer!!
 
Sorry @Engineer88, I disagree. The national guidance is currently RMOC. It reads as follows:

It is recommended that Freestyle Libre® should only be used for people with Type 1 diabetes, aged four and above, attending specialist Type 1 care using multiple daily injections or insulin pump therapy, who have been assessed by the specialist clinician and deemed to meet one or more of the following:

1. Patients who undertake intensive monitoring >8 times daily
2. Those who meet the current NICE criteria for insulin pump therapy (HbA1c >8.5% (69.4mmol/mol) or disabling hypoglycemia as described in NICE TA151) where a successful trial of FreeStyle Libre® may avoid the need for pump therapy.
3. Those who have recently developed impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia. It is noted that for persistent hypoglycaemia unawareness, NICE recommend continuous glucose monitoring with alarms and Freestyle Libre does currently not have that function.
4. Frequent admissions (>2 per year) with DKA or hypoglycaemia.
5. Those who require third parties to carry out monitoring and where conventional blood testing is not possible.

In addition, all patients (or carers) must be willing to undertake training in the use of Freestyle Libre® and commit to ongoing regular follow-up and monitoring (including remote follow-up where this is offered). Adjunct blood testing strips should be prescribed according to locally agreed best value guidelines with an expectation that demand/frequency of supply will be reduced.

This means:
  1. It is not just for those who already qualify for pumps - it's anyone who has a glucose level > 8.5%
  2. Anyone can get themselves into consideration by testing >8x per day.
  3. If your children are under 10 and need assistance to test and testing whilst sleeping, then you probably qualify.
And please note that the requirement is that you only have to qualify for one of the list, which most of us can achieve. The reality is that if you only have to qualify for one, then it's nearer 65% of people with type 1 that qualify.

If you want further analysis, go here: https://www.diabettech.com/abbott-f...diabetes-day-from-nhs-england-freestylelibre/
 
hi
Haven't posted on here before, but just have to ask, if I now start testing at least 8 times a day till April will I be eligible as someone with type 1 diabetes? Do I meet the criteria then?
 
I was at an appointment with my DSN yesterday, she told me it would be available in MidYorks NHS Trust from April 2019, at the moment they won't even consider for anyoine within the CCG area, so good news really!
 
Back
Top