Hi all. Once again they are trying to stop prescription test strips for those of us unable to afford these for ourselves - here's a copy of the letter I've just received.
"Dear Mr Jones
We have recently conducted an audit of blood glucose testing strips in view of current
clinical evidence and guidelines. As a result of which we have decided to remove blood
glucose testing strips prescriptions from the repeats of certain category of diabetes patients
which are as follows:
1. Diet only controlled diabetes
1. Diabetes controlled on diet and Metformin
2. Diabetes controlled on Metformin and/or Pioglitazone ( Actos) or Rosiglitazone
The reason for doing this is that there is no evidence that routine blood monitoring at home
improves diabetic control or leads to change in medications. Further it can also increase
anxiety among patients who are testing themselves unnecessarily. Also in the above
categories of patients there is no risk of hypoglycaemia-which is low blood sugar as the
above drugs don't cause it.
For the above category of patients we would advise that we issue a single box of blood
testing strips for the year. Patients should check their blood sugar only when they are
unwell with infection or other illnesses but refrain from doing routine monitoring. We aim to
look after their monitoring by doing the tests at the surgery which gives us a better idea of
long-term diabetic control on a six monthly or yearly schedule.
If you have any further questions or concerns please don't hesitate to speak to you GP via a
telephone surgery appointment."
By allowing only 50 strips per year (1 per week) you are taking pot luck as to what your actual blood sugars are. You could take a fasting reading which in my case would suggest that my sugars are high as I always get a fasting reading between 8 and 9. This I know is normal for me as my levels mid morning usually drop to between 5.6 and 7. But this would be the only reading for 1 week and could be totally misleading for the rest of the week. The same would be true if I took a reading at some other time and got high of 10. This could just be a blip that would send me to my GP un-necessary. When will these idiots running the NHS realise the risk's that they are putting us too. They cover themselves suggesting that we could have testing done at the surgery but, the amount of time spent trying to get an appointment and then sit wasting more time in the waiting room is beyond a joke
"Dear Mr Jones
We have recently conducted an audit of blood glucose testing strips in view of current
clinical evidence and guidelines. As a result of which we have decided to remove blood
glucose testing strips prescriptions from the repeats of certain category of diabetes patients
which are as follows:
1. Diet only controlled diabetes
1. Diabetes controlled on diet and Metformin
2. Diabetes controlled on Metformin and/or Pioglitazone ( Actos) or Rosiglitazone
The reason for doing this is that there is no evidence that routine blood monitoring at home
improves diabetic control or leads to change in medications. Further it can also increase
anxiety among patients who are testing themselves unnecessarily. Also in the above
categories of patients there is no risk of hypoglycaemia-which is low blood sugar as the
above drugs don't cause it.
For the above category of patients we would advise that we issue a single box of blood
testing strips for the year. Patients should check their blood sugar only when they are
unwell with infection or other illnesses but refrain from doing routine monitoring. We aim to
look after their monitoring by doing the tests at the surgery which gives us a better idea of
long-term diabetic control on a six monthly or yearly schedule.
If you have any further questions or concerns please don't hesitate to speak to you GP via a
telephone surgery appointment."
By allowing only 50 strips per year (1 per week) you are taking pot luck as to what your actual blood sugars are. You could take a fasting reading which in my case would suggest that my sugars are high as I always get a fasting reading between 8 and 9. This I know is normal for me as my levels mid morning usually drop to between 5.6 and 7. But this would be the only reading for 1 week and could be totally misleading for the rest of the week. The same would be true if I took a reading at some other time and got high of 10. This could just be a blip that would send me to my GP un-necessary. When will these idiots running the NHS realise the risk's that they are putting us too. They cover themselves suggesting that we could have testing done at the surgery but, the amount of time spent trying to get an appointment and then sit wasting more time in the waiting room is beyond a joke