GP Nurse Rationing test strips for me type 2 to one cassete of 50 per year only.

I do know that the NHS told doctors not to give test strips to patents on oral medication. I was taken off for over a year until my nurse did my annual mot and my bs was quite high, she insisted I went back to checking. Now to the flu jab. If your nurse administers the jab without your consent I believe she has just assaulted you and you should make a formal complaint to the practice manager. I am always asked if I want the flu jab and sign a declaration of refusal if I don't. Your nurse is there to assist you. Don't be bullied, tell her if she injects you or takes a blood test without your consent you'll report her for assault, she'll think twice before doing things without asking.

@mycanal
You say you are on Gliclazide, which can make your pancreas make you go hypo! Do you drive? If so then you MUST test before driving (and @ 2 hr intervals), so this could be an additional lever for you!

I am also on Gliclazide as well as Metformin and was told by my DN that because of this I would be prescribed testing strips and lances due to a possible side effect of Gliclazide being hypos.
As for the flu jab that is entirely up to you as it is recommended only. You cannot be given it against your will.
I would take both issues up with the Practice Manager if I were you, that's what they are there for. really hope you get it sorted

Hi @mycanal Did she tell you which three months per year she thought you should test?

I'm T2 diet controlled and when I asked about being prescribed test strips my DN told me that she could only prescribe them for Type 2s who were on drugs like Glicazide because they can cause hypos. I think it might be worth talking to your GP as you need them.

omg... sorry to hear this. You're on an oral med that can make you prone to hypos. BGL testing is a must and it should be done several times a day, not twice a week. It just goes to show that some medical professionals have a complete lack of understanding about diabetes management. I was also told I was only supposed to test twice a week when I was first diagnosed. But when I was put on metformin only I was told to test every morning. Then when other drugs were introduced I was told I had to test several times a day. In my opinion all diabetics should be regularly testing several times per day.... how on earth do we know how to control our diabetes otherwise? smh.

Your nurse sounds like an idiot who doesn't understand what she is doing.

I would refuse to see her again, and write a letter to the doc, explaining that by restricting your access to strips she is risking hypos while driving, which would cause danger to you and other road users.

In the same letter, request that it is written on your notes that you don't wish for the flu jab.

And if ANYONE EVER tries to give you an injection without your permission, tell them that you will report them for assault.

I would agree to her "territorial demands" provided tht both she & the practice agree to FULL recompense for losses due to the result of her actions!*
* full transport costs due to loss of licence.
* cost of your time due to additional travel time to work/ lossof wages if job loss/vchange results.
Watch them back out of that quickly!!

Hello mycanal,
This is shocking news, it's time this member of staff packed her bags tout suite....does your GP know about this 'cost cutting' exercise?
I finger prick 1st thing in the morning , before evening meal (more if unwell) & also before driving- in the car is a tub of jelly babies & a bottle of Lucozade but I'm still struggling to remember to take the finger pricker....der !!!!
Re: flu jab - this is a recommend for you to decide - not be bullied into, a conversation with your GP should be useful.
I wish you luck.

mycanal said:

hi All,
i need to help, support and advise,
that what are my options, rights as diabetes type 2 as my bully GP Nurse is forcing me to quit testing BG level on daily basis and insist that I only check twice in a week only, thus she will only allow once cassette of 50 strips per year Max. The main problem is the cassette expire in 90 days, so she might try to change my testing meter, which I love as its pain free, and handy (Accu Check Mobile).
She wrote me letter that I will only get one prescription per year for testing strips only. As type 2 what r my options, rights. how can I argue/claim to have atleast 4-8 cassettes per year.
She always inject me with Flu jab without asking me if I want it or not. I feel like she is controlling me for her bonus/target etc. I do not wish to have flue jab but she is not in the mood to hear NO.
I think , my last option would be to change GP, but she might write notes about limited test strips which might transfer to new GP as well. She says no point in testing BG as if it is high, there is nothing I can do..but in fact I use Gliclazide only when my BG is over 9. Otherwise I only use Metformin slow release. but she insists that I must use the medication (gliclazide) on daily basis. but can manage few days without it. what r u suggestions.. i am trying low carb diet although i love to eat food but i have cut down a lot. still not loosing weight...

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Hello mycanal, newbie, firstly let me and all others say you have come to the place of great help and understanding, you will find something new to help you each time you post into the forum.

I went searching for information about you post on the problem of testing equipment that you need.
It can be found on the post from Magsx1 Sun 25 Aug, the letter was a reply sent to Mr.Dawson.
From, Mr. Daniel Cavill, Customer Service Centre, Department of Health.

I am quoting from this letter," He quotes from NICE Guidelines"
"Self monitoring of blood glucose is helpful only as part of an overall package of support for self monitoring are fully understood".
He goes on to say,Any Primary Care Trust (PCT) that is automatically discouraging the prescription of blood glucose testing strips is not acting in accordance with NICE's advice.
This letter was written regarding non prescription for T2'a not on insulin. (Mr. Dawson highlighted the last part in read in his post to the forum) I have just copied what he did.
As for th part of the DN being a bossy bully, the others who have posted about you being asked if you would like to have the flu vaccine, it is not compulsory. After all you were invited to come for the vaccine. May I ask a heavy question, other than they don't hurt, could you use another testing kit that is 'cheaper to supply' with the consumables?.I hope some of this is helpful in proving that diabetics should be supplied with testing prescription supplies, well ttfn from Karen

So agree with the others and try going to DVLA website and think you will find their guidelines for drivers on insulin and meds ike glicazide. Print it out and take it to the doctors.

mycanal said:

i need to help, support and advise,
that what are my options, rights as diabetes type 2 as my bully GP Nurse is forcing me to quit testing BG level on daily basis and insist that I only check twice in a week

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mycanal - I see your a newbie like me - you've come to the right place on this forum for information and advice - but it's the medical people who care for you at the surgery who are on your side to help you mange and control your diabetes. Nurses do their job because they care - they're under pressure, very often under-staffed and yes, you can meet one who's abrupt and doesn't take time to explain things properly. You have to talk to someone at the surgery -make an appointment with your GP, or another doctor and tell them how you feel. It's not an 'us' and 'them' situation. There may be very good reasons for this suggestion to only test twice a week and ultimately the HbA1c blood test is the ultimate measure of how your treatement is working .

Brunneria said:

Your nurse sounds like an idiot who doesn't understand what she is doing.And if ANYONE EVER tries to give you an injection without your permission, tell them that you will report them for assault.

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bobh18 said:

Your nurse is there to assist you. Don't be bullied, tell her if she injects you or takes a blood test without your consent you'll report her for assault, she'll think twice before doing things without asking.

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To be honest, I've been really upset and disappointed to read the comments in this thread. The one thing that bobh18 got right is that your nurse is there to assist you - talk to them and explain - they're on your side and there to help. I was a nurse (a long time ago) they're not idiots or bullies and I suspect there's always 2 sides to something ike this. We're not living in the dark ages and having a vacination (or being offered one) should never be thought of as an assault.... and I can't believe that any health care professional in this country would inject somebody without their permission - and that can be as simple as rolling up your sleeve!! Your nurse may have very strongly recommend the flu-jab for you for a very good reason. Did she tell you about the potentially serious complications of flu? ....it's a really really nasty illness and unless you've ever had it you can't imagine the pain and distress of this infection and the complications that can arise - people can die from flu and surely anything that can offer protection should be thought about really carefully.
These are the stats: Flu kills about 8,000 people a year in UK. Those most at risk are pregnant women, diabetics, very overwieght people and those over 65.

I'm married to a doctor and even with his support, I'm finding the whole T2 thing quite scary. These early months after diagnosis are hard to get through as there seems so much to take in. If you're not happy with your GP practice then change to somewhere else and find someone you can trust -and talk to. It's meant to be a partnership between you and your healthcare team and it's for YOUR benefit - because once you start thinking that you're just a bonus or target, then it won't be a relationship of trust - and that's a lonely place to be....food for thought?

It's all about money and NHS budgets. I know it sucks but until the ethos changes it will continue.

The truth is that (like in any profession) there are a mix of personalities and attitudes.
And yes, some of them are bullies.

Across the forum you will find a mix of experiences, but some of them are appalling reflections of the way the NHS is handling its patients.

In the last three weeks i have had three appointments, with three different nurses in my practice.

One of them treated me like a participant in my own healthcare, listened to me, made notes of the relevant information i gave her, asked questions and restored my flagging faith in the profession.

The second one treated me like i was on a production line. A 20 minute appt was compressed into 7 minutes, a chunk of which was spent getting a prescription signed (for a drug that turned out to have a very well known interaction with a prescription i have been taking for 15 years)

The third nurse nearly didn't notice my diabetic blood result (fasting blood glucose). If i hadn't already known i was diabetic, and raised the subject with her, i would have left without a diagnosis.

I've spent the last two years here and elsewhere educating myself on diabetes (because my blood glucose has shown diabetic results for years now). I self test. I know some of the jargon. I can ask questions and understand most of the answers. I am willing to engage with medical professionals and take responsibility for my own diabetes management. Yet i still get patronised, dismissed, shunted through at speed, and given drugs with serious and well known interactions.

What hope has an unprepared, shocked, distressed, new diabetic?

I appreciate the pressures that health care professionals are under, the stress, the workload, the long hours, but the people who get the worst of the deal are the patients.

Brunneria said:

I am willing to engage with medical professionals and take responsibility for my own diabetes management. Yet i still get patronised, dismissed, shunted through at speed, and given drugs with serious and well known interactions.

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SO sorry to hear about your experiences - it sounds demoralising, unnecessary and unacceptable. I've also had similar problems with medication and met some difficult HCPs, but I could also tell you about many people who do get the 'best deal' from the system. My life has literally been saved twice, a friend had quadruple by-pass surgery at 50 due to 72 hour shifts on call as a junior doctor and stress of the job.

eddie1968 said:

It's all about money and NHS budgets. I know it sucks but until the ethos changes it will continue.

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Yes, I agree, it does have a lot to do with budget but it's a really complex problem and with no easy answers. Someone once told me that you can only change things 'one person at a time.'

Brunneria said:

What hope has an unprepared, shocked, distressed, new diabetic?

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Thankfully, there is hope. I've found it here on this forum with people like you with experience and encouragement to share. So any new diabetic doesn't need to feel a lack of hope because there's access to advice and support from 100s or is it 1000's of others?

Today I came across this article online:

We've talked for a long time about the need for a stronger type 2 presence in the Diabetes Community, and though we've seen some great advocates and people with diabetes (PWDs) sharing their stories, there is still a need for more.

TuDiabetes now has an idea to help.

The online diabetes community is unveiling a [URL='http://www.tudiabetes.org/event/']new live interview series focused on type 2, and for the immediate future in October and November, this will include weekly interviews with people who either live with T2D or have specific D-expertis[/URL]

http://www.healthline.com/diabetesm...il&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=diabetesmine

It will be interesting to see what it's all about....

My surgery tried to cut back on my test strips when i came off day time insulin injections.....till my doctor asked to see my results .....so i told him the truth how was i supposed to test without strips .......one of the surgerys nurses didn't pick up on an ulcer that i had on the base of my foot not only that she didn't clean her hands before checking my foot needless to say she no longer works there

I really do believe all diabetics should have the opportunity to test, it's essential for T1s but also for any T2 on blood glucose lowering meds/insulin, as well as a very useful tool for T2s not on blood glucose lowering meds, but the unattractive reality is how can the NHS fund every single diabetic re. strips. One way would be to negotiate contacts with the pharma companies across the whole NHS, the price of some strips seems completely OTT. I remember as a young T1 going onto a blood glucose monitor and having to self fund, thankfully nowadays I'm fully funded but I do still top up supplies by self funding vis ebay or amazon.