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Gp trying to change my glucose meter!

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Pinkjessi21_

Member
Hi im t1 diagnosed 5 months ago. Have been doing well hba1c is 49. Im using an aviva meter which i had to buy myself as the hospital did not have one when i was discharged. I am annoyed and concerned as I has a letter from my surgery saying they were changing my glucose meter to a wavesense jazz basically sounds like to save them money on the testing strips!

Really cheesed off as that meter looks cheap and has got bad reviews online. Also the lancets look fiddly. Don't think I could manage it mid-hypo. I'm sure its because of what was published the other week about diabetics costing the nhs 10% of funding.

I feel like swapping to a cheap fiddly meter is going to mess up my control, and its not fair as i've done so well so far.

Anyone else had a similar experience?
 
Had the same problem and found the wavesense jazz inaccurate compared to my accu chek meters, had accu chek test strips put back on my prescription when i went on to the accu chek insight pump, asked for more strips because of the need to test more with the pump and it's like getting blood out of a stone, when i went for my pump review they gave me a letter saying i have to have more strips but I'm not holding my breath, it seems cost comes before health.
 
When this happened to me I saw GP and asked him to bring up cost of test strips on his computer, my next contour strips were 20p more expensive but he thought this was nothing so I got my same strips, go see your GP as what they pay is less than we would so it might not be that different.
 
Unfortunately, the NHS is under massive strain. A couple of facts to contextualise;
  • NHS BUDGET 2015 is circa £100 Billion
  • 11 Billion spent treating Diabetes last year (10%)
  • £1 Billion spent JUST on diabetic medicine (Insulin & Tablets) and equipment (pumps, strips etc)
  • Below is a link to the Medicine/Equipment spend for diabetes over the last few years, the year on year exponential increase is rediculous..

http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB14681/pres-diab-eng-200506-201314-rep.pdf

There is a big cost efficency drive, consequently EVERYONE (nhs funded) will eventually be transitioned to a cheaper meter. Below is the strip cost comparison, Wavesense JAZZ is MUCH cheaper them others, hence the change.2015-09-29 23.28.37.png
 
My GP did this and whilst my mum is happy to use it, I'm not. It's the most inaccurate meter EVER. I just got my diabetes nurse to write to the GP and she gave me an accuchek mobile and then GP changed my prescription. I don't care that it's the cheapest, it's the worst meter I've ever had to use.
 
Pinkjessi21_ said:
Hi im t1 diagnosed 5 months ago. Have been doing well hba1c is 49. Im using an aviva meter which i had to buy myself as the hospital did not have one when i was discharged. I am annoyed and concerned as I has a letter from my surgery saying they were changing my glucose meter to a wavesense jazz basically sounds like to save them money on the testing strips!

Really cheesed off as that meter looks cheap and has got bad reviews online. Also the lancets look fiddly. Don't think I could manage it mid-hypo. I'm sure its because of what was published the other week about diabetics costing the nhs 10% of funding.

I feel like swapping to a cheap fiddly meter is going to mess up my control, and its not fair as i've done so well so far.

Anyone else had a similar experience?
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that your surgery is giving you grief. May I suggest that for a week or so you use both at the same time. If there is a difference and there is an old thread which indicates there will be (http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/agamatrix-wavesense-jazz.41689/), you can at least tell your doctor that as you were able to get good control using the meter you had bought, that's the one you want to stick with. You could also document the ease or difficulty in using the meter.
I find that the ease of use is important, easier to use, more likely to test often.
It is a sad fact that there is an effort to decrease costs, but it should never be at the cost of the patients health. I get the impression that doctors listen to the marketing hype when they suggest different (cheaper) meters, rather than listen to the patients' experiences.
Figure 5 above was interesting, the GoCompare of test strips.
All the best, let us know how things go.
 
In NZ there are only two types of funded meters - our drug and small device funding system covers the whole country. It's a shame that these things vary so much around the UK, and that there are so many meters for HCPs to choose from. I can't help thinking that a smaller number of funded meters would be easier for everyone, as long as they were of an acceptable quality and cost.
 
philchap1 said:
They could save money if they could find out who sells them on eBay and stop supplying test strips to them.
Click to expand...
They could also save money by agreeing which metre to use across the whole Health Authority. I was given a Freestyle by the hospital but when I saw the DN at my surgery she gave me a GlucoRx Nexus - I can see why given the table above! Hopefully I won't be asked to change as there is only 8p difference for my strips compared to the Jazz. But what a waste giving me 2 metres, I'm sure I can't be the only one.
 
Dizz said:
They could also save money by agreeing which metre to use across the whole Health Authority. I was given a Freestyle by the hospital but when I saw the DN at my surgery she gave me a GlucoRx Nexus - I can see why given the table above! Hopefully I won't be asked to change as there is only 8p difference for my strips compared to the Jazz. But what a waste giving me 2 metres, I'm sure I can't be the only one.
Click to expand...
while it is a waste of resources, The meter is free to the NHS, the cost being bourne by the manufacturer, as a "loss leader" in the hope of getting strip sales!
 
Why do testing strips cost as much as they do? Because the NHS pays it - that’s why.
The NHS need to jump in to bed with a select few and offer them a set amount of money for vast quantities of testing strips and the like - we'll buy 'n' million strips for x number of pounds - guaranteed sale.
 
philchap1 said:
They could save money if they could find out who sells them on eBay and stop supplying test strips to them.
Click to expand...

Would cost more to employ a team > find the individuals > all the bureacrary that would be needed to 'de-prescribe then'.

Strips cost over £100 million annually...even if you found every person who did sell them, this would still be negligable.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Dizz said:
They could also save money by agreeing which metre to use across the whole Health Authority. I was given a Freestyle by the hospital but when I saw the DN at my surgery she gave me a GlucoRx Nexus - I can see why given the table above! Hopefully I won't be asked to change as there is only 8p difference for my strips compared to the Jazz. But what a waste giving me 2 metres, I'm sure I can't be the only one.
Click to expand...

A number of CCGS (clinical commissioning groups) already have, and are in the process of 'rolling out' changes.

The GlucoRX Nexus has been 'chosen" as the preferred supplier by the majority of CCGS.

Below is a thorough study Manchester CCG carried out earlier this year, comparing accuracy, cost etc.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...c4YBC4&usg=AFQjCNGzjrqwWt1Wp7jxLhVOqvPOYcHu1A
 
Yes i agree it's not viable to find out who sells them just makes me angry that the people who sell them have no morals.
 
Checkout ebay for the freestyle libre, starter kit from Abbotts £150, ebay £500+ at least these people aren't profitering from the NHS though!
 
I have no problem as a T1 on a pump having my meter changed but it must have proven accuracy, Anything less can be dangerous.
 
When I am out walking and without anywhere to sit down to fiddle about with test strips, the Accu-chek Mobile is very convenient in this situation. My GP agrees with me.
 
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