Many thanks to Phoenix for posting links to what are the crucial documents on this one. I must admit that I was unaware of the 2013 survey and report, which makes very interesting reading. The DUK position statement makes perfect sense, and shows a strong awareness of the problem (as Phoenix says), and the opposition to a blanket policy on provision is surely right. My worry would be that it is nearly impossible to have a way of monitoring whether a blanket policy of non-provision is being imposed or not. The part of the survey dealing with reasons given patients for not supplying them is very striking --
34% due to cost saving measures.
30% were told they were testing too much.
24% were told this was due to PCT (now Clinical Commissioning Group), NHS boards or local health board guidelines.
19% of respondents to the survey were given no reason for their test strips being restricted.
'
'The reasons that people were given for restricting test strips were wide ranging and in many cases not true such as "If it were up to me I would give you them, but the PCT says I can’t" and "There’s no evidence to suggest that regular testing is effective"; "It’s illegal"; "NHS is phasing out issuing test strips". '
The points that forum members report being told -- that it will make them anxious or depressed -- seem to derive in part from the 2010 survey that Phoenix helpfully posted. This is the really misleading one, in a way -- '
Whilst only 16.1% reported having concerns/worries about SMBG on the questionnaire, the results from the free text questions was much
higher, i.e. 27.3% (n=135) of participants (out of the 495 who provided a response) reported anxiety and worry associated with blood glucose levels not being what they expected them to be.' Of course people feel worry or anxiety if their levels aren't what they should be -- I would have thought that was what testing is for!
Thanks for your response, Anna -- I do see your point. But I am trying to do something a bit different here. The test-strips/funding issue is a big one that I don't think we can do a lot about here. I am trying to focus on the point of people being told not to test. DUK is clear that this is wrong, that people are told things that simply aren't true. 'Cost saving measures' may not be reassuring but is at least true. Saying 'you don't need to test', 'it's bad for you', 'it doesn't work', 'it hurts', 'it makes you depressed' -- are not just untrue, but they disincentivize the patient and undermine BG control. Being told that there is a cost issue but no more at least means that patients who feel they can afford it could make at least short-term use of test strips and learn to control their diabetes. Those who can't afford it could at least be referred to the DUK advocacy pack. To tell patients that testing is unnecessary, doesn't work or is bad for them is simply immoral, it seems to me. What I want to do is to try to urge DUK to push this particular element more strongly -- that there should be an agreed answer given to newly-diagnosed patients on the issue of testing, and that giving false information should be specifically targeted and condemned by the NHS.