Hi Roff
If your consultant has said yes to pumping then all he has to do is inform the PCT funding is required... If the PCT attempts to avoid or stall funding they are acting ilegally... You do need to get in contact with INPUT as mentioned by Catherine..
As to self funding..
So far in over 6 years of being in the insulin pump field I've never heard of anybody making an arragement with their PCT where the individual funds the pump and PCT funds the consumables... I have know for PCT's take over funding for self-fundings but this does fall into two areas though...
One being where one PCT takes over funding from another PCT or pump users coming to live in this country who come into having the right's of NHS care who are already on the pump, but it can still mean a bit of a battle to get the funding sorted..
The other way is to start out self funding then battle with your PCT to take over funding, but they won't refund any cost previous to their agreement to fund. And it an take quite a lenghty hard faught battle to ahcieve funding it took my friend 3 years with the help and support of INPUT...
But if you chose the self-funding route you will still required to have a presciption for the pump before you are able to perchase a pump package...
If you do decide that you want to start self-funding then you will not only have to consider the actual cost of pump and consumables, but support and training included within the package, also warrenties being offered..
Take my pump for example not the cheapest on the block but does come with a 7 year warrenty rather than the standard 4 years...
Take the new DanaR pump similar sort of caperbilites but with a 4 year warrenty, but cheaper to buy and cheaper running costs and from what I hear a very good support and traning package with it..
Then you get the new Animas and Metronics, which have the facility to work with CGM's as one unit but again 4 year warrenty don't know what sort of support and training package these do though.
