Medtronics 640G

Tony Williams said:

Hi. I’ve been trying to get a pump from the NHS for over a year as I meet all the NICE criteria but the hospital consultant won’t agree funding on a technicality. Funding is only available for type 1’s and I am technically a type 3C so funding does not apply. I am going to find a pump privately but wondered if anyone has been given a Medtronics 640G and either does not get on with it or does not want it anymore. I will happily buy the unit from you. I will then fund the consumables privately under the instruction from my consultant at the hospital

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Have you been in touch with input diabetes for advice on pump funding - inputdiabetes.org.uk

Might be worth trying MedWow: http://www.medwow.com/used-insulin-pump-equipment/252.med

I've got a 640G, and it's a good pump, but if I were getting one now, and technically literate, I would look very hard at the new Dana pump with open software, or one of the others which can be remotely controlled by software. People are using them for open and closed loop control.

I have been looking at Medwow and most of what I have seen there is a bit dodgy. You can pay up to 50% of the price of a new one. They are 4 and 5 years old with no guarantee they work and well out of warranty (I doubt the warranty is transferable anyway). I would find some different health professionals. Once you get onto a really good one, you will get referred to other really good professionals. The saying "Birds of a feather flock together" is really true when it comes to Medico's. I'm so privileged, a fantastic GP, Awesome Endo, Amazing Diabetic Educator and the list goes on. One refers to the next and it just keeps going. With luck there will be someone here in your area that has a good contact, to get you started.

I don't known if it's the same throughout the country (I mean, why would the NHS have one set of rules when it can have lots), but the dsn made it clear while I was being given the pump that it still belonged to the hospital, and if for any reason I didn't get on with the pump it would be reclaimed by the hospital. Not for reuse, but to stop people selling them on and possibly getting into trouble without having medical backup.

You can't buy a second-hand one (from my hospital anyway), because of some technicality with medical waste rules, so you may have to go straight to the manufacturer. You might still need a prescription to buy one, but if the consultant is OK with it he can write you a private prescription, not an NHS one. Good luck.

If you are blocked getting a pump can you still get the consumables subsidised or free? Medtonic in Australia have a nice inviting website to order the consumables from, the price is prohibitive. Supplies are over AUD$240pm. Subsidised they are around AUD$36pm which is very reasonable. I think once you have your D card you can go to the Chemist (Drug Store) and get what you want.