• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Moving to the UK

meetoe

meetoe

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi everyone!
It's been a while since i last posted on this forum, but I am happy to say I am moving back to the UK (from Australia)!

I'm hoping someone may be able to share their experience/observations on some questions I had:
- Time it takes to register and see a GP to obtain the medical exemption card and get access to scripts under the NHS. I have read online that since covid, people have struggled to get appointments with their GPs/specialists for their diabetes care (some have not been able to see anyone for 12 months!), so not sure if 6 months worth of supplies is enough to get me by.
(Also, if i remember correctly, diabetes supplies such as testing strips and needles require a script?)
- Dexcom G6 vs One - I currently use Dexcom G6, but i wasn't clear on whether this is available under the NHS? I have seen a lot of discussion related to the One, and have seen people mention G6 but in those cases i believe they are self funded.

Thank you in advance!
 
I think the situation for type 2s is worse. Type 1s are treated better. I’m sure some type 1s will give you the low down.

My experience with getting the exemption certificate was quite smooth and quick once I’d reminded the doctor I was eligible for one - the form I picked up at the pharmacy, filled it out and then gave it in to the surgery for the doctor to sign and send off. The certificate (plastic card) came in the post within a week.
 
To be fair a lot of the complaints seem to come from people repeating the stories rather than actually trying to get to see someone. Or consider being asked to do an online consult first as triage a refusal of an appointment. I’m not saying there aren’t issues, particularly if you want a same day type appointment or need to wait for a referral but like many things it gets exaggerated. Or at least it works for the people I know that actually make the attempt to get an appointment rather than assume it’ll fail. Sometimes you do need to be willing to stand and speak up and not just sit passively waiting.

The annual reviews were messed up during the worst of the pandemic for some (not all). That’s different to needing active care about a specific issue now though. They seem mostly back on track.

When I returned to the uk from Aus (a while ago now) I just phoned the local surgery as soon as we arrived and explained I needed to register and in your shoes I would add I need a fairly prompt appointment as type 1 for immediate supplies along with a referral to hospital endocrinologist as ongoing management (or whatever else it is you need). If you can bring 6 months supplies I can’t see any big issues getting it sorted in time.
 
I'm following your thread @meetoe as I am also moving back to the UK (North Wales) from Canada in the late fall after several decades, but I'm T2. And I'm interested to know too. :)
 
HSSS said:
To be fair a lot of the complaints seem to come from people repeating the stories rather than actually trying to get to see someone. Or consider being asked to do an online consult first as triage a refusal of an appointment. I’m not saying there aren’t issues, particularly if you want a same day type appointment or need to wait for a referral but like many things it gets exaggerated.
Click to expand...
Well my experience is that in my area it's a nightmare to get an appointment. I had to wait 6 weeks for something that was urgent, 7 days is about the normal wait for a UTI that obviously gets worse each day etc, etc. Friends at different surgeries are all having the same experience.
 
In my area you have to ring after 8 am for an appointment, by 8.01 you're normally number 35 or higher in the queue. I haven't had a face to face with a Doctor since august 2020 when i had a Femoral artery bypass, and that was a hospital doctor. If you NEED a doctor you're better off ringing 111, even then you find yourself on hold for up to 2 hours.
 
If you know where you will be living then you can perhaps do some research before arrival, perhaps make contact by email with a surgery convenient to your location and explain the situation, and if they can probably accept you as a patient maybe send scans of your prescriptions and ask if they would be able to provide continuity of treatment or appointments for evaluation from whatever date you are due to arrive - you might need to prove your status with details of your date and place of birth etc.
I use emails rather than telephone these days when dealing with my local surgery as they have amalgamated with others and it is a whole rigmarole of pressing buttons to get to the right receptionist only to be told they can't help.
 
Apart from forgetting to tell me about my eligibility for an exemption certificate, the surgery I attended in County Durham were quite okay. Yes, there was the dreaded 0800 phonecall, holding on to finally get to a receptionist but I could normally get at least a phone consultation with the doctor the same morning, at which point if it was important I’d get an appointment for a face-to-face that afternoon or the next day. It does vary a lot depending upon where you are, though.
 
Resurgam said:
If you know where you will be living then you can perhaps do some research before arrival, perhaps make contact by email with a surgery convenient to your location and explain the situation, and if they can probably accept you as a patient maybe send scans of your prescriptions and ask if they would be able to provide continuity of treatment or appointments for evaluation from whatever date you are due to arrive - you might need to prove your status with details of your date and place of birth etc.
I use emails rather than telephone these days when dealing with my local surgery as they have amalgamated with others and it is a whole rigmarole of pressing buttons to get to the right receptionist only to be told they can't help.
Click to expand...

I think these days they have to do very basic checks when taking on a new patient - like height, weight, BP and a general chat.

When my OH moved he saw the GP for something urgent (probably his troublesome ears), as a temporary patient, then had the checks a few days later to become a proper patient.

That was 2009-ish, but I doubt the beaurocracy has eased since then.
 
Back
Top