NHS legally obliged to give you test strips?

Sid Bonkers said:

The DVLA say you should test before you get behind the wheel of a car but they don't say who has to pay for all those strips. The NHS doesn't buy you a car and neither are they legally bound to prescribe you test strips to use before you drive.

That said when I was on insulin and my GP's practice refused me the number of strips I was using I mentioned the DVLA requirement and got my prescription filled with no problem. It is very much up to the particular doctor you have as to whether you will get all the strips you require.

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Point taken Sid...but like you, it was mentioning the testing before driving responsibility, that seemed to persude my dr that I did need all those strips.

very good point about the DVLA - even if the NICE stuff doesn't convince them, you have to test before driving.
Good luck. Wish we could all come with you and stand there glaring at them with the full force of our rage/knowledge/expertise/common sense!

they'l prob say, dont drive then and take your liscence off you

this reminds me of when my doctor wrote to me and told me that they were going to stop supplying me with test strips & limit my insulin because i was "getting through too much", and that was BEFORE i switched onto basal bolus and have to do a million tests & injections a day - i was only doing 3 tests & 2 injections at the time.
my mum and i kicked up quite a fuss though and wrote some scary letters and they apologised and said that they'd got mixed up between 1 and 2, so it does happen, however terrible that is.

hopefully who you saw today was having an off day and must've got confused too because the amount she's told you to do is ridiculous, no one can be expected to control their diabetes with 1 test every 3 days, it's insane! even for type 2's, i'm sure they're supposed to do quite a lot as well?! i don't understand how you're supposed to manage with one test every 3 days, it's dangerous.
good luck for tomorrow, i hope you talk to someone who sees sense.

BarryLey said:

Thanks for the help guys. I saw the GP today, all ready for battle. He told me that the nurse has no business giving advice like that. She is supposed to check for neuropathy, schedule Hb1c and retinopathy tests and that's it. He will have a word with her and make sure she doesn't give dangerous advice like that again. He gave me my scrip.

Thanks for all being there with your advice and support it gave me confidence

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Thats a good result, well done
Sue

Excellent news, I hope that nurse gets a good telling off. I just hope there are not too many other Type1's she has said this to who are taking her at her word ! :evil:

BarryLey said:

Thanks for the help guys. I saw the GP today, all ready for battle. He told me that the nurse has no business giving advice like that. She is supposed to check for neuropathy, schedule Hb1c and retinopathy tests and that's it. He will have a word with her and make sure she doesn't give dangerous advice like that again. He gave me my scrip.

Thanks for all being there with your advice and support it gave me confidence

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Excellent result Barry and I wouldn't like to be in the nurses shoes today!

Nigel

Hi BarryLey,

I haven't experienced this before, but I have had a similar issue with my own doctor. I usually test at least twice a day. If I am ill, travelling, exercising more/less than usual then I will test more often. My doctors will only prescribe one box or test strips at a time. One box is 25 strips. At best, this still last less than two weeks. I have asked repeatedly for this to be increased but have had no luck. Instead, I have to re-order on an almost weekly basis. Just before Christmas my prescription request was refused and I was called in to see a doctor about it. The doctor told me he had refused my request as I was using too many strips and it had been flagged as a potential case of misuse. I understand that they have to monitor this kind of thing but, ad I explained to ho
, if I was going to develop some sort of addiction, it certainly wouldn't be to test strips!

I can still only get one box at a time and have found that, a lot of the time, it is easier and quicker to order test strips on line!

Hope you have more luck than me!
E

Hi folks
first off it does'nt make any odds if your type 1 or 2 .You should have access to strips whatever .I must admit the last time i had issuese about strips my DN she told me to ring her and there would be no trouble. If you need strips to monitar your levels (please remind) your DN or GP that it is against the law to drive or operate any vehicles or machinary under the inflence of your prescribed drugs.If you have no strips to test with you may make a unvoluntry decisoun to drive when you were unaware of your levels ,Please let your DN proffesionals about this and good luck for the future .
JF>

Just as well you got the right result Barry, I was going to say "come home".
As you know once diagnosed here, T1 or T2, we register with the NDSS and can buy as many strips as we choose at a minimal charge currently about $7.00 AUS for 50. Free if one is has a health care card. In a way this system should mean that diabetics are not penalised by cost but unless one has more $7's than sense, you only buy what you determine you need.
Alison