I finally got a response from Novo, I think they are sending me a new Echo. Their ethos appears to be that I should have waited a fortnight to see my doctor, got my wife to take time off work to take me in my wheelchair to see him, wasted his time explaining the problem and then getting a new pen prescription in order to bolster Novo's profits.
No wonder the NHS is going broke if this is the attitude their suppliers have.
Luckily I have a spare Novopen 4 which I've been using the last few days, not trusting the Echo. My, have I missed the reminder of last dose and elapsed time, it gives just that little extra memory jog, always welcome.