Petition for CGM

Excellent, there must be enough of us to get 10,000 signatures so this is at least thought about and responded to.

It's a pity that the people who put these petitions up don't:

a) Spellcheck
b) Create a decent argument

While I applaud the idea of a petition for CGM, without giving clear reasoning, it makes it incredibly difficult to get anything taken seriously. It reads "I want CGM for free becoz it makes mi life eazier, so every1 shud get it"

tim2000s said:

It's a pity that the people who put these petitions up don't:

a) Spellcheck
b) Create a decent argument

While I applaud the idea of a petition for CGM, without giving clear reasoning, it makes it incredibly difficult to get anything taken seriously. It reads "I want CGM for free becoz it makes mi life eazier, so every1 shud get it"

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Why don't you do a proper one then Tim? Give them something to actually debate?

Not being funny, I think its a good Idea and would be willing to lend a couple of hours over Christmas.

'Cause Tim ain't got no fancey book learninz.

In all seriousness, he's right. It's hard to be taken seriously when you can't even write on a basic elementary level.

Engineer88 said:

Why don't you do a proper one then Tim? Give them something to actually debate?

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Because there isn't enough real, quotable evidence that can be used to write a persuasive argument.

The few RCT studies out there are not of good quality and are quoted in NICE guidelines (which don't recommend it for all). The Hba1C improvement evidence is not compelling. There is limited evidence for the qualitative points that were put across in the petition and sadly, at least amongst the Diabetic HCP groups I've spoken to, there is a lot of evidence of "Alarm Fatigue" due to people becoming frustrated with alarms, etc, to such an extent that they stop using the CGM systems.

If comes back to the same old set of issues. People who are motivated enough to privately fund the items see benefits precisely because when you spend £1000 up front on something and £200 a month, you tend to use it. When given it, generally people feel much less predisposed to use it and it's much easier to give it back.

Don't the new NICE guidelines include CGM use?

CarbsRok said:

Don't the new NICE guidelines include CGM use?

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To a limited extent for those without hypo awareness.

I agree that the wording of the petition isn't great and there is a missed opportunity to put forward more convincing arguments for the CGM. If there are enough signatures to guarantee a parliamentary debate I will be writing to my MP, perhaps if we all did the same it would make for a better informed debate. Also, I think the point of making those petitions so easily accessible is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to put their ideas forward, whether or not they can write to a basic elementary level. I think this petition does meet basic elementary requirements, with a few typos and I'll-advised exclamation marks - I think maybe Tim was exaggerating for comic effect?

The NICE guidelines do suggest that there may be slightly more chance of obtaining funding. However, it remains, essentially, entirely at the discretion of the CCG. I have been told that, regardless of clinical need, my CCG simply do not fund CGMs. My consultant told me that she has patients who are unable to work due to frequent hypos, but are refused funding for a CGM.

I think the basic problem is that the CCG would bear the capital costs of funding the CGM, but they don't see any of the cost saving benefits of improving control - they don't pay for dialysis (which would come out of the budget for the hospital trust), they don't pay for the care needed if someone can't go shopping on their own after a leg amputation (that would come out of the council's social care budget). I accept that these are massively extreme examples, but it is an illustration of how the isolated nature of funding decisions in the nhs means no one is incentivised to take a long term view. Which is terribly frustrating.

To guarantee a parliamentary debate, it needs 100,000 signatures. More than a third of all the T1s in the UK!

Shall we sign it and send the link to all our fb friends? We would get thousands in no time

The major problem with this petition (apart from aforementioned typos) is that it's a single example, submitted by one person, and written in the first person perspective. To have an effective response it would require a sizeable group, all of whom have experienced positive results from CGM, putting forward their own arguments, as to why this should be NHS funded for all.

I share the doubts about the wording, but at least it refers to CGMs in general unlike an earlier one which referred only to the Libre.
Don't forget that anyone can sign the petition they don't have to be diabetic.

tim2000s said:

It's a pity that the people who put these petitions up don't:

a) Spellcheck
b) Create a decent argument

While I applaud the idea of a petition for CGM, without giving clear reasoning, it makes it incredibly difficult to get anything taken seriously. It reads "I want CGM for free becoz it makes mi life eazier, so every1 shud get it"

Click to expand...

Don't be such a judgemental snob, apply yourself a little and be nice.

I would love to have a CGM to stop me finger pricking as over the 25 years I have been pricking I have run out of any smooth finger skin and at up to 6 pricks a day it's a lot of "Stabbing"