Petition signed! I am also disgusted that I am not being given the opportunity to manage my own condition! Newly diagnosed about a month ago, my G.P. response was to immediately prescribe tablets - and when I questioned the issue of trying diet change first, this was immediately rejected by her as an option, stating that it is now the policy of their practice to put everybody straight onto medication, including pre-diabetics. I stood my ground, although felt like a 'naughty girl' and have not taken medication but have been using diet control - assisted by all of the great advice and guidance in these forums. However, whilst my G.P. was more than ready to prescribe medication, she would not give me a monitor/strips, stating that they are not able to do this. I have written to the CCG and made my feelings about this known, and have just received a reply stating -
"The usefulness of self monitoring is debatable, since evidence suggests that Self monitoring of blood glucose has a limited role in improving blood glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes on oral agents, or being treated with diet alone. For many non-insulin treated people with type 2 diabetes, it is usually better to focus on areas likely to make a difference to their symptoms and cardiovascular risk. Such areas include support and advice around nutrition, exercise, smoking cessation, foot care, together with blood pressure and cholesterol control, In summary, frequent testing of blood glucose is unnecessary in many people with type 2 diabetes, however, in some people the information from SMBG may be used to maximise the effect of lifestyle and medication. It would be adviseable to discuss this with the diabetic nurse at your practice to assess the need for self-monitoring and the potential frequency of monitoring, if deemed appropriate."
And so I did discuss this with my Diabetic nurse, whose approach was somewhat different to my G.P. in that she accepted my choice not to go on medication in the first instance, stating that it is my body and my diabetes and that she was happy to support me in my decision. She said that she was able to give me a monitor which contained 25 strips, but that she would not be able to prescribe further strips. So once again - a brick wall!! Like a previous contributor to this thread, I am also living on £59 per week as a carer for my elderly parents, and cannot afford the cost of strips on my budget.
I will be contacting the CCG again to follow this up. Whilst their reply was somewhat contradictory, they do give the impression that there was some flexibility in whether strips could be prescribed. Whereas in reality, my Diabetic Nurse was saying that her hands were tied. David Nicholson perhaps needs to make it clear to local CCG's and Doctors whether the limiting of strips is a guidance or a directive. My G.P. practice is clearly responding to it as a directive to not prescribe - whereas if it is a guidance there would be some flexibility.