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Pump advice, specifically Omnipod.

Liverpoolinot

Liverpoolinot

Member
Hi all,
I've not posted properly before, I'm 26, T1, 11 years. So that's a little about me. My diabetes has changed a bit over the past few years, I didn't used to test my Sugars much but over the last 6-12 months I've been testing a lot more and even invested in a freestyle libre to get a better picture of my sugars -£100 a month, but totally worth it. The libre has revealed the truth that my body has been keeping from me, I always used to think I had good control, turns out actually I don't!

I was diagnosed when I was 15 and offered a pump, but being 15 I just wanted to do the injections and not have to think about anything else. Being a bit older and diabetes wiser, I'm thinking about my future health and the imitations that bad control might have on me later.

So, to the pump. Has anyone in the UK been offered an OMNIPOD on the NHS? In Liverpool? And What was your experience of getting a pump? What hoops did you jump through? How many ambulance trips did you have to have on your record before they gave you one?
 
Hi @Liverpoolinot I can't say that I'm using an Omnipod (I've only just got pump funding agreed but had to push for that) but I'm takking @noblehead who is one of the Omnipod on the NHS users on here. I'm sure others will be along soon.
 
Welcome to the forum @Liverpoolinot :)

You have to have a clinical need to be eligible for pump funding, either meeting the NICE criteria or come under the ABCD recommendations, here's some info about both:

http://www.inputdiabetes.org.uk/alt-insulin-pumps/is-it-provided-by-the-nhs/

I got pump approval after meeting the ABCD recommendations (quality of life) as my HbA1c was fine and I still have good hypo awareness symptoms, of the 3 pumps that were on offer I chose the Omnipod as it was a tubeless pump and was waterproof.

The time it took from discussing a pump with my Endo, getting approval to actually starting on a pump was around 4 months if I remember correctly, I've never had any ambulance trips or needed third party assistance in dealing with a hypo so that was never a consideration.

Hope you get approval and are soon pumping insulin. Good luck.
 
Hi @Liverpoolinot - I have just had funding agreed and a date for my pump training. Where I am, I wasn't offered the Omnipod. Mine will be the Accu Chek Aviva. My hba1c had gone up & was having more hypos so I was asked by my DSN if I wanted to consider one. All the best of luck
 
hi there toni
me again :) I have been pumping on the Omnipod for 6 months and I love it.
as noblehead says -- have a read of his link and make sure when you attend in June you go in as prepared as you can.

all the best !!
 
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