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Refused BG testing strips.

Wow that really is ridiculous, my partner has had the same trouble with them repeatedly giving him the wrong testing strips too!! Hope your pregnancy is going well!!
 
Cheers, I will be! And I will be putting in a strong complaint when I pluck up the courage haha
 
I have been a type 1 diabetic since I was 15 in 1970 (tells you how old I am now). In that time I have had an occasional difficulty with prescription supply. I have been a trained nurse since I was 21 and working in the NHS have been able to control the supply of my equipment.

The best discovery for me was the freestyle libre device which means I no longer have to prick my fingers. After having free prescriptions for my diabetic equipment since 1970 I willingly pay for my sensors but believe this equipment is essential for type 1 diabetics and should be on prescription!
 

That's the problem though, the CGM would be perfect but are not currently available on NHS and both @TallGiraffe and I cant afford to fund a CGM at the moment. It is beyond ridiculous and I will be contacting the practice manager this morning to give her a piece of my mind
 
Unfortunately, even if it was available on the NHS, the Libre is not a replacement for finger pricking. The DVLA do not accept it as a record of BG before driving and the advice is to finger prick before calculating your insulin dose. The Libre provides great *additional* support but the days of sore fingers is not over ... even if you can afford a CGM.
 
Agree the libre is not a replacement for strips.. anybody that drives must still test before driving.
CGM's like the guardian connect still need 2-4 tests a day.
 
TallGiraffe said:
Update - my partner made a complaint, they put a prescription in to collect the same day and they have increased my prescription to 200 strips!!
Click to expand...

Result!!! So pleased for you!!
 
lot of good advice. A few people have said this already, but I constantly have issues with my GP's surgery. Whenever I run into problems I contact my DSN at the hospital who sends a strongly worded latter to the GP. My last battle was needles, I need to inject between 6 and 10 times a and a couple of boxes gives me little wiggle room each month. After the DSN sent a letter I get TWELVE flaming boxes a month. I have had to build a wall with them. Talk about a knee jerk reaction. Why oh why can they not just prescribe what you reasonably ask for...grrrrrrr
 
I use the dearest test strips from Bayer for my meter and I get them okay and I only get them every couple of weeks on prescription as I only do my bg tests before meals and the test strips for 50 costs about £26 each and I get 100 at a time and when I got the meter from the hospital my dsn wrote a letter to tell the gp that I needed the test strips on prescription and when I wanted them and to give me them so I just get them without a problem and I am on insulin for life as a T2 and anything else I have on prescription I get without a problem except once but that was for 1 item and that was ages ago so now I get what I want when I need it
 
T1 for almost 60 years so I have a great deal of sympathy for your position.

I have just resolved my restriction of strips but I has taken me nearly 2 years.
During this time I have been too willing to be put off, accept excuses and not be really pushy.
Had I chased every other day for answers and action I think the whole matter could have been resolved in about 2 months.

There are a number of things that you need to do >>>>
1) get a doctors appointment and take a copy of the NICE guidelines with you (T1 test up to 10 times a day)
Explain how often you are comfortable testing then add more for driving (DVLA Legislation)
Do the arithmetic based on a day then multiply by 28
2) The normal NHS repeat prescription period is 28 days - If they try and tell you different get them to
state the position in writing to you.
3) If these first 2 do not get you anywhere then make a formal complaint to the NHS (there is a website and telephone No online)
4) Have a meeting / discussion with a doctor or practice manager (But take an observer/friend/family member with you) AND (insist that that they write to you with the outcome of the meeting so that if necessary that letter can be sent to NHS complaints with your comments)

Then, as happened to me earlier to-day, you will hopefully end up with a Dr or DSN appointment where you get as near to an apology as can be given and comments like "Your consultant has instructed us NOT to hassle you about No's of test strips" and "You have no complications and you have good control / awareness of your Blood Sugar levels so the cost of test strips is negligible when compared to the cost of Diabetic complications"
AND "did you know that the NICE guidelines for BG strip limits have just changed from 10 to 11 per day?"

Hopefully someone can post a link to the NICE BG strip guidelines <<<<<<<<<

On a slightly different tack - I have just changed the type of BG meter I use - I phoned Lifescan and told them I was changing meter and asked for one for the home, one for the car, one to leave on my boat and a spare - after explaining that I was T1 they immediately put them in the post - I unfortunately proved the importance of the spare within a couple of months and a replacement was just as fast. A very pleasant and unexpected supply of help when requested!
 
I work in a surgery and last week none of the scripts would go electronically due to an IT issue so that bit may not be their fault but they should know the t1 quantities
 
 
Fortunately I have never had test strips denied to me, however I am only get one box of strips per prescrition as I results I have to get a prescription every week, which is rather annoying when you have to drive 2 miles there and back! Might have to enquire about increasing my prescription
 
I've experienced the same problem. I complained said training for London marathon, had to have enough test strips for training and to be safe. They soon gave me more test strips. Now they want to give me a new meter due to cut backs my current meter accu chek mobile is too expensive but I feel I need to keep my meter its perfect for running. Not making my life easy!!
 
 
becca59 said:
Hi
Interesting how different doctors are. I get 200 at a time, each month. I suggest you get your consultant to write a letter.
Click to expand...
Get in touch with your local Clinical Commissioning Group. This quite useless layer of bureaucracy sets the prescription rules for your local GP's. Not all CCG's restrict strips - and to the best of my knowledge ALL insulin users should still be provided with strips!! MAKE A FUSS.
 
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