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Test Strips - Complaint Response from the Dept of Health

I think this is getting blown out of proportion, you cant threaten your doctor with repercussions for refusing to prescribe strips, because he/she is not stopping you testing, you can still get the strips without prescription from the chemist, all the doctor is doing is refusing to pay for them.
 
Sorry Talos, my reply did not mean to sound threatening to my my GP at all, in fact he has been great, its just that since being diagnosed I have had conflicting info from both my GP and my newly appointed Diabetes nurse, who do I believe???
 
Who do you believe.........how about fellow Diabetic's ........

We don't have any money issues or are governed by what we are told to say. We are impartial.(possibly!) :wink:

Your Nurse said you should monitor.....she is right !

Check out this post from Sue and myself :

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=19002#p173253
 

That's all very well Talos, but many, especially older Diabetics who cannot work any more and are on restricted money probably cannot afford the strips and therefore will lose out on their Diabetic control because of this.

I wonder if, because Wales have free prescriptions , other drugs will disappear off the Tariffs because of cost ?
 
Very interesting and informative discussion.

Re Bowell's quesion about whether we think here will be no more referrals o hospital etc I think this is happening already in some places.
It was interesting that a news item on TV tseemed to take the opposite view. We were shown an elderly gentleman visiting his DN and fearing that he would lose his "convenience" in the future.
At present i would welcome losing "Siser Insulin" so-called for obvious reasons. Bent on putting everyone on insulin asap or sooner .
On the other hand if everyone had to attend the hospital would that be any improvement?
I doubt it!
I think it is very sad that diabetics cannot rust their HCP's to treat them in the most appropriate way. I really believe that GP'S Practices should be obliged o publish their policies regarding the reatment of diabetes. Maybe this will happen in the future.
 
I'm sorry but I am not at all happy with GP's, I feel generally that I get an inadequate service from mine, I have not had a propper medical in over 8 years, I have changed GP becuase of getting strips.
i am type 1 on insulin. i just wonder where we are going? the real cuts have'nt even started.
 


Word for word the same as the reply I got, so they are getting so many they are using standard replies now.

Time for something a bit more confronatational maybe?

H
 

But that is a matter for social services, not the doctors, they are after all not social workers.
Your point is a valid one and needs addressing, but there are people who may get strips prescribed free of charge who could easily pay for them.
My point is are we blaming the wrong person, should the campaign be directed at social services to get people in need the supplies they require.
 
I order my prescriptions online and when I returned home today I found that for the very first time there was a query abut my request for test strips. there were also some calls shown as number wihheld on my answering service.

As I have just succeded in bringing my bg sown to a leve acceptable to my ophamologist {although this has caused increased retinal bleeding} and although the diabetic consulyant was delighted with my prooress I am now obviouslly going to have to fight o have the strips prescibed.
I m low carbing and testing and achieving control after nearly 4 years in the widerness.

I am so angry! As a pensioner on a fairly low income it will be diffficult for me to afford strips.
I have dome wihout them dor the last week as i am trying to keep my requests to one a month.

I am sure I am having hypos when I exercise but sometimes I misjudge the symptoms. I have symptoms at 3.5 but sometimes the same sympoms when the levels are above ^.

I know many other people have the samme problem - and i am particularly horrified that some type 1s are denied the strips they need.

My greatest concern in the short erm is to be able to keep my temper with whoever is calling. Noone in my current practice has done anyhing at all to help me and they are now making it difficult for me to contineie to help myself effectively,
 
I've been thinking about strips quite a lot recently. I run 2 meters, a Contour which they sent me for free and for which I buy strips from ebay, and a Freestyle Lite which my GP gave me. They issue a Freestyle Lite to all newly-diagnosed diabetics, regardless of type, so the standardisation referred to above is already happening. Mind you, if they can get a good price for bulk deals, good for them.

I use them alternately, two weeks each. So in effect, I pay for half my strips.

Our diabetic specialist GP told me quite straightforwardly that they want me to test as little as possible because the strips are expensive. So far, though, I've had as many as I've wanted, because I'm learning how foods affect me.

However - I'm using my Atkins-based diet, and I know what that does to my BG levels. I do need to test for foods outside that diet, and I have learned by testing what the most common carb foods do to me. I shall also need to test regularly as I increase my exercise, until I find out how I react to that. And there's illness, of course. Outside those, do I really need to test 8 times a day, every day?

At the moment I'm testing 3 times most days, more often if I've done or eaten something unusual. Occasionally I'll do a full day of 8. My readings are stable and consistently within Type 2 targets, though I would like them lower. This means one tub of strips on prescription, one bought by me, per month. At present I can afford that.

Would anyone like to convince me why I should be testing more often, other than when I'm ill or if my medication changes? Please? While I want what I'm entitled to and need, I also don't want to cause more expense than necessary.

Viv
 
No. I certainly wouldn't try o persuade you to test MORE Viv. In fac I think you could well test less.

As your readings are stable and you are not on any hypo -inducing medication I should think 3 times daily might even be a little excessive. I know it is good to have the reassurance of consant testing but I do think we have to think of cost.

I am on hypo-inducing medication which is being reduced .have changed my diet and greatly increased the amount of exercise I do. In a few months time I hope that the medication issues eill be resolved and I can then reduce my testing. Words cannot express my horror at T1's being denied testing strips so even if i is illogical I would like to feel i am doing my bit to change the situation.

I had to test 3 times daily for the first 8 months after diagnosis . Since then I have only tested when I felt unwell or when I needed to see the diabetic nurse or opthalmic consultant.
Due to recent concerns about my macular oedema .all concerned have made a concerted effort o reduce my BG..Unfortunately this has caused increased retinal bleeding !

In these circumstances and with new meds etc i feel justified in requesting test strips. I only use 50 per month and have only done so for the past 3 monhs.

Forunately today my prescription was accepted wihout further ado. I think I could have made oit a very good case for strips but am worn out by all the battles. I imagine one of the newly qualified GP's ,trained to think testing unnecessary for T"2's tried to dig his/her toes in - fortunately someone else seems to have shown more common sense.

personally I look forward o NOT needing o test so frequently. As long as I have the wherewihal to est when necessary I shall be happy!
 
As you become more knowledgable about which foods do what to your blood glucose levels then you don't need to test so rigorously as when you first start out on learning about food and diabetes.

Testing new foods and when you feel 'not quite right' is a must and I also do a full days or sometimes two, three days testing every so often to check that I am still on track. Portion sizes can magically become bigger if you stop weighing things and also if you lose weight then some foods that previously affected your Bg levels adversely can become useable again because of decreased Insulin resistance.

The body is an ever changing thing and every Diabetic needs to be able to test when they want to even when they are well controlled and well experienced.
 
Thanks, Sue, you've put what I was trying to say very well.

I'm hoping to prove to my HCPs that I'm a responsible and informed diabetic, in control of my own situation. If I can do that I think they'll give me what I want without question - they're very good.

I do think this forum has the best approach, and the rigorous testing I did in the beginning, following your 'advice to newbies', taught me a great deal in a very short time - in fact, gave me a lot of confidence! So, a big thank-you to you and Ken!

Viv
 
We must all act as our own best advocates
My GP was very difficult so I moved practices.I raised the issue of costs with my Diabetic nurse she said the costs were minor compared to the costs to the NHS of managing hypos, kidney malfunction and retinal damage
I do agree however that the price of test strips is excessive - which is probably why free meters are offered, once we are on a meter the pharma company has a liscence to print money! The result may be that the NHS agrees a one off price for one type of low cost strip/ meter and we have to take that or lump it or self fund an alternative. Is that what we want?
 
Can I ask, as someone who is newly diagnosed as type 2, trying diet control and hasn't been given any means to test although I requested, what do you do if you do feel ill and you have no means of testing? I feel like I'm getting a cold but if I were to test and my numbers were high what action would I need to take?
 
Riversidegirl, it is a postcode lottery to whether Type 2's get a meter and strips to test, the majority don't. Most people buy their own. The Codefree meter has the cheapest strips and can be bought on ebay or amazon.
 
I have also been contacted by my GP Surgery in Purfleet, Essex that I should change my blood testing machine and the letter also suggests that I should cut back on the number of times I test my blood sugar.

Recommended Testing Frequency is suggested to TEST ONCE DAILY AS A MINIMUM OE AS DIRECTED BY YOUR GP/NURSE.

I wrote back complaining to them that my diabetes is not treated by the GP (due to the surgery times and the fact that I would prefer to maintain the diabetic clinic which I have been using since I was diagnosed in 1984).

They have replied that the local Primary Care Trust have recommended an audit of all patients carrying out blood glucose monitoring across South West Essex.

The GP has now confirmed that they will maintain the current testing strips for my BAYER USB.

Despite the importance of maintaining good control it looks like the NHS is trying to cut back on diabetes treatment.
Over recent years my visits to the diabetic clinic are longer between appointments (9 months now rather than 3 months).
 
Ref visits to clinics. As above.. Going from 3 months to 9 months.. This really interests me..just how often do we expect to be seen at a clinic...me I feel annual js quite enough. I know I can get my bloods done inbetween, if I have any problems occur I know I have HCP's to contact.
Dxd 27 years. Personally I dislike going more often, as I think I handle my own care well.

I don't think Hcp's intentionally make appointment visits any less due to cut backs.. But know I have taken this losting off at a different tangent..

Test strips- getting enough of them can keep you out of clinics!! So its all swings and roundabouts.

I believe in having the right tools to manage our diabetes and to keep us out of clinics and hospitals is vital..but very hard to get...

My consultants never used to mind how many strips I had and willingly wrote to gp telling him. This has changed now... My hoslifal dsn said she was willing to write to my new gp to ask him to support my insulin pump and diabetes, but would not tell him how many strips to prescribed. That Gp's have their budgets to keep to and I would have to negotiate... Fortunately my gp is good.

What really annoys me is seeing strips on ebay for sell from private individuals..... Are they getting too many prescribed and selling them on? This I believe is a cause of concern...,
 
My PCT told me I can have strips. They said 2 packs[100strips!!!!] per year for testing once to twice weekly are sufficient. I don't often even get that, beccause I buy them and forget to claim my "allowance". You've reminded me I need to ask the dispensary when I last had some.
Hana
 
I get 50 strips per month if I want them; at the moment I have a little hoard in case my PCT changes its mind!

I was very interested to read the bit of news on the Home Page about an inquiry into PCT rationing of test strips to Type 1s. Can I suggest some of us lobby the MP - Anna Saudry I think, but check the text - about testing for Type 2s as well? Her email address can be found via http://www.parliament.uk

Viv 8)
 
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