The NICE report is out for the Libre today.

[PMHunt]

I'm not really sure what it actually means, but I know your doctor has to give it to you within 3 months if you can prove it's worth it...

 

[PMHunt]

https://www.nice.org.uk/advice/MIB110

 

[tim2000s]

Well that's exactly what it says. A briefing. And one that makes no real recommendations....

 

[donnellysdogs]

Lists a lot of benefits.... and it does say may reduce blooddstrip costs... think its quite positive..

 

[donnellysdogs]

Wonder how long it will be before the CCGs make their minds up about providing them.

 

[Jhinchley1985]

Well you must be mad paying £50 a sensor as the NHS don't yet provide them. Not only that their not 100% accurate I had mine now I don't use it waste of money.

 

[PMHunt]

Well you must be mad paying £50 a sensor as the NHS don't yet provide them. Not only that their not 100% accurate I had mine now I don't use it waste of money.

For £1.60 a day, mad isn't a word I'd use, even at 80% accuracy it's a must

 

[Mr_Pot]

I don't know anything about the Libre but I do know that £50 divided by 14 is £3.57.

 

[tim2000s]

Well you must be mad paying £50 a sensor as the NHS don't yet provide them. Not only that their not 100% accurate I had mine now I don't use it waste of money.

It depends on what you use it for, but then we all must be mad for using finger sticks as they can be up to 15% inaccurate too.

That's why the briefing points out that both user and HCP training is critical in uptake of tools like the Libre. Does it have to be "100% Accurate" to see that after you eat you get a spike, so you can learn how to manage that spike that you didn't know about? Not in my book, and that's where the real benefit lies. Having a continuous set of data to learn what really happens to your glucose levels and to see how fast you are rising and falling.

It provides you with a set of metrics that can allow you to manage things a lot more effectively. Point data accuracy is much less important.

 

[donnellysdogs]

I can extend the connect sensors to 12 or 13 days for £525 for box of 10. I'd ratger have real time than libre.

 

[tim2000s]

I can extend the connect sensors to 12 or 13 days for £525 for box of 10. I'd ratger have real time than libre.

Yes. Me too.

 

[ringi]

A big issue is that most people will not be engaged enough to get the full benefit from a "free" Libre, people who have chosen to pay themselves will tend to always get better results.

 

[azure]

A big issue is that most people will not be engaged enough to get the full benefit from a "free" Libre, people who have chosen to pay themselves will tend to always get better results.

I'm not sure that's true. Presumably they'd give free Libres to those whom they thought would benefit (rather like insulin pumps) rather than dishing them out willy-nilly.

I'd be very glad to have a free Libre (or even better a CGM) and I can promise you that I would be just as engaged as if I'd paid for,it myself. Like many people, the reason I don't pay for a Libre myself is that I simply can't afford it.

 

[tim2000s]

The survey I ran last year/earlier this year suggests that those who are already engaged would definitely use these things, even if they were free. The question is what about those who don't fingerprick now and aren't engaged. Can you change their behaviour with some education and the use of a tool that changes the testing paradigm?

 

[ringi]

Nice needs a way to define "those whom they thought would benefit" that enables a large scale test of the cost/benefit.

Remember the libre per year costs about as much as a few days in hospital.

So would there a better cost/benefit from sending a doctor (who understands low curb) to stray with everyone that has T2 for 3 days every few years? (for example)

 

[DCUKMod]

Last week I had quite an extended appointment with a Consultant Endocrinologist, at my local Spire hospital. My appointment wasn't diabetes related, but in exploring side avenues, we got onto discussing my historic diabetes diagnosis and journey. We were discussing 24 hour blood glucose profiling and I mentioned I had utilised several Libre sensors which had given me great information. He had quite obviously never heard of it.

That said, in the same area, Libre sensors are being used fairly extensively in various diabetes related research projects, including with pre-diabetes.

My conclusion is that in certain places in the UK, the uptake will be significantly lower than others.