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UK - Changing Trust to a More Pump Friendly One - Possible?

M

MDJ

Member
Messages
20
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hello,

Not sure if this is the right group for this question. If not, please accept my apologies.

I am very keen to move on to a Pump (preferably patch) system. On the surface I'm not sure I qualify due to the fact that my HbA1c is "too good". However, that decent HbA1c is an average that hides the story of the fact that I often run very high and often go quite low. I also get very stressed and worried about night-time hypoglycaemia even with the warning alarms that I get on my CGM. I know this means I meet at least one of the NICE criteria for getting a pump. I spoke to my Consultant about this today and she agreed that she would put me forward for an assessment with the specialist nurses in my Health Authority - which I guess is a start. However she stated that in my Health Authority (East & North Herts) that they are not very pump oriented/friendly and that the waiting list can be up to two years long! I'm 62 so that seems like a long wait to me! She also noted that other Health Authorities are much more pump oriented (mainly because they have the staff resources) and that in some authorities (she mentioned Guys Hospital in London and one other London one which I don't remember the name of) almost all of the Type 1's that wish to be are on pumps!

So, that got me to thinking. Is it possible to change your Health Trust/Authority to a more pump friendly one even if you don't live in that area? I only live in North Herts and work in the City of London quite frequently to getting to Guys would not be an issue.

If this is something that's possible, how would I go about doing this/making it happen? Is there a process that you have to follow or people you should contact first - I've heard of some people contacting the specialist Nurses in some areas to sound them out about the possibilities of changing to that area - to make this sort of thing happen? Has anybody here done such a thing?

Thanks again for any help that anyone can give and apologies again if tis is the wrong place for such a question.
 
I’m not in the UK, so I can’t offer info on getting a pump there. I can say that I’d read a lot about what’s involved first. It does involve a lot of effort and time, but it’s worth it to me. I use a Medtronic 670G, hopefully receiving the updated model 780 soon. Good luck!
 
My hba1c was pretty good before I was offered a pump. I qualified as I needed 8 to 10 injections a day to achieve decent control. I still make many small adjustments during the day but so much easier and more pleasant compared to using MDI.
 
In theory, in the NHS you're supposed to have a choice of secondary service, so in theory your GP could refer you to a nearby authority that will pay for a pump. The problem is that most NHS services are constructed to deal with patients who live locally and want their services locally, so there's a lot of bureaucracy to overcome. And the "new" authority will want some money from E&N Herts. While you can be referred there, the new authority doesn't have to accept the referral, and they probably won't unless the money follows.
 
I’m in the USA and having an insurance glitch with my approval for my new pump. Current one,out of warranty.
 
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