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What pumps are available to you in your NHS area?

How many pumps are available in your area?

  • Total voters
    13
C

Capt-Slog

Well-Known Member
Messages
173
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi,

I started this list to try to create a list of the pumps available on the NHS in each different part of the UK.
I did this because I found it SOOO difficult to find a simple list of pumps that have been approved by the NHS?
I found a list, but it is woefully out of date (early 2018) and there doesn't seem to be a central list of CCG (clinical commissioning groups) and what hardware they will support.

Talking to other people on this Forum, i find it amazing that this information is not more readily available.
Some people say that their CCG only provide 1 single pump. My CCG provides a choice of 6 pumps (but still doesn't have the one i like!).

It would seem better that all CCG's would supply any pump that is approved by the NHS. Clearly they don't, so the question is why? I am sure that there must be a reason, and presumably it is a good one.

As people are constantly coming onto this forum asking "what is the best pump" and "does anyone have any experience of this/that pump" it is safe to assume that they have been given a list of the different pumps available in there area.

Thanks
 
Thanks for setting up this thread.
In my area, there is only one option - Medtronic 640G.
The reasons for this are
- provides the minimum acceptable feature set (as rated by the local team)
- the level of support provided my Medtronic satisfies the local service levels
- is considered to be reliable (I know some were discounted due to reliability issues)
- having a single pump makes training and support by the diabetes team easier - they only need to learn one pump and its quirks and can start new pumpers in a classroom rather than one on one
- and, most importantly, money - other pumps will satisfy the feature set, support and reliability criteria but are too expensive

I find this frustrating but I understand the reasons which are basically value for money.
And I would rather have the Medtronic than no pump at all.

My CCG used to only offer Animas and had to make a change when Animas pulled out of the pump market.
And, in their defence, I know they review other options which is why I have been invited to trial the Medtrum A6 although this is not currently on offer to all.
 
There's 211 CCG's across the UK, as they all operate as individual units and all have a financial budget to do so, it is down to each CCG as to how that money is spent and what influence pump manufacturers have within that unit. It is purely cost driven.

My trust only offered 1 pump, which made my decision making process easy.

The best advice to anyone who has the option is to look at youtube as many pump users like to post vids on their pumps which gives a useful insight into how they are promoted, also to write a priority list as to what attributes are most important to them. Pump functionality is fairly uniform so it does really boil down to tubing/tubeless, CGM compatibility, pump support and reliability.

Same as @helensaramay regardless of only having the one option available I would rather have this than no pump at all.
 

Hi Juicy,
What pump do you have?
 
Capt-Slog said:
Hi Juicy,
What pump do you have?
Click to expand...

I'm also using a medtronic 640g, I love my pump as it's with this i've been able to get my HbA1c down to 42 (fair amount of work involved too) but it is the combination of technology and effort which has got me here.
 
Three were mentioned to me. 640G, 670G & Tandem t:slim X2. I chose the Tandem.
 
Capt-Slog said:
I am VERY interested in the X2. But I am interested to know why you chose it over the others.
Click to expand...
I'd done a lot of reading & the features of the Medtronic pumps, particularly the 670G seemed very exciting.
Plenty of people like the 670G, but it does seem to need a lot of effort from the user, and there were a quite a few negative comments about the proprietary CGM which requires a lot of calibrations.

I've been self funding Dexcom CGMs for about 5 years and I like them. My experience with the G6 has been very good. Much of the time this needs no calibrations & I'm happy to bolus from it.

The fact that the Tandem t:slim X2 works (soon in the UK) with the G6, was a big factor. The updateable firmware was what confirmed it for me. With the experience of smart phones it seems unbelievable to think that this is the first pump to offer over the internet updates. With every other pump including the Medtronics, the only way to get an update is to wait for a new pump - about 4 years with the NHS.

In the next couple of months or so it will have "Basal IQ" a feature which anticipates low blood sugars & attempts to stop them. Next year (?) there will be a full hybrid system "Control IQ", similar to the 670G, which also manages high blood sugars.
So far, even without these new features, I like the pump. It is my first though so I have nothing to compare it with.
 
My CCG (Cwm Taf) offers the Medtronic 640G and Omnipod - I chose the latter.
 
There are 3 in aneurin bevan, medtronic 640G medtronic 670G (counted them as 1!!!) Accucheck combo and Omnipod. Was told yesterday that they will be approving the Tandem t-slim soon
 
porl69 said:
There are 3 in aneurin bevan, medtronic 640G medtronic 670G (counted them as 1!!!) Accucheck combo and Omnipod. Was told yesterday that they will be approving the Tandem t-slim soon
Click to expand...
That is good news. Lots of people writing really good reviews about the Tandem r:slim X2.
 
In my area you get the latest medtronic when you upgrade. So, I said one on the poll as you don't get to CHOOSE but there are a few floating about depending on when you got it. I have a more updated one than my aunt, for example but we are in the same region. It used to be animas and medronic but....well now we are alll med-bots
 
Your comment is one of those that make me want to give multiple responses - the “med-bots” won
 
Hello sorry to revive this thread but I wanted to share that my CCG has 3 pumps available (you could say 4, but I moulded medtronic together): Roche Accu check Combo, Medtronic 640 and 670 and Onmipod, they are also waiting for Tandem to get back to them.
 
Hi
Just to add my choices for Notts.
Accu-chek Insight, Accu-chek combo, Medtronic 640g and Dana R.
CCG felt had to offer 4th choice when Animas ceased hence the Dana R.
 
In my area the only ones available are the accuchek insight and combo and the my life ypsomed insulin pump.
 
I live in Preston, Lancashire (for my sins) and they have offered me Medtronic 640g, Accu check combo, Omnipod. I went for omnipod I start in two weeks! I’m scared but excited!
 
Hi, I have only ever used the ACCU-CHEK Insight but my pump is up for renewal. BUT now i use a Libre the pump isnt any use as it doesnt allow you to manually enter a bg reading. So I think I will have to swap to the medtronic 640g because that one does. I have sent accu-chek email after email asking them to update the firmware to allow manual readings to be entered for all us flash / libre users, but sadly no reply to any of my emails.
 
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