# Hi Guys



## williammcd (Sep 26, 2009)

hi, been diabetic type 2 for about 5 years now not bad at keeping it in check ,
been watching the main web page for a few years now for info and only just found this message board ,might be a good idea to add it to the welcome email when you join http://www.diabetes.org.uk/ ,

just got a strange letter telling me in the next few month ive to stop checking my blood sugar level with the little test strip as i will no longer get them free on the NHS ,is this a good or bad thing i personally think its a tragedy waiting to happen ,


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## Steff (Sep 26, 2009)

hi there and welcome william nice to have you on board, thats a very strange letter as far as im aware as long as you are not only diet control you should be entitled to free prescriptions, are you on pills/insulin??


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## HelenP (Sep 26, 2009)

Hi William, welcome to the forum.

Oh dear re the test strips - are they not considered an essential part of the 'kit' to keep your diabetes under control?  I hope that thinking doesn't spread across the country!

xx


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## insulinaddict09 (Sep 26, 2009)

Hello and Welcome to the forum William , anything you want to know just ask
Hmm that is a strange letter !! I certainly hope that its wrong , all Diabetics in my opinion should be able to test their Blood Glucose levels regularly to see how different foods effect levels . This is obviously all down to money


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## am64 (Sep 26, 2009)

welcome to the forum i found it a week ago and have been feeling soooo much better since...very friendly and lots of excellant info ...pubs pretty good aswell
regards
am


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## Northerner (Sep 27, 2009)

williammcd said:


> hi, been diabetic type 2 for about 5 years now not bad at keeping it in check ,
> been watching the main web page for a few years now for info and only just found this message board ,might be a good idea to add it to the welcome email when you join http://www.diabetes.org.uk/ ,
> 
> just got a strange letter telling me in the next few month ive to stop checking my blood sugar level with the little test strip as i will no longer get them free on the NHS ,is this a good or bad thing i personally think its a tragedy waiting to happen ,



Hi William, regarding finding the site - although we are supported by Diabetes UK, they don't always do a great job of advertising that we exist! Glad you found us!

I would ask for a very full and detailed explanation as to why they are saying you can't have test strips. If you are going to use the tests in order to improve your blood glucose control, it is essential that you have them. Read some of the threads here about Type 2 and testing and see how others have persuaded their GPs they are an essential part of their diabetes care. They may seem like an expense, but NOT if you can use them to discover your reactions to food, exercise, fasting levels etc. and avoid potential complications. Good luck!


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## williammcd (Oct 2, 2009)

ok here`s the letter i got, ive scanned it to let you see whats in the future ,i personaly think its another back door move to save money by the nhs ,


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## am64 (Oct 2, 2009)

williammcd said:


> ok here`s the letter i got, ive scanned it to let you see whats in the future ,i personaly think its another back door move to save money by the nhs ,



this is terrible...when i asked my nursey about it she was also shocked...I see if i can find out more for you..


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## Northerner (Oct 2, 2009)

William, that's disgusting! HbA1c is a useful measurement, but so are fingerprick tests - they are chalk and cheese! Without being able to self-monitor you can have no real idea of how adjustments to your diet and activity levels are affecting you. This, I would say, is undermining your quality of life, because you want to be proactive in keeping your levls under control. A 3 or 6 monthly HbA1c will only tell you that 'something' went wrong or 'something' went right - you will have no way of determining what. The 'local expert group' should realise that there are some people who benefit greatly from being prescribed strips and NOT place a blanket ban on all diabetics not on insulin.

I often wonder how a lot of these so-called 'experts' would behave if it was them who had the threat of diabetic complications hanging over them. Would they really rely on HbA1c tests themselves, knowing that there was something else they could be doing to keep their levels under control? I hope that you are able to persuade them that, in your case at least, they are wrong.


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## am64 (Oct 2, 2009)

dont they have to abide by a 'duty of care'  Im sure this is illegal mmmm im going to see what i can find...i can feel mega research skills rising in brain...may take time but i will come back
regards am


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## am64 (Oct 2, 2009)

i have just found this link from other tread running at the moment
' i want to throttle my GP' by shiv...http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/joomla/t1-sick-days/51-blood-glucose-testing  . maybe a bit of ammuniction to take to GP


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## Northerner (Oct 2, 2009)

William, take a look at what Vanessa has achieved and see if you can use her example to persuade your surgery that testing is beneficial:

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=4016


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## AlisonM (Oct 2, 2009)

Is there another surgery you can get to William? Having read that letter I reckon you may be well advised to look elsewhere.


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## am64 (Oct 2, 2009)

More Fodder for you william

Quote from NHS web site

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Diabetes-type2/Pages/Introduction.aspx?url=Pages/what-is-it.aspx

If you have type 2 diabetes, you may be able to control your symptoms simply by eating a healthy diet, and 'monitoring your blood glucose level.'

Quuote from nhs web
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diabetes-type2/Pages/Treatment.aspx

'Monitoring your blood glucose levels
As well as having your blood glucose level checked by a health professional every 2-6 months, you may also choose to monitor your own blood glucose levels. 

Even with treatment with tablets and/or insulin therapy and a healthy diet, many factors such as exercise, illness and stress, can affect blood glucose levels. Other factors that may also affect your blood glucose levels include drinking alcohol, taking other medicines and, for women, changes to hormone levels during the menstrual cycle.

Many people with diabetes monitor their blood glucose levels at home using a simple finger prick blood test. This is to ensure that your blood glucose level is as normal and stable as possible. Blood sugar levels vary thoughout the day so you may need to do it several times a day, depending on the type of treatment that you are taking.


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## katie (Oct 2, 2009)

WOW, this 'expert' group, obviously aren't experts in type 2 diabetes.  Perhaps they are experts in BS?

Personally I think you should educate your GPs, maybe send them some information about how monitoring your blood and adjusting your diet accordingly can help you improve your HbA1c.  Maybe even print off some posts from here!


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## HelenP (Oct 2, 2009)

I'm no expert, I've only been diabetic for a couple of months, but even I can see that it's crazy that you have to wait 3 months to find out if everything has been okay during that period, as opposed to finding out more or less on the spot if there's something that needs attention.

It seems ridiculous.  Luckily my area is teeming with GP surgeries, I hope it might be possible for you to look into taking your 'custom' elsewhere.......

xx


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## williammcd (Oct 2, 2009)

thnx for the replies guys ,my wife is more concerned than i am ,she is going mental about it, have to say though when she contacted the diabetes nurse i see every 6 months even she was not happy at what they want to do,
for the moment she has entered a note in my records asking the doctor to leave as is ,as i said in another post this is just another way of saving a buck for the nhs at the expense of diabetics ,
is this just the start of some experiment that will then go national

no doubt i will end up paying for the strips myself


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## am64 (Oct 2, 2009)

,as i said in another post this is just another way of saving a buck for the nhs at the expense of diabetics ,
is this just the start of some experiment that will then go national

no doubt i will end up paying for the strips myself[/QUOTE]

Dont ...when i spoke to my nursey she assured me that that was not to be the case in my surgery...or should be anywhere else...they all have a duty of care towards us...this topic will be on going... good luck william and williams wife...


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