A building. In Glasgow.
From: Evening Times
The family of a six-year-old girl has won the fight for a life-changing diabetes treatment after being told by health chiefs it was too costly to administer.
Health campaigners say Scotland is way behind other countries in its adoption of the pump, despite having one of the highest levels of Type 1 diabetes in the western world. Currently more than 500 people with Type 1 diabetes in Scotland use insulin pumps compared to a possible figure of around 3,000.
This dog thinks it’s a shame that something as simple as getting a pump makes news as it’s so difficult to do. Growl!
Original article: http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/editor-s-picks/rebekah-wins-pump-fight-1.1046368
And apparently, some doc from Guys is ‘pioneering the use of pumps for diabetes’ – woohoo! Big news! The media has caught up with the fact that there is therapy out there for diabetics that doesnt require you to slaughter a pig to obtain insulin…
(link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-10887055 )
When will the gov and NHS providers realise that by putting all children and those who wish/ able to understand carb counting v insulin intake that we will actually save them money in the long run. Germany has such a high proportion of diab who have no or very little complications because of the useage of the pump. All children should have a pump its the only way forward. The freedom that you get with the pump is far superior to that of mdi. I was brought up that 10g of carb was called a line (I had 12 a lines a day) then docs decided to ignore all this info and say that you could eat whatever you liked within moderation. Ten years later we where back looking at portion control ! Perhaps we could do a pump forum? The pumps could have a voice much like @Alisons I’m sure their feed back would be in-valuble! My only advice is watch what you eat and have the appropriate insulin after all you have to live!
As my knowledge of insulin pumps is about on a par with my ability to read Sanskrit, I feel a bit of a fraud posting on this subject, but fraudulent or not, comment I will.
I fail to see the logic behind PCTs failing to provide pumps for all suitable diabetics! Quite apart from the benefits to the user, the saving of long term costs must surely repay the investment in the technology ten times over. I’ve learned (mostly from this site) that insulin pumps can make control much better and control means less spent on the complications of the condition later in life. Surely if the use of a pump can prevent an amputation 40 years later, it has to be a good investment? Additionally, increasing the use of pumps would surely enable PCTs to negotiate a better price per unit due to bulk buying. Economies of scale could bring the prices down enormously.
To my (limited) mind, diabetes seems to be a condition that lends itself to the use of technology, and I can’t understand why we don’t already have pumps that are controlled by CGM, without any intervention by the user, a system that would be ideal for children. Oh well, back to Sanskrit For Beginners!
@teloz – I thought you had a PhD in Ancient Sanskrit and were also one of the world’s leading authorities on Babylonian Cuneiform, no?
No, no, no, no, no… I have a Masters in Irascibility and a First Class Honours in Intolerance for Numbwits, with a 2/1 in General Grumpiness. I have a GCSE grade “D” in Anger Management… 😛