Hospital diabetes clinics

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know if there is a “comparison website” thing for insulin pump clinics? My clinic was wonderful when I started in 2000, but has been going steadily downhill, and is now more or less incompetent, being incapable of advising accurately on pump setting. I travel 75 miles to watch the consultant spending 10 minutes reading his notes, and making suggestions which his staff can’t implement, resulting in nothing being done since my appointment in May. It looks from the map of where people post from there isn’t much activity in the south west, but any noises would be welcome.

[lizz]

Where do you go, John?

[Alison]

Hi @John

INPUT maintain a list of clinics that patients say are good for pump use – that might be worth a look – http://www.input.me.uk/alt-insulin-pumps/pump-clinics/

The other option is to try and improve your own clinic – do they have a user group you could raise your issues with, or could you give the some ;

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your replies. The Input list is helpful, in that it’s a list, but I’m not sure how up to date it is, and I was really hoping for something a bit more comprehensive, with makes of pump supported, and numbers of pump users, to try and get an idea of how switched on they are.
Lizz – I don’t know if I should say where I go, now I’ve been rather rude about their services! I’ll never waitress in Torquay again!
As for user groups etc – it makes me feel rather weary. I’ve been waiting for pump adjustments since my appointment in May, and I’ve just been sent an appointment for October. All these veiled, unknown threats about improving my HBa1c or else seem to lose their urgency now. I read in my newspaper recently that 80% of diabetics don’t achieve their blood sugar goals. Implication being that they don’t try, not that it’s a massive massive failure on the part of diabetes clinics. What’s the point of having pumps if no-one can work them, and if half the pump (CGM) is missing? This probably counts as un;

[Alison]

@John I don’t think a more comprehensive list exists I’m afraid, or I’ve certainly never seen anything.

If you’re not happy with the service, you do have to let them know, most of the time I think clinics assume they’re doing a great job until someone tells them otherwise. You need to make it clear to them what you need from them (within reason, and I don’t think wanting to have a chat about pump adjustments is unreasonable), and then push until you get that.

The other option is to become the expert yourself. I’ve always done all my own pump adjustments, I just read Pumping Insulin by John Walsh and followed the logic in there with a bit of trial and error (which to be honest is all the Dr’s are doing too!). I know people like to work in different ways, but would that be an option? If you know how to bolus for 5 Mars bars and reduce your insulin to compensate for the energy expended in digging the hole, you must be pretty good at this already

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