IPAG Scotland

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Insulin Pumps - a new lease for life

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insulin_pumps_a_new_lease_for_lifePatients want pumps, says new report

People with diabetes in Scotland want better access to a medical technology that can greatly increase their health and quality of life. Insulin pumps: a new lease for life brings together the stories of people with diabetes who have often struggled to get access to insulin pumps, which offer an alternative to multiple daily injections of insulin. Shaped like a bleeper they deliver small amounts of insulin throughout the day.  Produced by Diabetes UK Scotland, A new lease for life calls for action across Scotland, where there is a very low level of access to pumps. Currently just over 500 people with Type 1 diabetes in Scotland are on insulin pumps compared to a possible figure of around 3000. Insulin pumps are a cost effective treatment that can help to reduce contact with primary care, reduce hospital outpatient and inpatient admissions as well as delivering a better quality of life.

Read more about Insulin Pumps - a new lease for life

The new booklet by Diabetes UK Scotland can be viewed here

 

 

In memory of Ethel Buchanan

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iPAG would like to thank Mary Moody, our Chairperson, for her generous donation to the group in memory of her mother, Ethel Buchanan, who passed away on 31st March 2010. Throughout her life Ethel was a forward thinker, who had a great interest in new technology.

Mary was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a young child and battled to control her blood glucose levels on injections for more than 50 years. Since starting Insulin Pump Therapy over two years ago, Mary has experienced a great improvement in her health and quality of life. Unfortunately, due to Ethel's poor health, she was never aware of this.

Mary feels her Mum would be delighted to know this donation will help iPAG continue to raise awareness of the benefits of Insulin Pump Therapy throughout Scotland. Mary would dearly like to see many more people with type 1 diabetes being given the opportunity to experience the benefits that she has experienced.

Our thoughts are with Mary and her family at this sad time.

 

Scottish Diabetes Survey 2009

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For the first time pump usage has been included in the Scottish Diabetes Survey.  Below is a graph taken from the most recent survey 2009, published spring 2010, showing pump usage per Health Board.  To view the full survey please see

here

.scottish_diabetes_survey_2009_stats_graph

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Draft SIGN Guidelines on the Management of Diabetes: Response on behalf of iPAG

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SIGN (the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidance Network) have released a draft consultation document that will shape the treatment of Diabetes in Scotland for perhaps the next 10 years.  This 151 page draft encompasses a wide range of issues concerning both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, and treatment of adults and children. Pages 23 and 24 address the use of insulin pump therapy.
  
Although this section represents only a small part of the document, iPAG is extremely concerned because it proposes criteria for eligibility that are much narrower than those set out in the NICE 2008 guidelines for insulin pump therapy. The Scottish Health Minister has publicly committed NHS-Scotland to implementing NICE-2008. This is expected to lead to 10-15% of adults (and a higher proportion of children) with Type 1 diabetes using insulin pumps by 2014.
 
The proposed SIGN guidelines (which are essentially a reversion to the much more restrictive NICE-2003 criteria) would greatly reduce this proportion. As a result, the percentage of Scots with Type 1 diabetes that use pumps would fall even further behind England and the rest of Western Europe.
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Help required

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iPAG Scotland in conjunction with Diabetes UK Scotland, are looking for narratives from people who have enquired about a pump at their clinic and also people who are currently prescribed insulin pump therapy.  We are collecting experiences from all over Scotland to submit to Health Boards and the Government to highlight the differences in practice and the benefits of insulin pumps therapy throughout Scotland. 

  • Have you been refused a pump?  If so why?animas-3-kindssmall2
  • Are you on a waiting list, if so how long have you been told the waiting list is?
  • If you have a pump, what process did you go through to get it?
  • Did you have any structured education?
  • What benefits do you find compared to MDI?

Few people know what a pump is, let alone the benefits it gives - our intention is to show this through personal experiences.  If you know anyone who could help by writing a few paragraphs for us please pass on our contact details. Thanks!

If you can help please email - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Pump up the Volume

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pump_up_the_volumn1Diabetes UK Scotland launches “Pump up the volume!” campaign to highlight the need for more insulin pumps “Pump up the volume!” asks Scottish Health Boards to ensure that all those meet NICE criteria for Insulin Pumps aren’t denied one. The charity is also asking Health Boards to announce what resources they are planning to allocate over the next 5 to 10 years towards mainstreaming insulin pump services within diabetes clinics. The year long campaign will encourage support through e-campaigning and Facebook to seek the support of MSPs to challenge Health Boards to ensure that they have high quality insulin pump services in place. Pump Up The Volume! is launched on the same day as the Scottish Parliament debates the current state of insulin pump services in Scotland.

Join Diabetes UK Scotland's campaign to ensure that everyone who is suitable for an insulin pump gets one no matter where they live.

For more information contact Diabetes UK Scotland 0141 245 6380 or visit "Pump up the volume!" Facebook group.

 
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