Paul Niven
My brother, who's also type 1 and lives in Edinburgh, was able to get Libre on prescription in 2018 while I had to self-fund and it took nearly six months to get it in my Health Board.
I've always loved computers and gadgets; I work in IT so keep an eye on all the latest trends. I think in lieu of a cure, technology gives you the best chance of keeping your diabetes blood glucose levels in range and the best chance we've got of living as close to normal life as possible.
Unfortunately access to technology is often a postcode lottery. My brother, who's also type 1 and lives in Edinburgh, was able to get Libre on prescription in 2018 while I had to self-fund and it took nearly six months to get it in my Health Board.
In 2019, when I moved onto an insulin pump, I was offered a choice of three but couldn’t get the one I wanted. Yet I knew someone in a neighbouring Health Board was being offered the one I wanted. So what you can access definitely comes down to where you live.
I’ve been told I don’t meet the criteria for CGM. I’d really like the chance to use a closed loop because it's essentially working by itself and doing a lot of the mental work automatically and has proven to be much better at keeping you in range without having to keep such a close eye on it.
I’ve been looking into DIY closed loops but ideally I’d like the NHS approved technology. I'd like to see the processes for rolling out new technology improved and streamlined. At the moment it feels like re-inventing the wheel with every Health Board doing their own thing.
