Talk is cheap: Diabetes UK offers a number of free talking blood glucose meters through charitable fund

Diabetes UK is making 300 Sensocard Plus Meters available to people on low incomes and/or in receipt of means-tested benefits.  The meter helps people who are visually impaired by speaking the blood glucose level results.

The project is an extension of the Diabetes UK Samaritan Fund (SAM Fund) which provides ordinary blood glucose meters to those unable to purchase one themselves. 

In addition, the initiative also coincides with the re-launch of Sensocard Plus Meter by new distributors BBI Healthcare at a reduced cost.  The Sensocard Plus meter originally cost £150 in 2005 when it was the first talking blood glucose meter to become available in the UK . The device will now be available for £49.99.

The positive decision to reduce the price of the meter was heavily influenced by readers’ letters published in Balance and campaigning from Diabetes UK .

Simon O’Neill, Director of Care and Policy at Diabetes UK said “Diabetes UK is delighted to be able to provide a number of talking meters free of charge.  We are aware that affordability has been a big issue for people with diabetes wanting to use the device.

We can only offer a limited amount of free meters, but we believe that for those not able to benefit from our scheme, the price reduction offered by BBI Healthcare will hopefully allow many more people to purchase a talking meter. It’s vital that all people with visual impairments still have the independence to manage their condition effectively.”

Lyn Rees, Managing Director of BBI Healthcare added: “We recognised that the previous retail price was too high, so when we recently acquired the product we made a significant price reduction immediately. We are delighted to be working alongside Diabetes UK in getting this much needed product into the hands of those who really need it.”

An application form for a free meter can be requested by calling the Diabetes UK Careline on 0845 120 2960 or by emailing careline@diabetes.org.uk.  People will be required to show that they are on low income and their application will need to be signed by an appropriate healthcare professional.  For those not able to access this scheme, the meters can also be purchased by calling BBI Healthcare on 01792 229 333.

Notes

1.       Diabetes UK is the charity for people with diabetes. We fund medical research, provide information and support to people with diabetes and campaign on their behalf.

2.       There are currently over 2 million people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK . It is believed that there are also up to 750,000 people who have the condition but are unaware of it.

3.       The Diabetes UK Careline (0845 120 2960) offers information and support on any aspect of managing diabetes.  The line is a lo-call number and opens Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm (operates a translation service). Recorded information on a number of diabetes-related topics is also available on this number 24 hours a day.

4.       Membership of Diabetes UK is £22 year with reductions available. In addition to our bi-monthly magazine Balance, members receive support and the latest information on diabetes care and treatments to help them live a healthy life.

Diagnosing diabetes must improve

NHS services in certain areas are failing to diagnose people with Type 2 diabetes leaving many people undiagnosed and at risk of complications. Department of Health figures show significant regional disparity across England with some PCTs, particularly in London , having diagnosed only around half of their diabetic population. This is well below the average of 72 per cent diagnosed across the country.

Douglas Smallwood, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK said, “It is simply unacceptable that hundreds of thousands of people are going about their daily lives unaware they have a condition that puts them at greater risk of heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and amputations. By the time they are diagnosed, around half of people with Type 2 diabetes already have evidence of complications. Early diagnosis is essential so people can start managing their diabetes and help reduce the risk of such devastating complications.”

The charity is launching a national awareness campaign, Measure Up, to help identify the undiagnosed. It focuses on the danger of a large waist circumference in addition to other risk factors including weight, age, family history and ethnicity. Measuring waistlines is much easier and faster than calculating a person’s Body Mass Index (BMI). Diabetes UK is urging healthcare professionals to carry out this simple test on their patients or to encourage them to measure their own waist.

Measure Up aims to prompt people with at least two risk factors to get themselves tested. The campaign is kindly supported by an educational grant from sanofi-aventis and will be launched on 12 September.

The table shows the ten Primary Care Trusts in England with the lowest rates of identification.

Stragetic Health Authority      Primary Care Trust      % of diabetic population diagnosed     
North Central London                Camden                        51.2   
North West London                   Westminster                 52.1   
North West London                   Kensington & Chelsea   52.4   
West Yorkshire                         Leeds North West         53     
Surrey and Sussex                    Brighton & Hove City     53.4   
North and East Yorkshire and Northern 
              Lincolnshire                 West Hull                    53.8   
Norfolk, Suffolk and 
              Cambridgeshire            Norwich                      55.8   
North Central London                  Islington                      57     
Essex   Southend        57.1   
County Durham and 
             Tees Valley                  Hartlepool                    57.5   

(Editor: Surely, what is meant in the third column is "Estimated % diabetic population diagnosed" and estimates are notoriously unreliable)

For more information and a full break down of regional statistics, please contact Maria Lam on 020 7424 1166,

Notes

At risk waist measurements are:
        37 inches (94cm) for men, except those of South Asian origin
        31.5 inches (80cm) for all women
        35 inches (90cm) for South Asian men

(28/7/06)