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Around 3.5 million people in the UK have Diabetes and it is estimated that a further 500,000 people are undiagnosed, meaning there could be as many as 1 in 16 British people living with the condition.
When you live with Diabetes it is very important that blood glucose levels are kept within your target range in order to stay healthy and avoid side effects such as heart disease and stroke. This can be achieved by regularly testing your blood glucose levels with blood glucose testing strips and a home glucose monitoring system. However, research by Diabetes UK suggests that access to vital testing strips may be becoming restricted due to NHS budget restrictions in certain postcodes.
A 2017 survey of 6,000 people by Diabetes UK found that one in four people had complained of restrictions being placed on prescribed testing strips at their local GP practice. Some patients reported that they have been advised to test less frequently and that prescriptions were being reduced due to ‘budget constraints’.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends that people with Type 1 Diabetes test their blood glucose at least 4 times a day, and those with Type 2 Diabetes – whose condition can lead to hypos if left unchecked – may need to test every few hours in order to keep their condition under control.
A lack of regular self-monitoring increases the risk of Diabetes related complications and is negatively impacting people living with the condition. Diabetes UK reported that lack of testing had caused some people to stop exercising and driving as they were unsure if they needed to regulate their insulin or not, therefore they avoided activities that may require them to use an injection.
If the rationing of testing strips by the NHS is to become more common, some people may decide to turn to alternative suppliers. However, this presents an additional worry over the quality of some of the strips that are available online from unknown and potentially unreliable sources.
The Kinetik Wellbeing Diabetes range provides a solution to these challenges. Our blood glucose monitoring system comes with everything you need to test yourself anywhere, anytime including lancers and testing strips to get you started and a reliable source of additional testing strips when you require them.
This means that you never have to worry about going untested as our competitively priced, high-quality strips can be easily ordered and delivered straight to your front door.
November is Diabetes Awareness Month: Use code GLU20 to for the entire diabetes range. Blood Glucose Monitoring System via www.kinetikwellbeing.com
Kinetik Diabetes products are eligible for VAT relief in the UK. Click here for information on how to claim.