Diabetics' access to blood glucose test strips 'restricted'

"Access to blood glucose test strips vital to help diabetics manage their condition is being restricted against government guidance, a charity says. Of about 2,200 people who answered a question about the strips as part of a survey for Diabetes UK, 39% had had prescriptions refused or restricted.It says restrictions are being imposed by local health managers to save money. But a spokesman representing Clinical Commissioning Groups said the strips had been over-prescribed in the past. It comes after Health Minister Anna Soubry told MPs the restriction of access to the testing strips was "unacceptable". Following this, the Department of Health wrote to all GPs in England telling them that prescriptions for the testing strips should be on the basis of clinical need and not restricted."


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