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Topic: Diabetes?  (Read 1935 times)

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Diabetes?
« on: April 19, 2017, 03:33:05 PM »
Hello there everyone!
My fiancé and I are currently trying to decide whether to settle where I am, Texas< or settle where he is- England. I am all for England! I love it!

Our biggest concern and one that we can't seem to find an answer for is whether or not my health would affect my visa being approved. I am Type 1 diabetic.
Could anyone help with us or even point us in the right direction? He has been on the phone with the home office but he can't seem to reach an actual person.

Thanks for your time.


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Diabetes?
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2017, 03:44:00 PM »
There are no health factors or tests when it comes to visas- it's only if you come from a country with a risk of TB that you need to have a TB test (the US is not one of those countries), but there's nothing else.

In fact, if you are diabetic, once you are entitled to NHS care, you will actually get all your prescriptions for free* on the NHS (in England, a prescription is normally about £8.60 per item) - not just for insulin/diabetes-related medicine, but ALL prescriptions. This is because people wth certain medical conditions are exempt from paying for prescriptions.

* free as point of service anyway - if you get a fiancé visa first and marry in the UK, you will not be entitled to any free NHS care until you are married and have your next visa to stay (and you'll pay a £500 NHS surcharge), but if you marry in the US and then move to the UK on a spousal visa, you will have to pay a £600 NHS surcharge when you apply to allow you to use the NHS for 'free'.

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« Last Edit: April 19, 2017, 03:54:02 PM by ksand24 »


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Re: Diabetes?
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2017, 06:37:23 PM »
Thank you so much.
That is very helpful. (:

Now we are reconsidering the fiancé visa perhaps the spousal visa is the way to go.


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Re: Diabetes?
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2017, 02:51:23 PM »
You will get excellent care for your Type 1 Diabetes on the NHS , but be prepared that it may not always be the 'latest and greatest' and some of that is postcode lottery.

Do you use a pump? 
If you're already on a pump, you'll probably have better luck convincing your health trust to continue supplying infusion sets, cartridges, etc then later on if you decide you want to use a pump as there will be certain criteria they want you to meet.  However!, the most common pumps are Medtronic ones, so if you use an Animas, a T-Slim,an Omnipod, etc you may have trouble getting these supplies. It also hugely depends on if that particular area pays for those particular pump supplies and likewise,  depends on if the Diabetes Specialists are familiar with that type of pump and 'support it'. 

If you don't pump, do you use pens?   Pens are much more common over here than syringes and vials, though you can probably continue to use a syringe if that's the case. 

Do you have a CGM? Be prepared to pay out of pocket for the sensors if you do.

Glucacon will most definitely be available,  though spare kits may require a fight on your hands.
Novolog is called NovoRapid here. Humalog is the same.  I am not sure if you can get Apidra anymore. 
You can get Lantus, Levemir and Tresiba here.  Don't think Afrezza ever made it over here. 

What meter/system kit do you use? Certain health boards will only pay for a particular type of kit. And you very well may have a fight on your hands if you want to test more than 4-6 times a day.
You should be able to get ketone meters no problem.   

Also, all numbers are in mmol/L here instead of mg/dl and HbA1c is also reported in mmol/L instead of %.  (So if your meter breaks and you have to get a replacement, you'll get one in mmol/L which will read example wise: 9.6 mmol/L instead of 173 mg/dl) So that may mess with you a wee bit at first. 

You will most definitely get routine blood work like HbA1c every 3 months, eye exams, feet checks, kidney, heart, and neuropathy checks as well as routine.  You should also get a free flu jab. 

Type 1 is managed usually by Diabetes Specialists Doctors and Nurses, though your GP is often in the loop too. 
I've never gotten food on my underpants!
Work permit (2007) to British Citizen (2014)
You're stuck with me!


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Re: Diabetes?
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2017, 05:15:09 PM »
You will get excellent care for your Type 1 Diabetes on the NHS , but be prepared that it may not always be the 'latest and greatest' and some of that is postcode lottery.

Do you use a pump? 
If you're already on a pump, you'll probably have better luck convincing your health trust to continue supplying infusion sets, cartridges, etc then later on if you decide you want to use a pump as there will be certain criteria they want you to meet.  However!, the most common pumps are Medtronic ones, so if you use an Animas, a T-Slim,an Omnipod, etc you may have trouble getting these supplies. It also hugely depends on if that particular area pays for those particular pump supplies and likewise,  depends on if the Diabetes Specialists are familiar with that type of pump and 'support it'. 

If you don't pump, do you use pens?   Pens are much more common over here than syringes and vials, though you can probably continue to use a syringe if that's the case. 

Do you have a CGM? Be prepared to pay out of pocket for the sensors if you do.

Glucacon will most definitely be available,  though spare kits may require a fight on your hands.
Novolog is called NovoRapid here. Humalog is the same.  I am not sure if you can get Apidra anymore. 
You can get Lantus, Levemir and Tresiba here.  Don't think Afrezza ever made it over here. 

What meter/system kit do you use? Certain health boards will only pay for a particular type of kit. And you very well may have a fight on your hands if you want to test more than 4-6 times a day.
You should be able to get ketone meters no problem.   

Also, all numbers are in mmol/L here instead of mg/dl and HbA1c is also reported in mmol/L instead of %.  (So if your meter breaks and you have to get a replacement, you'll get one in mmol/L which will read example wise: 9.6 mmol/L instead of 173 mg/dl) So that may mess with you a wee bit at first. 

You will most definitely get routine blood work like HbA1c every 3 months, eye exams, feet checks, kidney, heart, and neuropathy checks as well as routine.  You should also get a free flu jab. 

Type 1 is managed usually by Diabetes Specialists Doctors and Nurses, though your GP is often in the loop too.

I no longer use a pump and just recently made the switch from Novolog to Humalog so I suppose I will be using Novorapid and I've been on Lantus for quite some time now.
I'm not overly attached to my kit or ketone strips. I have no idea what a ketone meter is, honestly, but I am excited to find out. The kit I use now is Accucheck but I've had it for ages and its long been time for an upgrade. I plan on stocking up on strips and things like that before I come.
I'm slightly concerned about the switch from mg/dl to mmol/L but I'm sure it won't take me too long to work it all out.
Everything else sounds great.

Thanks phatbeetle!


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