CPAP Device Help Needed..... in the UK

rick blaine wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 27, 2020 9:04 am

Hi sleepcyclist/ AJ,

You raise a number of points and ask what I call implicit questions. Practically one every other sentence. I'll do my best to give helpful answers.

The first thing to focus on is that, from what you say, you have 'gone private' – that is, have been seen by an ENT specialist outside the NHS. So I have to ask: are you still under his or her care?

And following that, what precisely did he or she tell you? Most patients – and certainly most forum members here – would expect a bit more than "purely for quality of life i should consider CPAP". Ie, we need to hear or see some numbers.

You say that you rated as 'moderate' on the sleep scale – was that the Epworth Sleepiness Questionnaire? And you mention a pulse-oximeter test – what was your result for that?

There's a thing called the Apnea/ Hypopnea Index – or the number of breathing obstructions per hour. AHI for short.

You can be described as 'moderate' on that index too – but does that mean 'mild-to-moderate' (which is '5 to 15')? Or does it mean 'moderate-to-severe' (which is '15 to 30')?

It matters because 15 and above is not only what the NHS uses as the threshold for treatment, but it is also, in effect, the DVLA threshold.

And under current law, both you and your doctor are obliged to inform the DVLA once you have been formally diagnosed. Sizeable fine if you don't tell them.

OK, having got the 'legals' out of the way, let's go through your post in detail.

"There seems to be a plethora of devices out there and not sure which one to go for."

There are two main manufacturers of machines – Philips Respironics and ResMed. And they have most of the market in the UK. And almost all of the NHS's foundation trust hospitals have standardised on one or other of these two. So, for a machine, you might as well do the same.

"Can I buy online? Or do I need to go through the resellers?"

Yes, you can buy online and direct from either Philips Respironics UK in Chichester or ResMed UK in Abingdon. But you will need a 'scrip' – a prescription – to do so.

Your GP can sign it, and you can download blank .pdf prescription forms from either of these two manufacturers. You print out the .pdf and take it to your GP. Or you can ask the manufacturer to send an electronic scrip form to your GP, to be completed electronically.

The good news is there's no VAT on medically-necessary equipment.

For a new machine, I personally do not recommend any UK reseller. If I can be a bit like consumer champion Martin Lewis, the warranty position is better if you buy direct from the manufacturer.

'In my research it looks like APAP is the way to go?'

Generally, yes. But without seeing some numbers ...

Can you write to your ENT specialist and ask for a formal diagnosis plus report? Alternatively, did he or she not write a letter to your GP – which letter you are entitled to ask for a copy of?

You say you called ResMed UK – but they were "trying to sell me a day to come down to their office which was chargeable".

Well, yes, there is a small fee to attend one of ResMed UK's open days. But if you also join their 'club', you get 5 per cent off all purchases – including anything you buy from them on the day, or subsequently. (And no, I am not being paid by them to say that, or any of this. In my experience, I have always found the ResMed UK crew very reasonable – and I've been in regular communcation with them for eight years.)

The fact is, ResMed UK don't need your business – or the business of any other private purchasers in the UK. They have made their sales targets thru bulk buying from the NHS.

The reason they want you to go along to one of their open days is because they know that the biggest factor in successful APAP treatment is getting a good fit between face and mask.

And what Resmed UK do – and they're the only people in the UK and outside the NHS to do this – is to run their open days so you can try on a range of masks – with the machine running – to find out which is best for you.

Sure, they might aim to sell you stuff – and at the moment, they're pushing the Air Touch memory foam mask and also their new P30 – but you don't have to buy. You can always say, no, I want to think about it, and buy on-line later.

Anyway, this is getting to be a long answer. Let me put this up for now, and we can go into other stuff later.

As a summary, IMO, the best machine for you – without seeing numbers – is probably the ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet for Her (disregard the 'for her' tag – it's actually a better choice than the AutoSet because it has three modes of operation not two).

If you wish to buy it new, buy it direct from ResMed UK. Price £680. If you want to save money, second-user machines with low-hours are available from the owners of this forum. And getting stuff thru Customs is not that big of a hassle if it is accompanied by the right paperwork.

There is also a forum member, jas_williams, who is based in the UK, and who may still have an AirSense 10 AutoSet with low hours for sale for a very fair price. Maybe he will be along shortly and can confirm if that offer is still going.

D.H. wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 27, 2020 5:57 pm

Warning to UK users:

In the UK (at least in England), you need to prove that you're CPAP complaint in order to keep your driving licence!

Jas_williams wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 28, 2020 2:17 pm

D.H. wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 27, 2020 5:57 pm

Warning to UK users:

In the UK (at least in England), you need to prove that you're CPAP complaint in order to keep your driving licence!

Did you read Rick's post he said exactly that if you have a proven diagnostic reading of untreated AHI of 15 or greater

zonker wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 28, 2020 2:56 pm

you expect d.h. to READ posts he responds to?

Okie bipap wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 28, 2020 3:07 pm

zonker wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 28, 2020 2:56 pm

you expect d.h. to READ posts he responds to?

But he reads all the time. Usually off the wall articles in out dated publications.