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At one point I seriously thought about quitting my job. Diabetes has also prevented me from driving for nearly a year because my blood sugar levels have been totally unpredictable.

Now, with the pump I hope to be able to drive again.

In June, diabetes specialists in Southampton recommended insulin pump therapy as a last resort.

I was then offered the chance to take part in insulin pump trials at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital - one of only two centres in Britain that use this kind of treatment.

I was given a two-day training course on how to use the Disetronic D-Tron pump by staff at the Diabetes and Endocrine Centre at Bournemouth Hospital.

Within a short time of starting pump therapy my life changed completely.

For the first time in many, many, years blood glucose levels were within acceptable levels in the mornings and at other times of the day and night.

Insulin pumps are not suitable for everybody with type one diabetes but it's certainly made a big difference to the control of my diabetes and I would urge NHS chiefs to look seriously at funding insulin pumps for those diabetics for whom all other forms of treatment have failed.

Britain has nearly 2m diabetics and it costs the NHS millions of pounds annually to treat them. I believe that this bill could be dramatically reduced if diabetics with very poor control were offeredtreatment suited to their needs.

It may cost £2,100 for a pump and an annual bill of £800 - £900 to keep the pump going but in the long-term good control of a patient's diabetes reduces the risk of complications - such as heart and kidney problems and blindness.

These are well-documented problems associated with poorly managed diabetes and these cost the NHS substantial amounts of cash to treat. I urge NHS chiefs to think to the long-term future not the short-term when funding diabetes healthcare.

Do you have a story about the regional press? Ring 0116 227 3122/3121, or
e-mail pastill@nep.co.uk