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Travelling with a CPAP
Do all UK NHS Sleep Clinics supply similar CPAP models or do they vary depending on where you live?
My partner has had his CPAP for years and has asked his NHS clinic if he could get a smaller model more suitable for travel. He has been told this is not possible. He has been told the only way he could get another CPAP would be if the CPAP stopped working ie was dropped.
A friend in another part of the UK said he was given a travel CPAP with I understand no problem.
A private CPAP seems to cost up to,£500.00 and if bought we have been told the NHS would not service or maintain.
What is the answer for our future holidays? Can my partner rent a CPAP which has the blessing of our NHS ?
My partner has had his CPAP for years and has asked his NHS clinic if he could get a smaller model more suitable for travel. He has been told this is not possible. He has been told the only way he could get another CPAP would be if the CPAP stopped working ie was dropped.
A friend in another part of the UK said he was given a travel CPAP with I understand no problem.
A private CPAP seems to cost up to,£500.00 and if bought we have been told the NHS would not service or maintain.
What is the answer for our future holidays? Can my partner rent a CPAP which has the blessing of our NHS ?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on
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It all depends where you live and to how your hospital handles things. Most clinics have a regular supplier where they get the best prices. Some clinics use a few different ones. My local clinic supplies the Devilbiss Sleep Cubes, but they will seek out different machines if needs arise. Other clinics will/cannot co-operate like this for whatever reason :( The same goes for the masks - some clinics only supply one brand or two at the most, which is not helpful. Other clinics get as many different options as they can. It would be good if all masks were available, as it's not the manufacturer we favour, it's the particular mask that suits us. For example, my favourite is the FitLife mask by Respironics, but my second favourite is the Hybrid which Devilbiss supply. Other people have different choices to suit their own faces. As for your clinic saying they wouldn't service your own machine if you bought one, that's another sad case which some clinics state, but thankfully a lot will look after your own machine.
Renting a CPAP just for holidays would prove expensive, and the chances are that the machine will be second hand. I personally wouldn't like a used machine unless I knew whose house it had come from. There's all sort of horror stories about people getting machines which have been used in smokers homes or having to endure the not-so-pleasant aromas from other peoples pets.
Welcome to the forum by the way Christine :)
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Permalink Reply by Christine Woods on
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We live in Scotland and have just joined SASA.
I wil share this when possible with them and perhaps they have links with the Scottish Government for helping their sleep apnea community for travelling and the CPAP challenges you mention. Thanks
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Keep us in the loop Christine when you've spoken to them. I have a lot of customers and contacts with OSA in Scotland, so it would be good to share this with them.
If you look on the 'Events' page on here, you'll see I've put one up for the SASA meeting, so if you hear of any more details let me know please, and I'll edit the Event.
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I'm in the privileged position of being able to afford not to have to be restricted by the NHS for my CPAP - earlier this year I bought myself a new machine and now keep the old one in the car for travel, giving me the flexibility when working away to have a machine with me at all times. As I need to travel for business it seemed like a worthwhile investment and means I have a top-spec machine at home (the f&p icon).
Fixed pressure sleep cubes seem to be about £250, another 150 for the humidifier (but he may be ok for a few nights without), masks are in the £100 region but just keep the old ones as the NHS gives you replacements :)
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Thanks, do you,live in the UK? If so were you assessed again by the company
or did the supplier have to get a report from your NHS sleep clinic?
We could afford to buy but not sure if the NHS would then recognise the private CPAP use also for long-tem management of,sleep apnea using CPAP with humidifier
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You need to get the prescription from your clinic to purchase one. Some manufacturers liaise with your clinic - often delivering them there so that they can set it up for you for your prescribed pressures. I wouldn't worry about them saying they won't carry out the maintenance on them, as the clinics usually just replace the tubing and filters, which you can get yourself. The filters are supposed to be changed more than once a year anyway. The clinic will still be able to get the data from your husband's machine - whichever brand it is. The Sleep Cube that Symmit mentioned is a good one for travel. I prefer my Respironics System One, but do take the Sleep Cube away with me.
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The NHS clinic can "get over it" in my opinion. You can contact them for a prescription or letter to send to an on-line supplier (can I mention where I got mine from Kath?) or the supplier will contact them directly. I was assessed privately and kept copies of my sleep study and all correspondence and that was enough for them. They are easy to set up...
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Thanks , my partner" s Clinic appointments are yearly so we have until October to find out more. He is downstairs snoring on the couch just now , will tell him when he wakes up!
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He needs to use his CPAP for ALL sleeps Christine, as he'll still be having apnoeas.
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Wish you,could tell him that yourself, are you on YOU TUBE? I hope he joins your page but don't think he would. If he agrees I will forward his email, has just got a new computer. Still snoring downstairs, I am upstairs in bed , snoring rattles the house!!!
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Maybe this post will change his mind, and there been 3 more cases like this in the past few months.
I'm not on YouTube - everywhere else though LOL
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That is really helpful knowing we are not alone. Yearly check-ups by a technician at the sleep clinc for my partner are not enough for his compliance for the rest of the year - and for my sleeping with him well. I see more of the spare bedroom now than I ever did, hence my page
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