Dose of reality, please in diabetes debate

REGARDING the article on diabetes and insulin pumps ("Diabetics in treatment delay row", News, December 29), in contrast to the gentleman mentioned in your article, I am a diabetic who takes four insulin injections a day, keeps good control through regular blood testing and feel my life is perfectly "fulfilled" without an insulin pump.

Having been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was nine I have never had an issue with my diabetes and certainly never suffered from "stress and worry" about taking my injections in public. Perhaps my attitude is different, but I have no issue with taking a drug which keeps me alive when and where I require it and possess the ability to do so discreetly.

I have travelled to various countries in the world, completed my training as children's nurse and in 2004 abseiled from the Forth Bridge for charity - I'm not going to allow an excuse like requiring injections to stop me from doing what I want. As for the issue of cost, the unfortunate fact is that everything costs money and whilst the public are quick to claim every treatment should be available on the NHS they aren't prepared to pay extra taxes to fund it.

The NHS is dangerously in debt and without care provided on the basis of clinical need rather than "knee-jerk" reactions, we may find there won't be an NHS to pay for any treatments in the not-so-distant future.

Scott Justice, Winton Gardens, Edinburgh