Individual assessments for diabetics, (major edit)

[Wheel Nut]

EDITED from What Driver Shortage?

No! Hang on, not the usual monthly vitriol about spurious claims from some training companies. This is good news, well it is for drivers who have lost their livelihoods for medical reasons.

Individual assessment for diabetics

This could see many drivers who have been injecting insulin to get the licence returned in line with other EU member states.

I know literally dozens of former drivers who have had their licences revoked because they are Insulin dependent.

Good luck to them all, but please join the back of the jobless queue

[Wheel Nut]

Subject: What driver shortage?

might make a good post in the health & family forum

Perhaps a different title though.......

It certainly got your attention where it was Rog

I will edit the title for you, but disagree about hiding it away in the Health forum, now will you get your hand from up my back, your hurting me

[scottie0011]

Oh YES


Gimme my license back

[scottie0011]

Now i have stopped dancing round the room i can reply to this properly

I was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic in Jan 1999 and my license was revoked in the February, at the time I was working for a company doing UK and International general haulage sometimes away for 3 to 4 weeks at a time and absolutely loving it even though we were sometimes burning the candle at both ends to make time critical deliveries to both airports and boats.

When I lost my class 1 I was devastated, not only did I lose my job I also lost my way of life and my marriage, my wife at the time was used to me being away and when I was suddenly at home 24/7 we found out we were not so compatible as we first thought, saying that though i am now married to a great woman, with 4 lovely children, so that part was a blessing in disguise

What this ruling would mean to me ?

Having been brought up in the passenger seat of a lorry, all I have ever wanted to do is drive artics, the day that I passed my class1 was one of the happiest days of my life, the day that it was revoked was one of the saddest. Although I drive a top spec 7.5 tonner there is not much work around for it and the boss would probably trade it in for another artic, which in the long run would mean more income for me and my family and also more space to bling it up a bit lol

This blood in my diesel stream really pisses me off sometimes

[muckles]

This is good news really, as long as the condition is treated and monitered you can do the job.
For the past couple of months I've been working with a race car mechanic who has diabeties, as with haulage the job involves long hours and irregular meals and sleep patterns. The lad seems to be able to control his diabeties with regular monitoring, injections and the odd packet of Haribo's Not sure if that was really part of the treatment.

[ROG]

I do not know anyone with this condition but I would imagine that saying that one size fits all is not the correct way.

[Wheel Nut]

As I started this thread and Rog suggested it was more suited to the Health forum then I will leave it in the capable hands of the moderators: Jessicas dad, Mr's mix, Lucy as they have had experience first hand iirc.

All I know is my best mate had a good job, a mortgage and decent holidays abroad until diagnosed, then he was out of work almost overnight. Meanwhile on the other side of the pond in Europe another driver / workmate with exactly the same diabetes was sunning himself regularly in Barbados while sticking needles into his more than ample folds

A common sense approach at last for many who have never had a hypo or suffer with it.

[scottie0011]

I phoned DVLA about this yesterday and surprise surprise they have had no notification about the change in the directive , but give the guy on the phone his due, he looked it up on the internet and asked me if I minded going on hold for a few minutes, upshot of the conversation when he came back was that he told me he had discussed it with the medical manager and that he had been told to get me to write to him requesting the reinstatement of my vocational entitlement to drive C+E vehicles and to enclose a copy of the new Common Directive and they would look into it.

So fingers crossed for a favourable outcome, and thanks Wheelnut for posting this in the PDF or I would never have seen it otherwise

[Denis F]

As I started this thread and Rog suggested it was more suited to the Health forum then I will leave it in the capable hands of the moderators: Jessicas dad, Mr's mix, Lucy as they have had experience first hand iirc.

.

it looks far too important to be moved to me !!

lets hope this directive helps some drivers get their licences back


edit: see, I was right someone's made it a global post now

[blueroom1]

Why are some people obsessed with where things are posted ?

I think its a brillaint post and well worth posting where it was , we dont all have time to scan every section on this forum so I am glad its here. Thanks Wheelnut Diabetes runs in my family and I have been a little worried since I hit the 40 mark , Ill take closer look and see what its all about now.

[Danneke]

A good topic, I am a diabetic, had to hand the old lience back due to being type 1 but I have always maintained that those injecting Insulin are more in control of things than those trying to control their diabetes with diet and a few tablets. I always carry some glucose tablets in my handbag or a bag of jelly babies works just the same if I feel a hypo coming on, thankfully in the past year I have only had 1 slight attack and as I was in the house I quickly reached for a glass of Lucozade and was soon feeling ok.

It would be great if drivers got their licenses returned to them , and I dont see why they should go to the back of the queue for employment.

[scottie0011]

I have been in contact a few times with DVLA about this, and as of Friday I was told that there was to be a meeting about the change in the directive sometime this month and that the outcome would be posted on their website. Looks like they have already had that meeting as my wife found the minutes hidden away Here

4. Amendment to the minimum Health Standard set out in the Second Directive on Driving Licences (91/439/EC).
4.1 These proposals were adopted by the EC on 25 August 2009. Member States have one year from this date to comply with this Directive.
4.2 The Panel acknowledged that under the new proposals consideration may be given to issuing/renewing Group 2 licences to drivers with insulin-treated diabetes. The Panel advocated the principle of independent medical assessment for Group 2 drivers treated with insulin. The Panel also recommended developing a network of nominated Consultant Diabetologists who have expressed an interest to carry out such assessments to a required standard and agreed criteria. A report from the driver’s Clinician should be made available to the independent specialist carrying out the assessments. LGV and PCV drivers would be subject to annual review.

Hopefully they will implement this sooner rather than later

[farmer]

best of luck to all the lads and lasses this effects keep up the pressure and it may happen sooner rather than later

[scottie0011]

Had a chat with someone at DVLA medical group today and according to him this will not be adopted by the UK till the summertime

[scania245]

IF the diabetic can promise they wont black out an mow people down great.
but a diabetic needs normal hours ,ie evrey day injection /food,
ive worked with guys that were about to lose there licence.they wanted this they wanted that.
guess what buissness doesnt work like that.
so if you inject to stay normal you shouldnt be driving.
ive been sacked for less,

[scottie0011]

Well Scania245, all I can say is I am glad that it is a consultant diabetologist who has the final say in whether I get my C+E back again rather than someone who is blinkered and doesn't have a clue about diabetes like you.

[scania245]

Well Scania245, all I can say is I am glad that it is a consultant diabetologist who has the final say in whether I get my C+E back again rather than someone who is blinkered and doesn't have a clue about diabetes like you.

my post is anything but blinkerded im not the one in denial.
if you had youre license revoced it was for a reason.
when someboody blacksout at there start of shift im not blinkered.
when omeone tells me they need this/that to stay normal,
and its my friend no blinkers here.i dont make the rules a hgv licence isnt a right ,so stop kidding yourself What else can you do apart from feeling sorry for your self.

[Joeblunt]

I think the real danger is not people who have diabetes because they monitor their diabetes several times per day but the many people out there who have it and are not aware of it.
Its a bit like people who wear glasses / contact lenses, people who wear glasses / contact lenses do so to correct their eyesight, they have annual eyesight tests and if their sight has deteriorated over the past 12 months its corrected again by stronger glasses. Now someone with (alledgedly) 'Normal eyesight' has their eyes tested every 5yrs when they renew their licence.
So in real terms someone who does not test for diabetes or indeed their eyesight surely is a greater risk?

[Wheel Nut]

I think the real danger is not people who have diabetes because they monitor their diabetes several times per day but the many people out there who have it and are not aware of it.
Its a bit like people who wear glasses / contact lenses, people who wear glasses / contact lenses do so to correct their eyesight, they have annual eyesight tests and if their sight has deteriorated over the past 12 months its corrected again by stronger glasses. Now someone with (alledgedly) 'Normal eyesight' has their eyes tested every 5yrs when they renew their licence.
So in real terms someone who does not test for diabetes or indeed their eyesight surely is a greater risk?

That is a bloody good point anyway. The car driver who reads or maybe memorises a car number plate in the test centre when he is 17 can drive for the next 53 years without an eyesight test, even a lorry driver can drive for 27 years before he needs a check.

At least the diabetic gets a regular health check and is probably safer on the roads than a driver on an internet forum who has had part of his brain removed

[phantom309]

this only mentions people with diabetes that have had there license revoked does this also apply to people who don't yet have their license that want to come into the industry?????

[market man]

Well at last some good news for experienced guys that have sadly had to hand in their HGVs due to type 1 Diabetes !! i was diagnosed with type two in september last year but they only found that out after i had a mini stroke !!! so i am sat at home scratching my proverbial untill the 12th of sept this year !!! then i shall be looking for work im thinking i will be looking at going back to the market job again, keeps ya fit and its much better than sitting for hours on end on an unloading bay at Supermarket RDC waiting for them to get me tipped etc.. so if anyone knows of any one looking for an experienced market driver give us a shout please !!!

[scottie0011]

Looks like the DVLA are dragging their heels on this

http://www.roadtransport.com/Articles/2 ... delays.htm

[scottie0011]

Update time, I am at the moment renewing my C1 entitlement and due to me applying for my CE earlier on when the changes were announced I have recieved a letter stating:

"I regret to inform you that you are still not eligable for categories C and CE. The European Directive changes in law have not yet come into force. The changes in law are due to come in to force in August 2010."

So it looks like they are going to implement the changes before the euro deadline, but having spoken to others in the same boat as myself it seems that DVLA are going to make us jump through the hoops to get even our C1 entitlement.

On the upside though, at least we are a lot further forward then we were this time last year when there seemed to be no chance of ever getting the chance to drive CE again.

[scottie0011]

ffs I wish someone would tell us what is happening, everytime I read something the goalposts seem to have changed.

http://www.roadtransport.com/Articles/2 ... 9-says.htm

[scania245]

ffs I wish someone would tell us what is happening, everytime I read something the goalposts seem to have changed.

http://www.roadtransport.com/Articles/2 ... 9-says.htm

go an see youre MP ,
they do have power to get things done.

[gogzy]

ffs I wish someone would tell us what is happening, everytime I read something the goalposts seem to have changed.

http://www.roadtransport.com/Articles/2 ... 9-says.htm

go an see youre MP ,
they do have power to get things done.

a chocolate kettle is more useful than your local mp these days.

[TomAlter]

I think most of the drivers suffer from diabetics, So thanks sharing this thread, To spread some information on diabetics.

[Wheel Nut]

http://www.roadtransport.com/Articles/2 ... tation.htm

It seems after much dragging of feet, there may be some light at the end of the drain!

[Wheel Nut]

I have been sent this recent legislation from "a friend" who wondered if it was relevant. Having glanced through it at 02.15 I decided it was.

Cheers friend....

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/Lex ... 035:EN:PDF

[scottie0011]

I have been sent this recent legislation from "a friend" who wondered if it was relevant. Having glanced through it at 02.15 I decided it was.

Cheers friend....

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/Lex ... 035:EN:PDF

right I know bugger all about legal speak but looking at your link Malc, and comparing it to page 32 in this one

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/Lex ... 060:EN:PDF

It seems that the article 10 in the annex on your link replaces article 10 in annex III in mine?

So if thats the case why are the UK dragging their heels on this, when the EU have made it a directive?

Article 2
1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive no later than one year after entry into force of this Directive. They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.

I am confused, and atm feel like giving up all together