Hi,
After all the recent HGV driver deaths over the past few months,some being on medical grounds,could it be time to for introducing once a year medicals for HGV drivers.
The job is getting ever more stressfull with firms pushing harder to make a profit and stay afloat.
When was the last time you checked your blood pressure?
How many of you have high blood pressure and dont even know it?
Yes alot of medicals are expensive bordering on rip offs but what price for piece of mind.
I would be interested on your comments.
My GP runs a ‘well man’ clinic and I go in for one annually, just so he can tell me that my blood pressure is high (though not dangerously), that I should cut down my alcohol intake and exercise more. It’s free (at the moment) and certainly gives peace of mind. May be worth checking with your own GP practice to see if they do a similar thing.
Once a year may be OTT but I do think that a more frequent medical might be a good thing. Maybe 5 years would be a realistic gap.
If it were to happen then I suspect that doctors would soon be offering more cut rates for it. My surgery wants £120 these days whereas I can drive 10 miles and get it for £30.
Santa:
Once a year may be OTT but I do think that a more frequent medical might be a good thing. Maybe 5 years would be a realistic gap.
If it were to happen then I suspect that doctors would soon be offering more cut rates for it. My surgery wants £120 these days whereas I can drive 10 miles and get it for £30.
From 2013, every driver must sign a medical declaration every five years, until they are 45, then have a medical every 5 years until 65. After that it becomes annual medicals.
Annual medicals for everyone would be too expensive unless we are going to get them free from the NHS.
The medical I have to do is valid for a maximum of two years and it costs £80 but this should be paid by the employer. In theory if you are overweight or even have bad teeth you can fail and then no job !
Rich The Stag:
Hi,
After all the recent HGV driver deaths over the past few months,some being on medical grounds,could it be time to for introducing once a year medicals for HGV drivers.
The job is getting ever more stressfull with firms pushing harder to make a profit and stay afloat.
When was the last time you checked your blood pressure?
How many of you have high blood pressure and dont even know it?
Yes alot of medicals are expensive bordering on rip offs but what price for piece of mind.
I would be interested on your comments.
Stay safe…
Cheers
More importantly mandatory testing for sleep disorders would be more productive. ISleep apnea is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions and causes many long tem health issues.
There is a sayint that
" The untreated sleep apnea sufferer died peacefully in his sleep, his passengers however died screaming"
The prospect of suspension of licence and livelyhood prevents most from having the tests, but this is a selfish stance and the voluntary nature of testing should be removed from all drivers either car motrbike or professional wagon/truck driver
Rich The Stag:
Hi,
After all the recent HGV driver deaths over the past few months,some being on medical grounds,could it be time to for introducing once a year medicals for HGV drivers.
The job is getting ever more stressfull with firms pushing harder to make a profit and stay afloat.
When was the last time you checked your blood pressure?
How many of you have high blood pressure and dont even know it?
Yes alot of medicals are expensive bordering on rip offs but what price for piece of mind.
I would be interested on your comments.
Stay safe…
Cheers
More importantly mandatory testing for sleep disorders would be more productive. ISleep apnea is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions and causes many long tem health issues.
There is a sayint that
" The untreated sleep apnea sufferer died peacefully in his sleep, his passengers however died screaming"
The prospect of suspension of licence and livelyhood prevents most from having the tests, but this is a selfish stance and the voluntary nature of testing should be removed from all drivers either car motrbike or professional wagon/truck driver
That is the same problem many have with any disease Sid. There are dozens of drivers with Diabetes, who could have prevented losing their licence without injections, like prostate, heart disease, fitting, blood pressure and sleep apnoea, but drivers are frightened about losing their own livelihood.
I want to renew my licence but if I went to my own doctor, there would be no chance of getting it, if I go to Mr Patel in Normanton it will cost me about 30 quid. He only does the basic exam, BP, eyesight, weight, height and listens to your chest. By signing the declaration I have declared myself fit to drive, knowing that is probably not the case.
Rich The Stag:
Hi,
After all the recent HGV driver deaths over the past few months,some being on medical grounds,could it be time to for introducing once a year medicals for HGV drivers.
The job is getting ever more stressfull with firms pushing harder to make a profit and stay afloat.
When was the last time you checked your blood pressure?
How many of you have high blood pressure and dont even know it?
Yes alot of medicals are expensive bordering on rip offs but what price for piece of mind.
I would be interested on your comments.
Stay safe…
Cheers
More importantly mandatory testing for sleep disorders would be more productive. ISleep apnea is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions and causes many long tem health issues.
There is a sayint that
" The untreated sleep apnea sufferer died peacefully in his sleep, his passengers however died screaming"
The prospect of suspension of licence and livelyhood prevents most from having the tests, but this is a selfish stance and the voluntary nature of testing should be removed from all drivers either car motrbike or professional wagon/truck driver
That is the same problem many have with any disease Sid. There are dozens of drivers with Diabetes, who could have prevented losing their licence without injections, like prostate, heart disease, fitting, blood pressure and sleep apnoea, but drivers are frightened about losing their own livelihood.
I want to renew my licence but if I went to my own doctor, there would be no chance of getting it, if I go to Mr Patel in Normanton it will cost me about 30 quid. He only does the basic exam, BP, eyesight, weight, height and listens to your chest. By signing the declaration I have declared myself fit to drive, knowing that is probably not the case.
It will always be a hard choice. I have just been diagnosed after eight months of tests for various symptoms. There needs to be a more proactive stance by the agencies as currently if the correct procedure of declaration to dvla after diagnosis of notifiable diseases was adhered to the country would grind to a halt!!!as 1in four people have notifiable diseases[It is estimated. I have voluntarily undergone testing as my long term health is as important as a duty of care to other road users. I can appreciate the reluctance of people to come forward, but also to be considered is the fact that most people are blissfully unaware that a problem exisists as it takes a bed partner to spot a problem with many sleep disorders as the person with the problem is often oblivious to any symptoms other than a waking headache and tiredness during the day and difficulty in losing wieght along with a myriad of other symptoms en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_disorder
I already have yearly HGV medicals, have done since 2007 after my heart attack and subsequent triple by-pass.
On the plus side my cardiologist tells me he would rather have me driving a truck than the average man-on-the-street…he knows whats going on inside me
Why is it a stressful job, i do what i am told if the office cant plan it right it is not my problem, if you get stuck in traffic it is part of the job, like JD says when tired have a kip and if you don’t think you can then think again, there were two drivers who worjked for excel who used to have an extra break whilst working nights and then a new TM came along and told them to stop it, they did not, he sacked them, the judge went mental with excel the drivers won. it as stressful as you make it make sure you have food and water for a brew and your sorted.
