Applying for Group 2 licence requires 3 month memory on meter

[redrevis]

Has anyone with type 1 applied for a Group 2 licence recently?

From 15 November 2011, the DVLA have removed the ban for people on insulin driving Group 2 vehicles (larger vehicles, and some passenger-carrying vehicles). People with diabetes treated with insulin can now undergo individual independent medical assessment annually to assess their fitness to drive these vehicles.

But:

If you have insulin-treated diabetes, you will need to have used a blood glucose meter with a memory function to measure and record blood glucose levels for at least three months prior to submitting your application.

I use an Accu-Chek Mobile meter which holds 500 tests in the memory. This only covered the last 2 months 16days when I checked it today, because I test 6 times a day on most days, so not a full 3 months like is required. I also upload 95% of my BG readings to an online account (using an app on my iPod Touch) and have done since diagnosis. I wonder if they would take this into account even though it's not 100% of my readings (because in all honesty I do forget to record the odd 1).

I don't want to swap my meter as this is the best suited to me and I've tried lots of them. Do any meters hold more than 500 tests in the memory just out of interest?

The reason I ask is because I'm thinking of applying for a job, which requires you to either have D1+E or you must be willing to take your D1 test to drive a minibus.

 

[Copepod]

Only thing I can suggest is using 2 meters, to keep up to 500 tests each, so that you'll have at least 3 months of results to present.

Personally, that's what I do anyway, as I keep one meter at home and take on out and about with me. But, I've long given up on applying for jobs involving minibus & van driving....

Great that you're going for it!

 

[Robster65]

Surely it would be easy to cheat this by getting a non-D friend to test for 3 months and appear to have perfect control. They really don't think these things through. As well as the genuine testing that's beyond the capacity of most meters, as you point out.

If only they spent a couple of days on the forum asking us to proof read their requirements before making them law, they'd save a lot of wasted effort. 🙄

Might be worth a phone call to someone at DVLA to clarify and point out the flaws.

Rob

 

[Tezzz]

May I suggest you upload your meter readings to your computer?

I do mine monthly and print the readings out. My software also does statistics as numbers and graphs. I have printouts going back a couple of years.

I am sure the DVLA will want copies of printouts rather than the physical meter to look at.

 

[redrevis]

May I suggest you upload your meter readings to your computer? I am sure the DVLA will want copies of printouts rather than the physical meter to look at.

I'd have to buy an infrared data cable to do that with my meter. I mean infrared? Who uses that for sending data nowadays🙄 Plus I put them onto my ipod and I can get all the graphs etc from that.

It's not the DVLA who have to check your readings it's your Consultant and according to the DVLA the consultant needs to see the readings on your meter, it doesn't say a printout of data is ok.

At the examination, the Consultant will need to see 3 months of blood sugar/glucose readings available on a blood sugar/glucose meter with memory function.

Thanks Copepod, that two meter way would work I suppose, but to be honest I'm starting to think that applying for this job would be more hassle than it's worth. Plus I know they aren't allowed to knowingly discriminate, but I'm sure they will be aware that it will be more hassle and more time consuming for me to get this licence (it's a 3 stage process which involves the DVLA processing information, we all know how long that would take), which in turn would reduce my chances of getting the job anyway. Urgh!

Here's the leaflet if anyone wants a read:
DVLA Guide booklet for Group 2 licence

 

[HelenM]

There are meters that record more readings.
I use a one touch ultrasmart, that keeps 3000 records in memory. It's more of a log book and you can record all sorts of thing from carbs, protein, fat, excercise, insulin , BP, HbA1c. If you recorded everything, and tested 6 times a day I suppose that it might not keep glucose readings in memory for 3 months. I have short phases recording carbs, and exercise as well as BG . I test on average about 5.5 times a day and have just scrolled back to the beginning of the year, I could have gone back further (much easier to download and read the detail on the computer though)
I'm sure there are other makes with large memories