VAT Exemption

[MargB]

I have been reading the Gretchen Becker book "The First Year - Type 2 Diabetes" and there is a chapter written by a Rhoda Martin about getting the best from the NHS.

She says that if you have diabetes you do not pay Value Added Tax on any item and gives a BC monitor as an example. Not 100% sure if she is talking about just medical equipment for a diabetic but my question to you all is - have you ever tried to get the VAT knocked off a price? Is this still valid or has the law changed since the book was written.

Any comments?

 

[Copepod]

For UK government information on VAT exmeption for disabled people, see http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/Taxreliefandreductions/DG_10028495
Basically, "Products that are eligible for VAT relief: A product or service must be supplied for the 'personal or domestic use' of a chronically sick or disabled person to qualify for zero-rating." (followed by a list of the types of items that are zero-rated). So, you can't get VAT off most items, just ones directly related to the disabled person.
Many chemists hand a form to complete when you buy a blood glucose meter, so that you don't have to pay VAT. VAT is back at 17.5% after year or so at 15%.

 

[Robin boulton]

Hi, 2 questions, 1 of them simple or so I think. I'm type 1 did you get vat relief on a glood glucose meter. Has anybody used the accu-chec mobile blood glucose monitor

 

[Robin]

Hi Robin. Short answer is, yes, you get VAt relief, and the shop,should give you a form to sign, and deduct it there and then, or if ordering online there is often a box to tick saying you are exempt.
Long answer is, before you buy a meter, check if a) your surgery or wherever you get seen will give you a free meter, and b) will your GP prescribe test strips for the meter you've chosen. Test strips can be expensive to buy, and you shouldn't be having to fund them yourself as a Type 1 on insulin. But some CCG areas will only prescribe certain strips, for which they've negotiated a discount. The drum for the Accuchek Mobile is quite expensive, so check first. Oh, and c) whether you can blag a free meter out of one of the companies that do them, because they make money on the test strips, so will sometimes give them away.
I have used an Accuchek mobile, because my normal meter is an
Aviva, and Accuchek sent me one to try. I found it bulkier than distributing a pot of test strips, the meter and the finger pricker around various pockets, also I found it more difficult to get s drop of blood on the drum than on my normal test strips, but having diss that, some people on here do use them, and get on with them well.

 

[Robin boulton]

Thanks, I have the glucomen areo and the test strips I've seen for 15pounds for 50. I will speak to my GP tomorrow to see what he says

 

[Matt Cycle]

I've used a Mobile as like Robin up to that point I'd always used Accuchek meters and they kept sending me their latest meter. I too found the Mobile okay but a bit bulky and also had problems getting a drop of blood on the cassette.

Around 6 years ago without warning my GP surgery changed all meters to the AgaMatrix Jazz - it worked but felt cheap and flimsy. Knowing what I know now I would have challenged that decision but at the time just accepted it. The DN at the surgery has since changed my meter to the Optium Neo as she said herself the Jazz was c**p. 🙄 As a T1 according to the NICE guidelines you are advised to test at least 4 times a day and up to 10 times or more in certain circumstances. Don't let them fob you off.

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng17/chapter/1-Recommendations#blood-glucose-management-2

 

[pav]

The Glucomen Areo is on my new docs authorised list of meters and will probably be on other doctors list as it's one of the meters that's on the main list of meters the NHS will support. When I looked at the price of the strips they were around £10 a pot of 50 when on prescription, probably negotiated discount price due to the area agreements in supporting only a couple of meters.

If you test for keytones the better Areo is the Areo 2K which supports the testing of ketones, unless you have another meter that supports keytone testing.

Regarding the Accu Check mobile, I found it to be a good meter very handy when out on the bike or car as the lancing device is on the side of meter, which if desired could be removed to use like a normal lancing device. The thing I was a bit disappointed with was if you did not apply enough blood to the test strip the was no top up choice like on some of the other high end meters. The mobile is definitely a one person meter due to the way one applies the blood sample, as it's easier to get blood on the meter itself.