Diabetes dilemma for cabbies

More information is to be sought by councillors before they decide whether taxi drivers with type one diabetes should be allowed to continue to hold a licence.

The general purposes committee of Newark and Sherwood District Council agreed more facts and figures were needed before they could reach a decision.

The matter was deferred for three months so officers could produce a more detailed report.

Currently the council assesses the health of drivers suffering from diabetes individually.

Some councils have decided to ban all drivers with diabetes because of fears that they could suffer a hypoglycaemic attack while they are driving.

Professor George Thomson, the head of clinical diabetes services at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said cases of diabetes were increasing and were likely to continue to do so.

He said that in his personal experience diabetes patients who drove for a living tended to be very responsible about their condition.

“Obviously there are exceptions to the rule but the majority of those suffering from diabetes are very responsible,” he said.

He was concerned that if a condition was imposed whereby drivers with diabetes had to be seen by a hospital consultant each year it could be unrealistic because of the staff available and the number of patients they had to deal with.

Council solicitor Mr Terry Wilson said the district had three drivers who were insulin-dependent diabetics and were allowed to keep their licences subject to annual medical checks.

Mr Roger Fell of Gunthorpe, whose ex-wife Mrs Wendy Fell, from Elston, died after she was involved in a car crash involving a diabetic driver three years ago, wants a blanket ban to be imposed.

He said that until there was a robust and tamper-proof system in place the council should refuse taxi licences to insulin-dependent drivers.