Children and adults with Type 1 diabetes faced “appalling” treatment at London’s Stansted Airport and were made to feel like criminals, according to a number of complaints made to the BBC.
Insulin pumps and CGM devices can be damaged by airport scanners, so the Civil Aviation Authority has ruled that these devices must not be either screened by x-ray or pass through the security scanner, so must will be screened by alternative methods.
One mum from Lowestoft, in Suffolk, claimed her teenage son was “adamant he won’t fly again” after feeling “bullied” into going through an X-ray scanner that could damage his medical devices. Others described being taken to a room to be searched while their essential equipment was kept at the security desk.
Type 1 diabetes charity JDRF is working with airports, the CAA and medical companies, to try and bring greater consistency and awareness. “We urge airports to fully train all staff, so that people with Type 1 diabetes can pass through airport security with the same ease as fellow passengers” said JDRF’s community partnerships and events lead, Chris Bright.
London Stansted Airport has urged anyone who was unhappy to contact them so they could “thoroughly investigate” and “take any necessary actions”. “If a passenger, or their medical equipment, is unable to or recommended not to go through the security scanner and x-ray machines, the equipment would be screened using alternative methods, and the passenger hand searched. All security staff receive thorough training to ensure full compliance with government security regulations and to deliver the best levels of customer service, including understanding and awareness of any passenger travelling with a medical condition.”
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