I'm part-way through a 6-week X-PERT course, and I can see both views on this now. One reason for this is that I'm in a group of 20 people on this diabetes education course, and the range of knowledge, understanding, and what we've already tried is immense. The person giving the course (who I'm impressed with), isn't a direct NHS employee (this is one of the contracted out bits of the service), so she has a certain freedom to look at the NICE guidelines and support us if we're doing something different - as I am. I'm not on medication, just knew I'd not be given a meter and supplies, so I went out and bought my own.
So one thing I do understand is the cost of meters and supplies - it does all add up. But much more importantly, I understand how much help and support we can then each need to make sense of our readings - and that the NHS really isn't set up to give us that. That's no excuse for not wanting a better service, but it's a sad truth. I've made diet and exercise changes and got a lot less improvement than I expected, and consistently get many of the highest readings of the day first thing in the morning. I'm at a stage of wanting someone to go through what I'm doing at present, what to change and why (I always need the 'why' to get the motivation on board), and informed thinking about where to go from here. I understand now why they want meters given out in a context of education and support - and a website and an online forum's not enough. In the group I'm in there are people who don't use the internet at all, people who use it for some things but don't like forums ... so I start to see their justification for their guidelines.
Having said that, the meter and testing have completely changed my approach to having T2. I see it as a tool, but a tool I need to learn how to use alongside everything else I have any control over.