DVLA Medical 12 month Licence

[Urban Gorilla]

Looking for some help & advice please?

I will keep this brief and to the point.

Convicted for DR60 on Nov 2013 and banned for 3 years, was going through some personnel issues at that time so I seeked professional help as I misused alcohol was referred to a consultant for mental health issues and seeked professional assistance for alcohol misuse with local services in my area. Prior to this I have had no alcohol or drug related issues with no contact with GP or consultants relating to alcohol or drugs fit and healthy with no medical problems what so ever it was just a bad time in my life at that time.

DVLA renewal forms came in August 2016 along with the DR1 forums I was honest and sent back the forms stating alcohol misuse in the last 3 years not 12 months and a one-off use of cannabis in February 2016.

Sep 2016 my case was closed with the consultant due to abstinence and no issues with my mental health as I was living a stable normal life and no further need to see him or the local services in my area.
DVLA wanted to reconfirm my statements that I sent in the DR1 forms so they contacted the consultant he reconfirmed my abstinence and stated I was on no medication, I wasn't alcohol dependent and no issues with alcohol or drugs in the past 12 months but said that was alcohol misuse in in the last 3 years and he reconfirmed my one-off use of cannabis in February 2016, which I was a where of and that I was fit to drive.

I went for a DVLA medical had a blood test not a urine test as well which I thought was strange as I admitted to one of use of cannabis in the DR1 forms, so did my consultant and the forms filled in prior to medical, the blood test came back fine, DVLA reinstated my licence for 12 months only on the basis that it was nothing to do with alcohol misuse or dependency but because I said I had a one-off use cannabis it wasn’t enough to show I was dependant or that I had misused cannabis was the reason they issued me with a 12-month licence based on the forms by me and the consultant.
Since such time there has been no issues with no contact with GP, consultants, living a healthy stable life with my family, no parking fines, no speeding fining and in fact come Nov 17 I will have a clean licence.
The time has come again where I will have to go through the whole process again with the DVLA.

My questions are as follows:
Why didn’t the DVLA do a urine test on my first medical with the DVLA knowing that I admitted to one of use of cannabis which would have come back negative?
Will they contact my consultant again? If so he will just resend the information from year ago with no change?
Will I have to go through another medical at the cost of the DVLA? Again my DR1 forms and my consultant will state I have no medical condition and there has been no issues since?
Will I have to do a blood test, will I have to do a urine test?
Will I have to keep going through this process every year to be issued with a 12 months licence?
Will I have to go through this process again until after the 3-year period has finished which would be 2019?
Or will they issue me with a normal full licence?

I really would appreciate some guidance or feedback as this could affect my career going forward.

Best regards

 

[SeanJoyceStephensons]

There is no definitive answer to your questions. The DVLA guidance for medical assessment where drug or alcohol misuse has been identified suggests that the DVLA may require an independent consultant or specialist assessment and urine screen. They will also require 'normalisation of blood parameters' meaning a blood test will be required. Given that you have been given a temporary licence on the last occasion, it is likely that temporary licences will be issued until the DVLA are satisfied.

This is a process that has to be complied with and there is no quick way of circumnavigating it. The DVLA are entitled to do so given that the safety of you as a driver and members of public potentially exposed to you as a driver is paramount. If any decision is unfavourable there are appeal avenues and you should contact a solicitor at that stage.

 

[Urban Gorilla]

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to my questions I really do appreciated it.

Just to clarify with your self the DVLA gave me a 12 month licence as it was nothing to do with alcohol misuse or dependency, but because there was a one of use of cannabis in February 2016 but it didn't warrant misuse or dependency was there reason for a 12 month licence.

On that basics if I was to do another medical, and urine test etc and all comes back fine surely wouldn't they give me a full licence?

Again thank you for feedback.