How to make a complaint about the DVLA medical assessment process

You can drive while awaiting for medical!

Convicted Driver Insurance

macca25

New Member
Hi
I am new to all this as you can see I joined today! :)
Okay well I was done for drink driving back in Nov 2009 and my ban was up in April 24th sadly I have to do a medical as I was over 80!

I went on this course in Oxford and it was very interesting and I did enjoy it but he advise me that even my ban was up at the end of April I can not drive until medical passed and DVLA are happy.....so anyway few weeks later I chased up my appointment for my medical which is 21st June 2011 and they said I can drive until I done my medical and the DVLA happy with the results.

So my point is check with the DVLA if you can drive while you waiting for your medical, you will get a letter to confirm this.

Anyway I have my medical 2morrow which is 21st June 2011, very nervous! But have I stop drinking for a month or even week??? NOPE :eek:
I cut down a lot and but did go away to Corfu for a week in 1st June 2011 so guess this wont help, plus was my birthday was 12th june and only had 5 stellas, anyway reason why I not stopped is cos I went for blood test because use to drink a lot of stella last year and the Dr said I was fit and fine, nothing to worry about but did advise me to cut down (which I done) so I am able to drive :rolleyes:

I let you guys know how I got on 2morrow and get results by end of the week. I am hoping I pass but then I still could fail.....who knows!:confused:
 
Good news but I thought that to classify for a medical it was 87.5mg of breath you need it.

Maybe you should check that one out mate.

Best of luck anyway!!
 
Yes I did check while a go to see if I was to fall in the HRO which I was, cant remember what my reading was but it was deffo high :(

Thanks anyway I am off to my medical within the next hour and will post back more info and results soon :)
 
Hello

I just been for my medical yesterday 21/6/11 and wasnt bad at all. Nice Irish Dr Williams asked very basic questions from the form and he asked for my wight and hight wich I told him, he listen to my chest while breathing, taken small blood exaple and urine too.
I told him that I drank on the sunday 19th June 2011 3 pints of stella too.

I also did tell him that DVLA has alound me to drive until medical done and results done too, he said it a new thing that DVLA doing and is letting some people drive after there ban done.

Well the results will be done in few days but DVLA contact me within three weeks maybe less, I just hope I passed :confused:

Anyway I let you know when my reults are here or hear any news
 
Hi Macca,

OMG!!! Where do I start? I am new to this forum but have been hovering on the edges for a little while. I have so much to shout and tell about this whole DVLA Medical scenario, that I am actually bursting at the seams!

However, thanks to this forum I found out that I was able to apply for a "cover note" whilst awaiting the DVLA decision. I did not find this out until a couple of weeks after my medical. I had nothing in writing to tell me of this unique service, however, two phone calls to the DVLA and it was sorted, although it probably took about 10 days to come through. Therefore I have been driving around for the last couple of weeks! :)

I advise anyone waiting for the results of their DVLA medical to keep a diary, you think you will remember everything but you won't. I went for my medical on 31 May after waiting weeks from my initial application. My ban was finished at the end of April, 12 months reduced to 9 months for doing the Drink Driving Rehabilitation course. When I applied for my medical appointment the earliest they could do was 3 weeks away. Having done the medical, the doctor said I would get a decision 3 weeks later. Now, today, 4 weeks later I have had a letter saying that they have written to my GP.

I phoned my surgery today to be told (by the receptionist) that my doctor has done a report and it was going out in the post to the DVLA today. I told her to stop it as I want to speak to my GP to find out why the DVLA has written to him and also what he has put in his report! It would have actually been nice if my GP had consulted me, seeing as I had been for a Liver Function Test the day after the DVLA medical and that I had also been on the phone a few times to the doctors to discuss the results. I have been told by the receptionist that I have to phone first thing in the morning to get a telephone appointment to speak to my doctor.

This is just so frustrating; I live in the middle of nowhere, there are only two bus services that I can get to my nearest town. I only got "done" because on that night my husband had told me he was leaving me and I had gone for some solace in a quiet place and someone reported me! I would actually say that the stress I have been through over recent months is worse than when I was going through breast cancer!:mad: My husband and I are still separated and the children mainly live with him. I have been in hospital through an overdose also due to all this stress. All I want is to get my life back on track but without my licence I cannot do that!

I will update you all after tomorrow, when I can hopefully speak to my doctor?
 
Hi Designer Girl

I am sorry to hear what you been through! :(
DVLA are just a total pain and make you suffer more even after you done your ban, they act like they are the judge over your life! Dont get me wrong there are some people who should not drive at all like drug users, people who drink a lot of drink or really bad medical conditions that can effect driving.

Anyway I am still waiting for my results to come back to me, been over week since I went to my medical. I am thinking of contacting my dr now as I am sure DVLA will contact them. Thing is I told my dr I use to drink about 4 cans of stella every night for 4 or 5 months, due to pressure at woek, living down here on my own and dont drive so cant see my family etc. So Feb 2011 my dr said he take blood test and said to cut down but dont belive I have a drink problem, just got into a habbit by going to my room every night and drink 4 cans of stella.
After week later he got my results and said there nothing he worried about or any damage but didnt tell me my results like GTT ALT etc

I hardly drink at home now and cut 3/4 in total but I am worried that DVLA might it as I am unfit to drive!

I will let you know how I get on
 
Well, here I am again to update you on the latest; which basically means the waiting game continues! :mad: I telephoned the doctor's surgery this morning (after a sleepless night) and tried to make a telephone appointment with my main male doctor who had filled out the report. I was told by his secretary that he wasn't taking any more appointments as he has a very busy day and just about to go on holiday! She reiterated that the report had not been sent off (as I wished) and was being held for the female doctor, (who I had consulted over my LFT tests). However, the female doctor is on holiday and I will have a telephone appointment on 13th(!!) July. So, yippee, I probably have about 3 weeks left of driving under the "cover note"! :D (So all in all that will be 6 weeks since the DVLA medical!)

However, this doesn't make me feel any better; :( I am still none the wiser as to why the DVLA have written to my doctor? I know that one of my readings was considered high: the MCV (whether you've been drinking recently) and the Gamma was slightly over but my doctor didn't seem concerned about the latter. She also informed me that I do not have inflammation of the liver and my AST and ALT levels are normal. So, now I am wondering whether I should give up drinking again in case she suggests a retest!

The DVLA doctor told me that one of the blood tests goes off separately to another laboratory to look at long-term drinking! Actually, this whole scenario is enough to drive you to drink! :eek:

What annoys me is that I paid a hefty fine of £365; I have not got my licence back when I should have, from the start of May and I also paid £150 for the drink driving course! My court case was also adjourned for 3 months as I was contesting the ban on mitigating circumstances with a solicitor but that didn't work either (luckily by legal aid). I've also paid £90 for my licence application and £114 for the DVLA medical. Is that not enough for them? My licence was otherwise clean for 30 years and I would never drink and drive again, as I know if I was caught again I would get a 3 year ban! The DVLA just want to punish you more and more!

My only saving grace, (as my estranged husband pointed out), is that at least the DVLA have not immediately re-banned me point blank; he said there is still hope. I suspect that they might grant me a one, two or three year licence renewal with another DVLA medical thereafter? That is the best and most I can hope for. :p
 
Well I spoken to my Dr the other day and asked if the DVLA contacted him about my medical history. He said he has heard of nothing and if there was a question that he couldnt answer he said he would contact me.

Its be over 2 weeks now, okay maybe it dont sound long but it is to me. I can drive but dont want to pay out £2k for car and insurance and then find out they might ban me!

Let you guys know if I hhear anything
 
Yesterday, I got a phone call from my male doctor's secretary and she said they had sent off the medical report as they were legally obliged to do so in a short space of time limit.

I managed to get a copy of the report which I collected yesterday and she also sent one in the post. Some of it is good but some of it is not so good. For instance, the doctor had put that I was still on depression medication when in fact I haven't been since the end of last year. So I will have to call DVLA to tell them this. Basically the DVLA have stated "abnormalities" in my blood test results. :mad: Nothing horrendous but I am over their Upper Ref. Range for two of the four blood tests. How they work this out I think is based on your height and weight, as my upper limits are slightly different to another forum user's limits. For more information see this link:http://www.drinkdriving.org/drink_driving_information_DVLA_medical.php
I will also try and put this on the DVLA medical forum too soon.

For your information it is now 5 weeks since I had the medical and my ban ended on 29 April, 2011. So don't hold your breath! I advise anyone to give up drinking for at least a month before their medical. I did for a couple of weeks but then succumbed again the week before my medical due to some bad news. That was my mistake because I probably would have been in the guidelines otherwise. :( Good luck with yours!
 
Oh yeh! One last thing, don't you find it kind of ironic that the DVLA allow you to drive with a "cover note" whilst awaiting their decision. For example, in the copy of the letter they wrote to my GP it states: "Your patient may be entitled to drive while we wait for your reply and this may have an impact on road safety."

They are setting double standards; on the one hand they'll quite happily allow you to drive around for a month or two, yet after all their enquiries they may well turn round and refuse the return of your licence. It just doesn't make sense? :eek:
 
I had a completely different experiance. My medical was thrust upon me whilst I was still banned, so was obvioulsy not driving, and they contacted ME and made the appointment!! One thing im not happy about is I attended a drink awareness course during the ban and was assured it would be "considered" in my next insurance quote but the bloke I spoke to atthe insurers said it was rubbish!! also the course notes were badly photocopied and way out of date!! they were using "units" as examples from beer of 4% and wine at 8% so it was all well out of dfate and cost me over £100!!
 
Okay, the latest, I rang the DVLA to say that one of the medications was incorrect and I am not taking it. I was told by this stroppy welsh woman that my doctor knows me best and he knows what to put. (Okay, this was just before lunchtime and she was probably hungry!). Anyway, after I insisted, she put it on record that I was not taking the medication, etc. However, she then said that I would have to get my doctor to put that in writing. So, yet another visit to the doctor (thank God I can drive at the moment), and I consulted with him and a letter has been sent off to that effect. However, today, I decided to get a copy of the letter (just in case) and was charged £6.00 for it!

So, that letter was sent off on the 7 July (or next day), the Report was sent off two or three days earlier, so I suspect that I will hear by the end of this week or early next week but don't hold your breath!

Incidentally, it is now 6 weeks since my DVLA medical and my ban ended on 29 April! The sickening thing is, it is bitter sweet driving around at the moment, as any day now I will receive a letter to let me know whether I have my licence back or not? It doesn't help that in our rural area the postman does not turn up until 12.30p.m. at least! So every morning I am going through complete and utter anxiety. I cannot plan anything ahead or make appointments as my licence may never happen. :mad:

So that's it for now MACCA, watch this space and good luck to you! :rolleyes:
 
Hi there,

i wondered if either of you could update on the outcome of the saga? I have just (14 Dec) booked a medical for 2 January...I know...

I take anti-depressants and a medication for a skin condition. I think they are both metabolised by the liver so they will show up and I imagine my GP will be contacted.

I've dramatically reduced my alcohol consumption over the last couple of months,, but I was told by the drink awareness course leader that so long as I stayed below 30 units a week, I could carry on drinking. Im a bit confused!!!

Id love to know how its turned out for you both.
 
DesignerGirl said:
Okay, the latest, I rang the DVLA to say that one of the medications was incorrect and I am not taking it. I was told by this stroppy welsh woman that my doctor knows me best and he knows what to put. (Okay, this was just before lunchtime and she was probably hungry!). Anyway, after I insisted, she put it on record that I was not taking the medication, etc. However, she then said that I would have to get my doctor to put that in writing. So, yet another visit to the doctor (thank God I can drive at the moment), and I consulted with him and a letter has been sent off to that effect. However, today, I decided to get a copy of the letter (just in case) and was charged £6.00 for it!

So, that letter was sent off on the 7 July (or next day), the Report was sent off two or three days earlier, so I suspect that I will hear by the end of this week or early next week but don't hold your breath!

Incidentally, it is now 6 weeks since my DVLA medical and my ban ended on 29 April! The sickening thing is, it is bitter sweet driving around at the moment, as any day now I will receive a letter to let me know whether I have my licence back or not? It doesn't help that in our rural area the postman does not turn up until 12.30p.m. at least! So every morning I am going through complete and utter anxiety. I cannot plan anything ahead or make appointments as my licence may never happen. :mad:
So that's it for now MACCA, watch this space and good luck to you! :rolleyes:
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Hi

I have been following your and MACCAS converstaion it sounds really interesting, can you please let me know how you got on and if you got your license back as im in the same situation and its so frustrating. Thanks very much
 
macca25 said:
Well I spoken to my Dr the other day and asked if the DVLA contacted him about my medical history. He said he has heard of nothing and if there was a question that he couldnt answer he said he would contact me.

Its be over 2 weeks now, okay maybe it dont sound long but it is to me. I can drive but dont want to pay out £2k for car and insurance and then find out they might ban me!

Let you guys know if I hhear anything
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Hi Macca25


I have been following your and designer girls conversation and found it very interesting im in a similar situation i have a medical coming up in the next few weeks. Can you please tell me how you got on and if you now have your license back. Thanks very much
 
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