How to make a complaint about the DVLA medical assessment process

CDT levels

Convicted Driver Insurance
Baz4233 said:
I have just had my licence revoked and have to do a 12 months absence b4 reapplying if my last drink was jan can i reapply then ? And also do i have to go doctors aswell or can i just reapply ? I haven’t been the doctors for 3 years now
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Hi you can reapply at the end of November l, however you will need to log a last drink date with your Gp and you will need to gather medical evidence ( liver function tests ) through your Gp to prove your absence from alcohol, you also need your GPs support when reapplying…
 
Baz4233 said:
I have just had my licence revoked and have to do a 12 months absence b4 reapplying if my last drink was jan can i reapply then ? And also do i have to go doctors aswell or can i just reapply ? I haven’t been the doctors for 3 years now
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As the old saying goes if it isn't written down - it hasn't happened. As Big Tom has said - the DVLA will take what you say with a pinch of salt. If you speak to your GP now - get the sobriety date recorded and get some LFTs done over the next few months. If your last alcoholic drink was Jan 2023, the likelihood is you won't be able to re-apply until Jan 2024.

CJ
 
C J 1980 said:
As the old saying goes if it isn't written down - it hasn't happened. As Big Tom has said - the DVLA will take what you say with a pinch of salt. If you speak to your GP now - get the sobriety date recorded and get some LFTs done over the next few months. If your last alcoholic drink was Jan 2023, the likelihood is you won't be able to re-apply until Jan 2024.

CJ
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Ok thanks for your help
 
Baz4233 said:
So am best sorting out with the doctor now then ? Do i just make an appointment to see them ?
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Yes make an appointment with your Gp and explain that you have to demonstrate 12 months of abstinence and you would like support from them, ask can you have a liver function test to form part of your medical evidence going forward to show that you are not using any alcohol, the Gp will guide you through the process of the next 12months, don’t forget to get a last drink date cemented with your Gp as this is when your next license will run from …
 
Ok brilliant thank you . So if i tell him that date will that be the date it will go from and i just get tests from now till next year ?
 
Baz4233 said:
Ok brilliant thank you . So if i tell him that date will that be the date it will go from and i just get tests from now till next year ?
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Yes that date will be when your 12 months abstinence will start from, and provide 3 LFT over the year, once you reapply Dvla will write out to your Gp for your medical evidence and your Gp will have no concerns about your with your application…
 
Honestman said:
Yes that date will be when your 12 months abstinence will start from, and provide 3 LFT over the year, once you reapply Dvla will write out to your Gp for your medical evidence and your Gp will have no concerns about your with your application…
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Thank you so much for help i wouldnt of has clue what to do
 
Hi quick question my 12 months absence is up on the 14feb can i reapply for my licence before then or can i only start the ball rolling on that date ? Thanks in advance
 
Baz4233 said:
Hi quick question my 12 months absence is up on the 14feb can i reapply for my licence before then or can i only start the ball rolling on that date ? Thanks in advance
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Hey Baz,

From personal experience (that's all I can use when giving advice regarding this specific topic) I'd suggest that you don't apply until on or after the 14th February 2024.

I think you should be allowed to apply sooner, given that it can take months for the DVLA to process your application. First they'll send you a medical questionnaire, then they'll likely contact your GP. If the GP responds to the DVLA before the 14th February 2024, stating that your last drink was on the 14th February this year, they'll write to you stating that you need to be abstinent for a year prior to reapplying for your licence.

I've been through this myself, at no fault of my own. I had been abstinent for a lot longer than 12 months. My GP screwed me over, putting down the wrong dates. At the point of contact with my GP, after completing the medical questionnaire, their records stated that I'd been sober for 50 weeks.

It's up to you what you wish to do. I just think that it would probably be best to wait. At least that way you'll only have to go through the stress of it all once.

Best of luck mate.
 
Xeronema said:
Hey Baz,

From personal experience (that's all I can use when giving advice regarding this specific topic) I'd suggest that you don't apply until on or after the 14th February 2024.

I think you should be allowed to apply sooner, given that it can take months for the DVLA to process your application. First they'll send you a medical questionnaire, then they'll likely contact your GP. If the GP responds to the DVLA before the 14th February 2024, stating that your last drink was on the 14th February this year, they'll write to you stating that you need to be abstinent for a year prior to reapplying for your licence.

I've been through this myself, at no fault of my own. I had been abstinent for a lot longer than 12 months. My GP screwed me over, putting down the wrong dates. At the point of contact with my GP, after completing the medical questionnaire, their records stated that I'd been sober for 50 weeks.

It's up to you what you wish to do. I just think that it would probably be best to wait. At least that way you'll only have to go through the stress of it all once.

Best of luck mate.
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Thanks for the advice i will just wait then
 
Baz4233 said:
Thanks for the advice i will just wait then
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Hi again Baz,

I've just thought of something very important. I mention this as I'm currently in the process of renewing my medical licence and am panicking (can't find previous Medical Questionnaire) - not because I've done anything wrong, however because I know just how difficult the DVLA can be. I'm panicking because I can't find some paperwork. I'll explain below...

When doing your driving licence application (including all forms, paperwork, etc), please make sure you take copies/scans of everything that you receive and send to the DVLA (anything related to your health that could affect your licence application). I've written below a list of possible letters/documents that I strongly suggest you photograph/scan prior to and after completing, and then I'll explain why.

• Hospital appointment letters (anything that may show any appointments/meetings regarding health coniditions that need declaring on a driving licence application (diabetes (insulin controlled), seizures, alcohol dependence, poor eyesight, heart problems, physical disabilities, mental health issues).
• Any supporting evidence, even if it's just notes that you've scribbled down (containing dates and times of last drink, etc).
• Test results (even though the DVLA can access these from your GP, it's good to have the information available to you).
• Driving Licence application form.
• Medical Questionnaire from the DVLA.
• Any cover letters that you may wish to send with your Medical Questionnaire.

The reason I'm mentioning all this is because there's a good chance that you may have to do future Medical Questionnaires. If you've got copies/scans of your previous correspondence, it'll be easier for you to fill out the new form and you'll be sure to get all your dates/times correct. I don't think that I need to explain to you what may happen should you get certain dates wrong...

Best of luck mate.

Edit: My advice would be to send everything as special delivery to the DVLA. I know it's £7 - £8 a time, however at least it's peace of mind. I even take a picture of the envelope, right after the person has stuck the special delivery label on it. A bit over the top I know.
 
Xeronema said:
Hi again Baz,

I've just thought of something very important. I mention this as I'm currently in the process of renewing my medical licence and am panicking (can't find previous Medical Questionnaire) - not because I've done anything wrong, however because I know just how difficult the DVLA can be. I'm panicking because I can't find some paperwork. I'll explain below...

When doing your driving licence application (including all forms, paperwork, etc), please make sure you take copies/scans of everything that you receive and send to the DVLA (anything related to your health that could affect your licence application). I've written below a list of possible letters/documents that I strongly suggest you photograph/scan prior to and after completing, and then I'll explain why.

• Hospital appointment letters (anything that may show any appointments/meetings regarding health coniditions that need declaring on a driving licence application (diabetes (insulin controlled), seizures, alcohol dependence, poor eyesight, heart problems, physical disabilities, mental health issues).
• Any supporting evidence, even if it's just notes that you've scribbled down (containing dates and times of last drink, etc).
• Test results (even though the DVLA can access these from your GP, it's good to have the information available to you).
• Driving Licence application form.
• Medical Questionnaire from the DVLA.
• Any cover letters that you may wish to send with your Medical Questionnaire.

The reason I'm mentioning all this is because there's a good chance that you may have to do future Medical Questionnaires. If you've got copies/scans of your previous correspondence, it'll be easier for you to fill out the new form and you'll be sure to get all your dates/times correct. I don't think that I need to explain to you what may happen should you get certain dates wrong...

Best of luck mate.

Edit: My advice would be to send everything as special delivery to the DVLA. I know it's £7 - £8 a time, however at least it's peace of mind. I even take a picture of the envelope, right after the person has stuck the special delivery label on it. A bit over the top I know.
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Thank you mate i will do . I will do the trouble i had in the first place was saying letters lost in post so in the end i got dvla contact doctors by email and that seemed to work a lot better and more time efficient
 
My experience of the DVLA Medical CDT Test:-

Returning the favour for all the info this forum has given me :)

I was a long-term heavy drinker during my ban, several bottles of wine per week, so my CDT levels would definitely have been significantly raised I reckon!
Decided to quit drinking altogether a few weeks before I knew I was likely to be invited to re-apply for my license by DVLA.
I'm middle aged, pretty fit and eat fairly healthily.
It ended up being just over 10 weeks of complete abstinence by the time my medical appointment came around.
Got my results back from DVLA about 10 days later and passed with 0.7% CDT!
No way of knowing whether 0.7 is my base level or how high it was to start with, so I may have been already at that level in under 10 weeks, but from all the hours of research I've done I'm very glad I did quit as early as I did!
Most useful info I found on it is that it halves about every 2 weeks. So if you're worst case scenario 10% to start with, then 5 x fortnights of halving that gets you down to well below 1.0% and a safe pass.
Much less than 10 weeks and I think you'd be taking a bit of a risk!
Hope this helps people!
Thanks
 
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