Coronavirus for HROs

Convicted Driver Insurance
Just had a look on Twitter.
People who had applications sent in Jan+feb still waiting to hear from dvla. Plus dvla daily updates (dont contact us etc etc) im thinking,im i gonna get my licence back.. this year?even if my ban finishes on 27th August? Also It's not the doctors fault. The welsh are still in full lockdown..
As long as this furlough pay last ,they wont get their asses in to work.Simple.
Unfortunately, we drink drivers will be the last ones that they gonna be concern to put back on the road..
 

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Hi all
I used the link further back to search for any local doctors that do HRO DVLA medicals. There are five in total and I worded my enquiry similarly to hsb123.
I received a response from one yesterday:


Yes, I have responded to DVLA queries previously and may be able to help.

Please can you send me the paperwork that the DVLA has sent you?


I have replied, attached copies of my correspondence and explained the DVLAs current stance. I have also stated that I know of certain cases that have gone through when an individual has organised their own medical which the DVLA have accepted.
I’ll keep this thread updated if I have any luck.
 
I can shed some light on this. My medical was originally booked for about a week after lockdown started. My appointed DVLA doctor called me a week BEFORE lockdown saying the DVLA were telling her to cancel all medicals. She kindly moved my medical forwards a week to allow me to still have it. Then she called again on the night before my appointment saying lockdown had just been announced and she couldn’t do my appointment, which was booked for day 1 of lockdown.
So the DVLA were telling the doctors to cancel all medicals before lockdown was even announced. Also the DVLA cancelled all driving tests and everything else they cancelled for 12 weeks from 20th March, when the lockdown didn’t start till 23rd March. And it is the government that told the DVLA to do this.
EDIT: Also it is also worth mentioning that even before lockdown the DVLA doctor had to move all her appointments from the local Doctors practice to a different address because the practice was not allowing DVLA clients in the last days before lockdown.

Also people are unable to even apply.By post or by mail.That can only be down to the DVLA.
 
Best of Luck with this I hope it works, last year the DVA NI wouldn't send any of my documents to a doctor in my own home town who does DVLA HRO medicals who could see me sooner. I was only allowed a medical with the doctor that they chose 25 miles away from my home. The medical section just sent me a very copy and paste email that said the medical professional is appointed not chosen.
 
Thanks grice. I’m not holding my breath by any means! Can see them objecting to it but it’s got to be worth a try.
Have just contacted them via the key worker email portal thing, explained all and asked them to confirm if they’ll accept it.
 
Best of Luck with this I hope it works, last year the DVA NI wouldn't send any of my documents to a doctor in my own home town who does DVLA HRO medicals who could see me sooner. I was only allowed a medical with the doctor that they chose 25 miles away from my home. The medical section just sent me a very copy and paste email that said the medical professional is appointed not chosen.
Hi Grice can you remember how long it was from your ban was up until you were driving again. You might remember I’m in NI too ...... am HRO so apply for provisional, medical, theory test, I might need a couple of refresher driving lessons and practical test. Do you know how long it took for you? Thanks. Elsa.
 
Hi all, frustrating times for us

Just to update on my situation, you cannot contact the DVLA on the phone atm, however there is a number for key workers, which I am. I have as written proof & posted it to the DVLA after I got the recorded message about they're only dealing with key workers renewals. I then found the number for key workers on their site. Called up & they ask if you're a key worker, they then ask for your case file number & they check to see if it's stated in your case file that you're a key worker, if not, they wont talk to you.

I got a letter dated on 1.5.20 that they have received my papers from my Dr & it has been decided that I need a DVLA medical before i get licence back, however, they are unable to process the medical within the next 12 WEEKS! So, that'd take it up to 24.7.20. I re-applied (on a revoke for drug misuse) on 1.3.20 & my licence was due back on 30.4.20, so looking like my 12 months is now going to end up 16 months.

One thing i'm interested in is arranging your own medical, has this worked for anyone? I'd travel to Australia to do mine as my job is dependant on me driving & i'm facing unemployment if this drags out much longer.

I did ask the DVLA the question if I could arrange this myself & was told NO.

Hoping on 1.6.20 that things are relaxed by Boris (if safe to do so)
 
Thanks very much, yep I had my medical on the 1st May, so fingers crossed you get the same turnaround, but if I was you, as soon as the practice has your paperwork, I would put in a stage 1 complaint about how they have handled it.

Hi Mike, was this a medical arranged by the DVLA or did you sort it out yourself?
 
Hi Grice can you remember how long it was from your ban was up until you were driving again. You might remember I’m in NI too ...... am HRO so apply for provisional, medical, theory test, I might need a couple of refresher driving lessons and practical test. Do you know how long it took for you? Thanks. Elsa.

Yes Elsa I know all the dates. My ban was up on the 15th May 2019, after the medical and the investigation with my GP my licence was issued the 8th August 2019. I did my theory the following week, 2 driving lessons and my test on the 28th August 2019 and have been driving since.

For anyone reading this thinking that took a long time, in NI you are not allowed to send your application in until your ban actually ends you also have to resit your teats. In turn our bans are a lot shorter, 12 months for a reading of 93 and being in a crash and a £200 fine. So we save one way, but lose out another.
 
Yes Elsa I know all the dates. My ban was up on the 15th May 2019, after the medical and the investigation with my GP my licence was issued the 8th August 2019. I did my theory the following week, 2 driving lessons and my test on the 28th August 2019 and have been driving since.

For anyone reading this thinking that took a long time, in NI you are not allowed to send your application in until your ban actually ends you also have to resit your teats. In turn our bans are a lot shorter, 12 months for a reading of 93 and being in a crash and a £200 fine. So we save one way, but lose out another.
Thanks Grice that’s good to know what time it normally takes in non COVID-19 times. Thanks again.
 
That was a clear question but a slightly ambiguous answer. It is clear from their website that they do DVLA medicals for some procedures, you do to get a referral letter for a HRO medical, but normally they send paperwork To the doctor. As you have found a doctor who appears to be able to do your HRO medical you will have to ask DVLA to send the relevant paperwork and medical form to the doctor. There is no chance your reference number will appear on their system as they suggest.
If they are not approved for HRO medicals then DVLA will not send them any paperwork anyway, but perhaps before you hassle them for the forms it might be as well to fire an email back to the company to make certain, then get on to DVLA.
It could be frustrating trying to get through to DVLA and you need to be sure it is worth your time an trouble doing that.

hi all

the clinic replied and stated they are approved for DVLA hro medicals.

so now it is persuading the DVLA to let me attend the clinic. I will call them this week. And if they cannot help I will raise a complaint through the correct process I think
 
You are right to raise a complaint if they will not let you do a medical with them.
I was happy to quote DVLA when they said that medicals are not available in good faith, but it appears that they have just said that because they do not want ANY applications to be submitted at the moment to get your licence back (except for key workers) so why would they allow people who need medicals to get them when people who are applying for their licence back in other circumstances cannot do so.
What they did not consider was people who had already submitted their application forms correctly, or indeed key workers who need medicals as a part of an application that they say IS allowed. I can only think that if they said “generally medicals are suspended, but they will be available in some circumstances....” then their limited staff might have been flooded with enquiries from people saying “what about me, do I qualify?”
It is still not clear if DVLA just SAID that medicals are not available, or if any of their doctors said they were not going to be available so they could not really say “you can have a medical but only if you live in the counties of X, Y and Z., or if they told doctors to not do the because the DVLA medical panel is very limited in manpower to be able to review the medicals but some doctors decided they would still offer them because of other related work they are doing.

Whatever the explanation, DVLA have been shown up in a poor light from this.
 
Hi just rang dvla number 03000830013,i spoke to the guy, he said its ok to send applications+paperwork D1 plus a fee (contrary that's on the website). Oh and also I'm not a key worker and they answered all my questions. They said might be a delay at medicals atm. If any of you have paper applications to send, i would send them now and ignore the " dont send us applications message " on the website
 
Hi just rang dvla number 03000830013,i spoke to the guy, he said its ok to send applications+paperwork D1 plus a fee (contrary that's on the website). Oh and also I'm not a key worker and they answered all my questions. They said might be a delay at medicals atm. If any of you have paper applications to send, i would send them now and ignore the " dont send us applications message " on the website
Thank u for this I’m off to post office ?
 
That sounds slightly more promising if you were able to get through and that's what he said. I sent off my D1 form with the £90 fee on the 20th May. My ban ends on the 18th August 2020 and I didn't recieve a letter from DVLA to reapply but decided to send it in anyway. Fingers crossed.
 
You are right to raise a complaint if they will not let you do a medical with them.
I was happy to quote DVLA when they said that medicals are not available in good faith, but it appears that they have just said that because they do not want ANY applications to be submitted at the moment to get your licence back (except for key workers) so why would they allow people who need medicals to get them when people who are applying for their licence back in other circumstances cannot do so.
What they did not consider was people who had already submitted their application forms correctly, or indeed key workers who need medicals as a part of an application that they say IS allowed. I can only think that if they said “generally medicals are suspended, but they will be available in some circumstances....” then their limited staff might have been flooded with enquiries from people saying “what about me, do I qualify?”
It is still not clear if DVLA just SAID that medicals are not available, or if any of their doctors said they were not going to be available so they could not really say “you can have a medical but only if you live in the counties of X, Y and Z., or if they told doctors to not do the because the DVLA medical panel is very limited in manpower to be able to review the medicals but some doctors decided they would still offer them because of other related work they are doing.

Whatever the explanation, DVLA have been shown up in a poor light from this.

hi all

so an update to my case.
I called DVLA this morning and they are happy to send my paperwork to the office where I can get an appointment. Great news

but there’s a but. They require the doctor to call DVLA to confirm this. And I asked the company to see if they can do this and they said they don’t chase drivers forms. So they won’t call DVLA. But if they get the paperwork they will happily do it.
So I have raised a stage 1 complaint to see if DVLA will just post it out or contact them directly and I said I do have an email chain to confirm everything they have said. So now it’s another waiting game from DVLA to reply. And I have no idea what they will respond with ?
 
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How pedantic! there are several posts about this topic at the moment, to save reading back through them all, can you confirm if you have an email from the doctors confirming they will do the medical? If so, surely DVLA should accept that......
 
How pedantic! there are several posts about this topic at the moment, to save reading back through them all, can you confirm if you have an email from the doctors confirming they will do the medical? If so, surely DVLA should accept that......

i do have an email and I took a screenshot and submitted it with my stage 1 complaint.
I am just getting frustrated now. It’s like getting one step forward then going two steps back when I’m so close
 
As they are based in Wales, any announcements made yesterday for a timescale for shops etc reopening do not apply.
 
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