DVLA Medical - was I too honest?
- Thread starter Madgirl
- Start date
Hi all sorry to steer from the above question but I have spent months looking at these forums and a just feel stuck, I believe im one of the few that have actually contacted dvla myself to inform them of alcohol misuse, this was only prompted after my employer refered me to an occupational health doctor as i was suffering stress and anxiety at work and I had been honest with my employer and told them I was drinking to much. This was March 2018 I then was notified by dvla in April that they were revoking my license for 1 year, needless to say i was gutted but only after 6 months of not driving i started looking into this and realised I had been classed as alcohol dependant, I went back to my doctor but they wouldn't back me. Anyway I am due to reapply for my license at the beginning of April but in an worried dvla won't look at the application as I never stopped drinking straight away from the date of it being revoked and again I was honest with my doctor I was however drinking under the recommended guidelines. How can anyone know what date I actually stopped i am confident I will pass the cdt however I did fall off the wagon over Christmas.also I have a clean liver function test that I had done in October just gone..does anyone have any info that could help me,
No-one can tell what date you stopped beyond the info your GP provides and what you volunteer. In fact even though the guidelines issued to medical professionals state twelve months abstinence the panel minutes make clear it needs to be near zero consumption. One glass does not reset the clock, although of course a relapse at Christmas would, if the DVLA knew, prevent you from having a licence.
The bigger problem is that you need your GP to back you. They will very likely write to them in addition to your medical. When they write they will ask for information from the past three years, then ask them to clarify any concerns they have.
If they say you were dependent on alcohol then they also need to record you have been abstinent for twelve or more months.
The best thing would be to make an appointment to discuss it. However, you need to be honest-ish. GPs ask hundreds of people how much alcohol they drink and will probably be able to guage if you are being mostly truthful.
The bigger problem is that you need your GP to back you. They will very likely write to them in addition to your medical. When they write they will ask for information from the past three years, then ask them to clarify any concerns they have.
If they say you were dependent on alcohol then they also need to record you have been abstinent for twelve or more months.
The best thing would be to make an appointment to discuss it. However, you need to be honest-ish. GPs ask hundreds of people how much alcohol they drink and will probably be able to guage if you are being mostly truthful.
Thank you, well before my drinking at Christmas I hadn't drunk for over 4 months, and before that it was a minimal amount after the license had been revoked, I could loose my job now as my employer think in an getting it back at the end of April but if I have told my doctor back in may or June last year i was still drinking but responsibly I'm worried they won't have a clear date on when i stopped and this nightmare could go on and on. My license was revoked in my opinion on false information partly provided by myself . I was in a bad way mentally and wanted out of a job that I knew i wasn't coping with i thought using an alcohol problem was a better way of stepping down from my position rather than admit defeat . I know that sounds crazy but I believe I made things sound worse to get out, and it's backfired in a big way.. I have misused alcohol but I have never been alcohol dependent and i think it is too late to make anyone see that, in your opinion then how do I convince dvla that I haven't drunk.. And does anyone know a good place to get a CDT test done for peace of mind I would like to see what mine is before April.thanks again for your reply.
You also need to know what info dvla has, so make a Subject Access Request to them for all the information they hold on you. It wont hurt to get a copy of your medical record, so make a SAR for your medical notes from your gp, and also your occ health person. It can take a month to get the information. Your situation is that you are stuck with whatever has been said, and much more importantly, whatever has been recorded. You cannot backtrack, saying you lied wont mean you are believed (the liar defence). The only way is to make sure that all the positive information is recorded so that all the boxes can be ticked. If you have to invent a reason to go the doc and casually say you are feeling sooooo much better now without the drink, then so be it.
Once you have all the info from SAR requests, you might be able to appeal the decision regarding dependency down to misuse (cant remember if there are time limits for appeals). The focus will be on getting a restricted 1 year licence.
Once you have all the info from SAR requests, you might be able to appeal the decision regarding dependency down to misuse (cant remember if there are time limits for appeals). The focus will be on getting a restricted 1 year licence.
The advice from @diesel2 is good (although they are called GDPR requests now).
If the DVLA has recorded that you are alcohol dependent, and your GP has recorded that you are still drinking in May/June then you have two options.
1. Say the information your GP has is incorrect and you want it corrected. However, seeing as it seems to be correct they may be reluctant.
2. Delay your medical. If your GP says you were dependent on alcohol and have been drinking in the last twelve months you will almost certainly be refused a licence and not be allowed to reapply for twelve months.
If the GP records say you misused, rather than dependent on alcohol, you have been less of an issue because then you need six months of controlled drinking.
If the DVLA has recorded that you are alcohol dependent, and your GP has recorded that you are still drinking in May/June then you have two options.
1. Say the information your GP has is incorrect and you want it corrected. However, seeing as it seems to be correct they may be reluctant.
2. Delay your medical. If your GP says you were dependent on alcohol and have been drinking in the last twelve months you will almost certainly be refused a licence and not be allowed to reapply for twelve months.
If the GP records say you misused, rather than dependent on alcohol, you have been less of an issue because then you need six months of controlled drinking.
That sounds like a good idea , I'm at doctors on Monday trouble is it's always a different doctor with different views and opinions, I have already been in contact with the practice manger at my gp so he has said he will get my medical file issued,
I really want to fight that they have labelled me as alcohol dependant and if I can convince someone then I have been without my license way more than I had too. Thanks very much to you both for taking the time to reply I will update when I have made some progress.
I really want to fight that they have labelled me as alcohol dependant and if I can convince someone then I have been without my license way more than I had too. Thanks very much to you both for taking the time to reply I will update when I have made some progress.
The problem you have is that it sounds like they have made the correct diagnosis from the information you told them at the time, albeit false.
There will likely be done scepticism that you now think the diagnosis is wrong and want it removed 90 days before you can get your licence back.
I would ask the practice who your named GP is - even if you see different ones there should be one on the computer because NHS databases for patients to have a "lifetime relationship" with one GP. It will be them filling out the DVLA questionnaire so all appointments between now and getting your licence back should be with them.
There will likely be done scepticism that you now think the diagnosis is wrong and want it removed 90 days before you can get your licence back.
I would ask the practice who your named GP is - even if you see different ones there should be one on the computer because NHS databases for patients to have a "lifetime relationship" with one GP. It will be them filling out the DVLA questionnaire so all appointments between now and getting your licence back should be with them.
Hey everyone, well I had another blood test 2 weeks ago and I received a call to say the test was out of range the receptionist could not elaborate on this and has booked me back in for another test.the only thing I can think that I may have not been doing great with is pain relief. I have been hammering the paracetamol tablets and the odd co codemol as my back has been bad and I've been off work with it . Sometimes up to 12 a day. Could this have thrown the test out of range.
Hi it wasn't a cdt it was just a normal liver and kidney test that my local gp done, so I'm not even sure what was raised and by how much, I'm waiting for another blood test now, but just wondered if the painkillers could affect my liver, I'm not a big believer in pain killers but the pain I was in I had no option and I have been eating them like sweets for over a month.
Short answer is yes.
Mostly.
When you get your results through, you will be able see which particular one is raised and google the effect of the painkillers on it.
One of the Liver tests, GGT (if it was done), is particularly sensitive to just about everything, and not specific to alcohol, followed by ALT. The main problem is though that excess alcohol is always the default position for any raised blood markers, and LFT’s can only indicate guilt. Good results don’t prove innocence, no matter how many you have got, and a gp’s opinion carries more weight.
Mostly.
When you get your results through, you will be able see which particular one is raised and google the effect of the painkillers on it.
One of the Liver tests, GGT (if it was done), is particularly sensitive to just about everything, and not specific to alcohol, followed by ALT. The main problem is though that excess alcohol is always the default position for any raised blood markers, and LFT’s can only indicate guilt. Good results don’t prove innocence, no matter how many you have got, and a gp’s opinion carries more weight.
Should be ok for ordinary licence being HRO alcohol abuse is 6 months abstinence or dependency 1 year absstinance
For pcv hgv it's 1 and 3 years would hate to think people seeking help and being honest would get punished
For pcv hgv it's 1 and 3 years would hate to think people seeking help and being honest would get punished
