failed medical ...what next?

Convicted Driver Insurance

splodger

Well Known Member
I've been reading the forum for 18 months since I was banned as high risk offender. I received a 2 year ban, reduced to 18 months for completing the AA course. my drinking got worst after the ban and eventually my last drink was May 19th 2016..that was the day I was admitted to hospital very ill and was diagnosed with cirrhosis, 3 weeks later I came out of hospital and trust me if you want to smell death have a stay on a liver ward.

That was my only driving convection in 25 years and my licence was due back Jan 1st 2017. I went through the procedure's and had my medical on the 22nd of November. I finally received a letter back early January saying it was refused. I received the apparently usual letter of misuse or dependence. To be honest I was not surprised with my drink problems of 2016.

Now I don't no what the outcome of my blood test was at the medical but I presumed it was ok as I had not drank for so long.

I went to see my doctor last week and he wrote a letter for me stating my diagnosis that of misuse NOT dependence. I have sent that off with a D1, ID, medical questionnaire and payment.

Bearing in mind I don't no what the DVLA are stating, whether I'm classed as misuse or dependant. I'm way past the 6 month stage now and 8 weeks from the 12 month period of total abstinence.

I don't no whether they approached my consultant at the liver ward for a diagnosis or if they did what was her diagnosis?

At no time have I told the DVLA I was dependant and on the questionnaire, I have always stated misuse. I no that its all down to DVLA's interpretation but I'm wondering what the next steps will be?

Will they just totally refuse this new application and tell me to re apply after May 19th 2017 as its dependence? or will they accept this application and tell me to go for another medical?

I really am unsure of how this will go bearing in mind the dates and possible diagnosis.

Any advice would be more than welcome....

Thanks
Splodger
 
Hi there,

If you have a history of alcohol dependence you must remain abstinent for 12 months before the DVLA will consider your application.

If your Doctor informs the DVLA that you have denied alcohol since May 2016 and your CDT result is below 2.3% they should issue a licence.

I failed my medical and had to wait 12 months to reapply. However you are able to send an application 8 weeks before your 12 months period of abstinence is up because it can take a while to process.

Hope this helps and good luck!
 
Thanks, I presume I go through the full medical process again which I'm not too worried about as I don't drink it's just that anomaly of failing the CDT test.
I
i presume the day I go for the medical will have to be 12 months since my last drink.....unless they agree that it's misuse?
 
If you are diagnosed with alcohol misuse you can reapply 6 months after your last drink and if you are diagnosed with alcohol dependence you can reapply 12 months after your last drink.

I know the letter from the DVLA is not clear because they do not state what your Doctor has diagnosed (misuse or dependence), they advise you to contact your Doctor to find out the diagnosis. (I must say I got a shock when I found out my Doctor has diagnosed me as dependent). Let's say you were diagnosed as alcohol dependent. As you say your last drink was in May 2016 you are within the timescale to reapply for your licence because you can reapply 8 weeks before the 12 months is up. For example: Your last drink was in May 2016, your 12 months is up in May 2017 so you can apply in March 2017.

The DVLA will receive your application then send a questionnaire to your Doctor. If your Doctor confirms you have denied alcohol since May 2016 the DVLA will then send you for a medical. If your CDT level is below 2.3% they will issue a driving licence. However because there is a history of alcohol misuse/dependence you will only receive a licence for one year. Then after 10 months the DVLA will send you another application form to reapply and go through the process again. I understand we will only be issued with one year licences until we have been clear for 3 years.

My experience was that I had my last drink in February 2016. I reapplied for my licence in December 2016. DVLA wrote to my Doctor who confirmed I had denied alcohol since February 2016. I had a private CDT test done with Medichecks which I gave to my Doctor and she sent the result (1.0%) with her questionnaire to the DVLA so I didn't have to go for their own medical. They issued me with a one year licence on 8 January 2017 (before my 12 months was up).

So you are well within the timescale and as long as your Doctor confirms you are abstinent and your CDT is low you should be fine :)

Let us know how you get on.

Good luck !!
 
So I take it you by passed the dvla medical by doing your own CDT and the doctors letter/questionnaire was acceptable

The medicheck CDT is acceptable to dvla then, is there any specific process you have to follow for this?

Thanks again
 
My Doctor confirmed I have been abstinent since February 2016 and the private CDT test result was 1.0% so the DVLA were satisfied and able to issue a licence. If I hadn't done a private test I am sure the DVLA would have sent me for their own medical to get the CDT result. I did it privately to speed up the process and also to prove to my Doctor and the DVLA that I wasn't drinking. Although I was still expecting DVLA to send me for their own medical as well but the private test was proof enough thank God.

If you had your medical in November 2016 and received a letter in January 2017 refusing your licence, you could ask your Doctor to see a copy of the questionnaire they sent to the DVLA resulting in their decision to refuse your licence.

You can also email the DVLA to ask what your CDT result was if it isn't in the letter. My CDT result was shown in the letter I received from the DVLA when they originally refused my licence.
 
I get on very well with my doctor as I visit him so oftern so I've emailed him to see if he can get a CDT test done for me. I've been reading up about CDT test and cirrhosis and the worrying thing is it cam effect your test results greatly. So I'll follow your advice and contact Dvla to try and get me test result from last November, they didn't mention it in the refusal letter.

anyway cheers for your advice as this whole situation as been an absolute nightmare, the little info dvla give you is appalling to say the least.

i'll most likely be asking you for more advice!

thanks
splodger
 
No problem - I agree the refusal letter from the DVLA is not very helpful at all as it doesn't specify whether you have been diagnosed as misuse or dependent. I believed it was misuse in my case and reapplied for my licence after 6 months only to be refused again. When I then contacted my Doctor and asked to see the questionnaire they sent to the DVLA I realised they had diagnosed me as 'dependent' because I had been to see them with concerns about my drinking after my ban. Clearly misusing alcohol but certainly not alcohol dependent.

Anyhow. I really hope you get it sorted as I know how you feel it's an absolute nightmare.

Also with regards to insurance I just put the DR10 conviction without any mention of HRO or medicals and it only cost me £312 so not much more than I paid before the ban.

Wishing you the best of luck!
 
When you applied for the insurance did you just state the length of time for the ban and not the extra time it took because of failing the medical?

I've got quotes from price comparison sites and like you say you can just put dr10 down. Did you put the breathalyser reading down? Me I had a urine sample at the station. So can't put anything.
 
It asks for previous convictions so I put DR10, the dates I was disqualified and the reading in breath.

I didn't put the extra 11 months because the licence wasn't issued due to 'alcohol' being a medical condition and not a period of disqualification so separate from the conviction.

That's my understanding anyway so I hope that's right.
 
I'll go with that

The only worries I have now is failing the CDT because of cirrhosis, so I'll let you know how it all goes

Cheers splodger
 
Well things are dragging out, got my application in 8 weeks before 12 months of abstinence. I took a medicheck cdt test and that came back as 0.9, dvla contacted my doctor and he sent my cdt test back with his questionnaire. They received it last week and I have just rang today and now they are sending me for another medical at the dvla doctor I visited 6 months ago. So I have to wait for that doctor to receive the letter and book the appointment. I rang the doctors today and they are taking appointments at the earliest end of may. So to say I'm getting pissed off is an understatement!

My no claims bonus runs out 19th of July...so I need to get this medical asap.

Can anyone put a link up for the medical questionnaire, for the life of me can't find it on uguv site.

cheers
Splodger
 
Get in touch with DVLA and tell them that you cannot get an appointment with their nominated doctor for 5 weeks and you want them to nominate another doctor. They should do this for you.
 
Thanks, rang them and they gave me other doctors to try. The earliest I could was May 19th, they faxed over a letter so I could make the appointment.

To to be honest I was perhaps getting ahead of myself hoping they were going on misuse but I'm pretty sure it's dependency they're treating it as. So the May 19th appointment falls on the day I last had a drink and I hope this will be the final hurdle to getting my licence back.

So does anyone know if there is a reason why they can decline a licence if you haven't drank for 12 months and you give a satisfactory CDT test?
 
Hi there,

If your Doctor confirms you have been abstinent for 12 months (not that they can really know that for sure), and your CDT result is fine then DVLA will issue a licence. However it will be a one year licence so we have to go through the medical process annually until you are 3 years clear as there is a risk of relapse.

White43 has put a thread on as he has just renewed his licence after a year and I think he attached the medical questionnaire they sent him which is the same one as you complete for the DVLA medical apparently,

Good luck!
 
Well after being told 2 days ago I had to go for another medical dvla ring me this morning to say the case as been through a review and I have been issued a licence....YIPPEE..... will receive in a few days.

Question now.... can I insure my and drive before licence arrives?

And by the way thanks for the help
 
Great news! I am really pleased for you. I was surprised the DVLA suggested their own Medical when your Doctor had already sent a satisfactory CDT result, so your case was the same as mine.

I put a deposit on a car and applied for insurance before I had actually received the licence in the post because I checked on-line and as long as they have actually issued a valid licence so you have an effective date you're good to go!!! Is it a one year licence?

Good luck with your new found freedom - we all know how it feels and remember 'None for the road' :)
 
It's was all a bit strange what happened. With them telling me over the phone that I had to take another medical and then arranging it all yesterday with a doctor
I got home from work and I had the letter saying they wanted to carry out further medical enquiries. Then just leaving for work this morning the phone call came the good news.

Like you say it's the same scenario as yours with them accepting my doctors statement of abstinence and the medicheck cdt test which the doctor sent off.

So like you I'm getting it back before the 12 months of abstinence and I still don't know whether they had me down as misuse or dependence.

I checked on dvla and I still don't have any driving entitlement so as soon as that changes I'll insure the car. Still unsure whether to drive before the licence arrives though.

On the drive is my newish v70 already to go...... may even give her a wash tonight as a treat!
 
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