Medichecks CDT Test Procedure

Convicted Driver Insurance

Luna2000

Established Member
I was going to order a Medichecks CDT kit but I was wondering how large the blood sample needs to be and how it is taken. It talks about having it done at a local lab or arranging your blood draw. I thought that it was simply a pinprick style test.

Can anyone who has used this please comment.
 
Well I had a Medichecks CDT test done on Monday 11th February in anticipation of my DVLA test on Tuesday 19th February. Received the results today and my CDT level is only 0.7%. To say I'm gobsmacked would be an understatement. Not because I haven't been abstaining but because the level is so low. Not that I don't beleive it, but does anyone have any experience of Medichecks and how accurate the check is?
 
Medichecks is more or less accurate. my CDT level from Medichecks was 1% and after 4 weeks with DVLA doctor was 0.9 %
 
The process Medichecks use is probably less reliable than Viapath, the DVLA provider, by virtue of the fact they don't publish their method. Briefly, there are three cheaper but less reliable methods of testing, and one more reliable but expensive.

However, seeing as people are using it as an indicator rather than evidence in court it is almost certainly good enough.

Taking blood IV isn't difficult if you have good veins but the easy option is for a nurse to do it for you.
 
You do like to worry me TipsyNurse. Found the following on a law firms website in relation to the traffic light system that the DVLA apparently use.

So going by the table below, my test would have had to have had an inaccuracy rating of greater than 200% to be over the acceptable threshold for getting my licence back. This seems a bit of a high failure rate. I will also have had another 8 days abstinence before the DVLA test so don't imagine it going up. (Not sure if it can get any lower though.) So even if it has been e.g 100% out, that would give me a reading 1.4% with a further 8 days abstinence which with a falling half life should take it down below 1%

The CDT test results will operate using a traffic light system of green, amber and red which will correspond to a range of %CDT cut off levels for licensing purposes.
GREEN – %CDT < 2.2% – A person whose CDT level falls within this range is identified as consuming little or no alcohol and is compatible for licensing.
AMBER – %CDT = 2.3 – 2.9% – A person whose CDT levels fall within this range is identified as someone who may drink to excess or binge drinks regularly and will trigger further enquiries with that person’s general practitioner (GP) before a licensing decision is made.
RED – %CDT > 3% – A person whose CDT levels fall within this range is identified as someone who is dependent on alcohol and a driving licence will be refused.
 
do you get your medichecks results fairly quickly? Ive got a nurse coming to see me on the 28th Feb to take my blood sample and yet to book the official DVLA one (partly due to the fact its costing £118 for medichecks, £90 for re-applying for licence and a possible further £98 ? i think for the DVLA medical itself)

Also... reading Luna's post above, im now more confused than ever lol... I thought any reading 2% or above meant at least a 6 month revoke of licence
 
do you get your medichecks results fairly quickly? Ive got a nurse coming to see me on the 28th Feb to take my blood sample and yet to book the official DVLA one (partly due to the fact its costing £118 for medichecks, £90 for re-applying for licence and a possible further £98 ? i think for the DVLA medical itself)

Also... reading Luna's post above, im now more confused than ever lol... I thought any reading 2% or above meant at least a 6 month revoke of licence

Hi Rosie. I had my Medichecks test carried out on Monday 11th February, posted it the same day, and it was available by 12.30pm this afternoon 15th February online. So 4 days excluding the day the blood was taken. Make sure you select the option for an express upload of your results as they normally say it will take 8 days. If you forgot to select this when you bought it, give them a call and they will update your file. You say you haven't booked the DVLA test. Have you applied for your licence yet? It took me 18 weeks to get my appointment booked as they wanted a GP report first and that took over 8 weeks on it's own. To be on the safe side you should be looking for a CDT level below 2% as this is in the DVLA Green Zone. It is an expensive path to go down and you haven't even figured in the cost of car insurance yet. I suppose I am luckier than most in that I can afford the sums involved, but if you really need your licence, then the Medichecks test will put your mind at rest and if you abstain in the weeks leading up to your DVLA test, you reading will be even lower. Good luck on the 28th. That's nearly 2 weeks away and if you have had nothing to drink in the last 2-3 weeks and have nothing before it, you should be fine (unless you have one of the few rare medical conditions that can affect it.) Let us know how you get on.
 
Hi Luna, Ive got the forms to apply but havent as of yet as im waiting to see what the results of the medichecks test is and i heard somewhere on here that once you re-apply you have maximum 6 weeks to book in for the DVLA medical... so basically its just one step at a time and see what the medicheck result is first before taking anything further.
Yes, Im abstaining from alchohol , but concerned about history as i wasnt exactly abstaining in the first 3 years of the ban and i dont know how far back these tests can detect. To be fair, im not exactly a heavy drinker (apart from obviously that one night of "insane judgement" of getting behind a wheel after a series of major emotional life issues), but i have enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine after work during Christmas/New year.

Do they often ask for a GP report? This may be a bit difficult as i dont know who my designated GP is and i havent been to the doctors in nearly 4 years now.
 
Rosie. The 6 week deadline is from when you receive your letter back from the DVLA with a Doctor's Surgery which they have selected for you, not from when you apply. This could add another 2 weeks. When you apply, make sure you download and complete the DR1 medical question form and answer it truthfully because if they do for whatever reason decide to check with your Doctor (they did with mine and it took 8 weeks to get a report from them,) then if you have not been honest they will find out.

Also send your application back to the DVLA Medical Group. It won't all go smoothly though. After I had applied and sent the DR1, they sent me a letter within a week with another DR1 to complete. Quick phone call sorted it out.

If your medical history with your GP is re abuse and not dependence, then I wouldn't worry overmuch. In fact if you haven't seen a Doctor for 4 years then I'm not sure what they will ask of them if anything. As you haven't even applied for your licence back, as long as you have stopped drinking since Christmas and do not drink until your DVLA test, you should be fine. I had a few drinks over Christmas, but my Medicheck CDT levels are 0.7% and another week will have passed before I get my DVLA test. As I said above, it has taken me 18 weeks to get the DVLA test from application.

Oh!, they initially chose a Dr for me that geographically seemed to be the second closest to where I lived (the closest was only a 15 min bus ride away, but they couldn't see me.) Turns out that the one they had chosen for me was a 2 person practice and the Dr was on holiday. I called the DVLA again and asked if there was anyone else. They said they did have someone but it was further away. Turns out however, that the one I am going to next Tuesday is only a 30 minute train ride away, whereas the original one was a 2 hour bus journey away (no direct train links to the town in question - and I obviously can't drive.) So when they give you an appointment, if it isn't suitable give them a call and they will re-arrange. I've spoke to the DVLA four or five times recently and they are actually fairly helpful (within the rules.)

You obviously have had a fairly lengthy ban if as you say in the first 3 years you weren't abstaining. Mine was 20 months but with all the procedures to go through it is now looking like an effective 23 month ban.

Main thing to do is not to worry. I know it's easy to say, but it was worrying big time that got me into this situation over a period of 5 years.
 
Thanks for that Luna, it certainly seems like a long drawn out process, I'll get my application sent off today. One thing though, I was under the impression that you fill out the medical questionnaire whilst at the medical? I did read somewhere on here that someone filled in the form before the medical and the DVLA doctor wasnt too happy about it as they are meant to give the questionnaire on the day?
Yes it was a long ban, 40 months and to be honest, even now if Im a passenger in a taxi or the bus goes a little sharply around a corner Im a very nervous passenger so its worrying me that getting behind a wheel after so long will not be as simple.. probably another reason why im delaying the process!
Also, I did read that car hire companies dont let you hire cars until 5 years have passed since conviction, so it means i would have to wait until December 2020 before I can drive anyway.
Thanks for your help and I have said it before, this forum has been quite a lifeline! Its amazing how isolated you can feel as a DD conviction is not something you can easily "chat" about without feeling the guilt/memory return.
 
Rosie. There are I believe 2 separate questionnaires to be completed. The DR1 is a DVLA form that you need to complete and send back to them as an HRO. Depending on your replies, they will then decide whether or not to write to your GP, which given what you have said, in your case it will probably be no.

The DVLA Doctors questionnaire is I understand a different one and no one seems to be able to find a copy anywhere online (although I am sure it exists.)

I know what you mean about being a passenger. I hate that as well and always want to be in control of the car, so I don't think your nervousness is anything unusual. You obviously don't own a car and and intend hiring one. I'm not really sure of car hire companies policies towards DD offenders, but from what I can gather, it might be difficult for you to hire a car in this country for much longer than the 5 years quoted, if ever. If that's what you intend to do, then the best idea would be to call a few of them and ask what their policy toward DD offences is. Buying you own car, even a cheap one, might be the best way forward. Also if you are nervous about driving again after 4 years+, then a few refresher lessons with a driving instructor might be useful.

Another issue to consider is travel. You (and I,) now have a criminal record. Travel to the USA is generally ok. Canada stipulates that you need to wait 10 years after your conviction before applying for entry and Mexico will not allow you to enter, ever (as far as I know.) Most EU travel is okay, but I don't know about travel further afield.

There is then also the problem of getting insurance for any car you drive. I'm 61 so even without a no claims discount, I am hoping it won't be too excessive, but I'll need to pay what I'll need to pay.

The forum can be useful, but you need to be careful that you don't read too much into anyone's answers to your questions as unless you are a repeat offender, then most of us will only go through this process once and I'm sure you agree , once is enough.

I got over the guilt trip a while ago. It happened, it's done, it's in the past, don't make the same mistake again and get on with life. Everyone who knows about it amongst my family and friends have been generally supportive. Some of friends has been really good and are happy to drive us around on occasion when we need it. No one I've told has been excessively critical as they realise that what happened was completely out of character. I get the feeling that you are still beating yourself up about it but provided you have as we say in Scotland 'screwed the heid' then you should not feel guilty. Just remember all the people who may be judging you will also have things going on that I'm sure they don't want you to find out about.

Hopefully you didn't injure anyone or damage any property when you were caught and to be honest, sometimes being caught is the best wake up call you can get, especially for your overall health.
 
Well, quick update on the licence situation. My CDT reading with the DVLA was 0.7%, exactly the same as Medichecks even though it was just over a week later. This would seem to be my 'natural or normal' CDT level.

Kept phoning DVLA after a few days and licence was eventually issued on the 5th March 2019, 2 weeks exactly after the DVLA Medical, so not to bad.

Although I had a 20 month ban, I applied for my licence return on the 22nd October 2018. So between my own GP taking their own sweet time in replying to the DVLA and then being given DVLA Dr's who were on holiday or unable to see me for weeks, it took 19 weeks for the entire process.

This meant an 'effective' 23 month driving ban.

So anyone starting off on this route, be warned.

My Car Insurance for the year is £738, (Admiral,) which is a jump from around £240 I paid 2 years ago.

It isn't as bad as I was expecting and will hopefully go down in the coming years when I re-build my no claims bonus.

To anyone worried about getting behind the wheel again, if you have been driving for a while, don't worry.

After about 15 minutes it felt as if I had never stopped driving, but I have been driving since 1983 so for new drivers it might be more of a concern.

Thankfully my immediate penance is over and I will never intentionally do anything to lose my driving licence again. In saying that, getting public transport, taxis and lifts wasn't too much of a hassle for the last 23 months, but the ability to simply get in your car and go for a drive is something I will not take for granted again.
 
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Hi Rosie. I had my Medichecks test carried out on Monday 11th February, posted it the same day, and it was available by 12.30pm this afternoon 15th February online. So 4 days excluding the day the blood was taken. Make sure you select the option for an express upload of your results as they normally say it will take 8 days. If you forgot to select this when you bought it, give them a call and they will update your file. You say you haven't booked the DVLA test. Have you applied for your licence yet? It took me 18 weeks to get my appointment booked as they wanted a GP report first and that took over 8 weeks on it's own. To be on the safe side you should be looking for a CDT level below 2% as this is in the DVLA Green Zone. It is an expensive path to go down and you haven't even figured in the cost of car insurance yet. I suppose I am luckier than most in that I can afford the sums involved, but if you really need your licence, then the Medichecks test will put your mind at rest and if you abstain in the weeks leading up to your DVLA test, you reading will be even lower. Good luck on the 28th. That's nearly 2 weeks away and if you have had nothing to drink in the last 2-3 weeks and have nothing before it, you should be fine (unless you have one of the few rare medical conditions that can affect it.) Let us know how you get on.
Hi how did your medichecks result compared to the dvla results please?
 
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