snow
New Member
Dear all,
In 2020 I was in a serious house fire and following this became mentally unwell. This was my first mental breakdown. I am in my 50's.
Following this episode, I was advised to inform DVLA of my recent medical condition as they may need to assess my fitness to drive which I did.
I heard nothing at all from DVLA until out of the blue 1.5 years late, in around July 2022 I was invited to attend at GP at the time, for a medical fitness to drive assessment.
This assessment was completed by a junior doctor i had never met. As far as I know it went well. DVLA then wrote and asked to send back certain documents to DVLA to get my license changed to a 3 year medical driving license.
I was unsure what to send and their phone number did not work. It said DVLA were no longer taking calls. So i sent back what i thought were correct documents. My license was then revoked automatically in Jan 2023 because I had failed to send the correct paperwork.
I started the process of trying to get license revocation reversed and continue process of getting the 3 year Medical driving license.
Forward wind it has taken this long and i have had to continually pester DVLA. One of the first blocks I hit, was they wanted to speak to the consultant who had dealt with my 'discharge' back in 2020. Because DVLA took so long to contact me, too much time had passed and the consultant felt he was not able to comment about my fitness to drive due to the fact that he had not seen me for over 2 years! I told DVLA this and suggested to speed things up why not just get another medical assessment. After a lot of knocking on other doors they finally agreed it was a good plan.
I had an assessment from my current GP who i had never met. She was very supportive. She asked for a note from my current psychiatrist to back up that they both felt i was fit and well. This was successful and form was sent back to DVLA (about 3 weeks ago).
To my absolute disbelief I have just received a letter stating that my application has been refused. That I apparently have a history of alcohol dependency? and that I cannot drive for another year? Plus have to prove sobriety etc. I am furious because I do not fall in the category of misuse or dependency. I have never been charge of any driving conviction or driving under the influence. I have never needed to discuss drinking problems with my (previous) GP of 16 years.
I am urgently trying to get to see my new GP (I moved location jan 2023) to see what is on my notes. I today requested full access to my medical history. I have to wait until mid march to get an appointment with the GP to find out more. I rang the psychiatric team today and from their perspective there is no history of alcohol on my notes.
What is even worse is because I had my license revoked jan 2023 I have already 'not driven' for 1 year. Had i known I had this 'issue', I would have proven my abstinence this year easily because I have not drunk due to conflict with medication and or past 6 months, no long on meds but do not drink, for my own health reason. I don't enjoy it/it doesn't suit me. Had I know I would have liked to have argued and proven with relevant DVLA tests if need be that I have already 'not driven' for one year, due to revoked license, and that in that time I have not drunk alcohol.
It seems incredibly unfair that i have been kept in the dark for so long, and I am completely perplexed as to why this has happened now and why I was never aware, never filled out any forms regarding my alcohol habits or any offences. Now i have to wait a further year which is going to impact my life in many detrimental and financial ways. I was supposed to move back to the countryside where a car is needed and I am primary nearest relative to my mum who is at end of life.
Tried DVLA today and of course I can't get through to them.
Question: Has anyone been given this alcohol dependency label out of the blue when in fact they had a medical (mental health) issue to start with? What did you do and any advice to me?
I also feel DVLA made thing worse by taking over 2 years to respond initially so I am not that pleased the way things have been handled.
I spoke to a few solicitors today but don't think i have found the right one yet.
Any feedback, advise, opinions and general sypathy and encouragement would be appreciated. My life is on hold. I am sure many of you can relate to this feeling.
I am so scared that things are not going to go well for me for some reason and read some awful (unfair) stories here on this forum. What kind of things could be on my notes to indicate I had dependency? Its unbearable having to wait a whole month to see GP. Is it fair that this is the first time I have heard this was even an issue? I am devastated.
In 2020 I was in a serious house fire and following this became mentally unwell. This was my first mental breakdown. I am in my 50's.
Following this episode, I was advised to inform DVLA of my recent medical condition as they may need to assess my fitness to drive which I did.
I heard nothing at all from DVLA until out of the blue 1.5 years late, in around July 2022 I was invited to attend at GP at the time, for a medical fitness to drive assessment.
This assessment was completed by a junior doctor i had never met. As far as I know it went well. DVLA then wrote and asked to send back certain documents to DVLA to get my license changed to a 3 year medical driving license.
I was unsure what to send and their phone number did not work. It said DVLA were no longer taking calls. So i sent back what i thought were correct documents. My license was then revoked automatically in Jan 2023 because I had failed to send the correct paperwork.
I started the process of trying to get license revocation reversed and continue process of getting the 3 year Medical driving license.
Forward wind it has taken this long and i have had to continually pester DVLA. One of the first blocks I hit, was they wanted to speak to the consultant who had dealt with my 'discharge' back in 2020. Because DVLA took so long to contact me, too much time had passed and the consultant felt he was not able to comment about my fitness to drive due to the fact that he had not seen me for over 2 years! I told DVLA this and suggested to speed things up why not just get another medical assessment. After a lot of knocking on other doors they finally agreed it was a good plan.
I had an assessment from my current GP who i had never met. She was very supportive. She asked for a note from my current psychiatrist to back up that they both felt i was fit and well. This was successful and form was sent back to DVLA (about 3 weeks ago).
To my absolute disbelief I have just received a letter stating that my application has been refused. That I apparently have a history of alcohol dependency? and that I cannot drive for another year? Plus have to prove sobriety etc. I am furious because I do not fall in the category of misuse or dependency. I have never been charge of any driving conviction or driving under the influence. I have never needed to discuss drinking problems with my (previous) GP of 16 years.
I am urgently trying to get to see my new GP (I moved location jan 2023) to see what is on my notes. I today requested full access to my medical history. I have to wait until mid march to get an appointment with the GP to find out more. I rang the psychiatric team today and from their perspective there is no history of alcohol on my notes.
What is even worse is because I had my license revoked jan 2023 I have already 'not driven' for 1 year. Had i known I had this 'issue', I would have proven my abstinence this year easily because I have not drunk due to conflict with medication and or past 6 months, no long on meds but do not drink, for my own health reason. I don't enjoy it/it doesn't suit me. Had I know I would have liked to have argued and proven with relevant DVLA tests if need be that I have already 'not driven' for one year, due to revoked license, and that in that time I have not drunk alcohol.
It seems incredibly unfair that i have been kept in the dark for so long, and I am completely perplexed as to why this has happened now and why I was never aware, never filled out any forms regarding my alcohol habits or any offences. Now i have to wait a further year which is going to impact my life in many detrimental and financial ways. I was supposed to move back to the countryside where a car is needed and I am primary nearest relative to my mum who is at end of life.
Tried DVLA today and of course I can't get through to them.
Question: Has anyone been given this alcohol dependency label out of the blue when in fact they had a medical (mental health) issue to start with? What did you do and any advice to me?
I also feel DVLA made thing worse by taking over 2 years to respond initially so I am not that pleased the way things have been handled.
I spoke to a few solicitors today but don't think i have found the right one yet.
Any feedback, advise, opinions and general sypathy and encouragement would be appreciated. My life is on hold. I am sure many of you can relate to this feeling.
I am so scared that things are not going to go well for me for some reason and read some awful (unfair) stories here on this forum. What kind of things could be on my notes to indicate I had dependency? Its unbearable having to wait a whole month to see GP. Is it fair that this is the first time I have heard this was even an issue? I am devastated.
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