Driving License Renewal and Medical Enquiry

jr1985

Hi, I was hoping you guys could give me some advice. When I first applied for my provisional license I had a diagnosis of depression/social anxiety, which I disclosed and my psychiatrist had to fill in a form. However, I was awarded a license with no restrictions.

On renewing my license, I've once again been sent out medical forms for my doctor to fill in. However, this time I have additional diagnoses - Aspergers Syndrome, which my psychologist said should not affect my driving, and ADHD, which was a slightly controversial diagnosis.

Basically, the psychologist who I'd been seeing for several years said I did not have ADHD, and the symptoms which may appear to be ADHD were actually part of Aspergers. However, a psychiatrist, who I saw for about 2 hours, seemed to think I did have it and prescribed medication.

The medication only seemed to help temporarily and eventually made me feel worse, so a different psychiatrist told me she didn't think I really needed it. Since then I haven't been taking anything for it.

I'm worried that a) I'll get into trouble for failing to tell the DVA about AS/ADHD. However, from what I read on their website it said you should only inform them if it impacts your driving. My psychologist told me AS wouldn't affect my driving and, although ADHD can affect concentration, I have never been in a car accident in the 7 years I've been driving.

b) I'll have my license taken off me for being unfit to drive due to my ADHD diagnosis. But as I said, it was a controversial diagnosis and my last psychiatrist, who actually discharged me, said I didn't even need to take the medication for it.

[Deleted User]

If in any doubt, print off the form from the website and post it off, whatever you do, don't phone them. The call centre staff have no authority to answer anything, and are likely to confiscate your licence on the spot, and then you won't get it back until they've spent months deciding. If you send the form you'll have your licence while they're making a decision.

jr1985

Thanks jack_pott. They actually sent me a form in the post, which has to be filled in by my GP. I was actually discharged by both my psychologist and psychiatrist a few years ago and I haven't seen my GP in years either. Obviously I still have difficulties in terms of AS and anxiety but nothing that should impact my driving.

I think I should probably make an appointment to see my GP to let them know how I'm doing and to ask them to fill in my form. Probably best to get my own up to date view rather than just rely on medical notes from years ago.

Richie-from-the-Boro

You are on the M1 list for reporting medical conditions such as:

agoraphobia
anxiety
Aspergers
Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD)
attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
bi-polar disorder (manic depression)
depression
eating disorders
Korsakoff’s syndrome
obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
paranoid schizophrenia
personality disorder
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
psychosis
psychotic depression
schizo-affective disorder
schizophrenia
other related conditions

The usual GOV 'catch all' protection applies and you can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You may be prosecuted if you’re involved in an accident as a result. In your case you cant hide your condition from the authorities as you are in receipt of DLA. You have been driving for 7 years with an accident and I assume motoring conviction free record as is shown on your ODL.

Speak to your GP, explain your work record and driving record and tell the truth - its usually only those with acute or severe anxiety, or acute psychotic disorders classifications that are ever in danger of having their ODL suspended or revoked. At the end of the day it will be your GP's statutory requirement to complete the 'medical standards of fitness to drive' document which is then sent back to DVLA that decides the outcome. Best of luck.

[Deleted User]

My post above was based on my own experience. I had been to the GP who had said "It's not my job to give medical opinions" because he didn't want the responsibility of making a decision. It was when I rang the DVLA for advice that I had my licence confiscated on the spot by a kid in the call centre who said "what's a migraine". I then spent five months as pig in the middle between the NHS and the DVLA:

"Go and ask your doctor"
"Go and ask the DVLA"
"Go and ask your doctor"
"Go and ask the DVLA"

etc etc.......

More recently, I have been diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia, but nobody warned me that it's compulsory to notify the DVLA. When I discovered by accident a year later I asked the doctor, but he just squirmed in his chair and avoided the question.

I don't know what form you have, but generally there's one for you to fill in first, and then they will write to your GP after you have given consent for him to disclose your records.

jr1985

I knew I read this before. On gov.uk it says,

"You must tell DVLA if you have Asperger syndrome and it affects your driving."

"Check with your doctor if you’re unsure whether your Asperger syndrome affects your driving."

I interpreted this to mean you only tell them if it affects you driving. My psychologist told me my symptoms did not affect my driving, hence I didn't think I needed to tell them.

Oh and on the renewal form, where it asked whether I had any medical conditions, it also asked whether I'd already informed them about it. I ticked "yes" because a) I HAD told them about my depression/anxiety and b) based on the above, I didn't think I needed to tell them about AS/ADHD. I'm worried they'll think I was lying when they find out about AS/ADHD, or do you think they'll accept I made a mistake?

Richie-from-the-Boro

jr1985 wrote: »

I knew I read this before. On gov.uk it says,

"You must tell DVLA if you have Asperger syndrome and it affects your driving."

"Check with your doctor if you’re unsure whether your Asperger syndrome affects your driving."

I interpreted this to mean you only tell them if it affects you driving. My psychologist told me my symptoms did not affect my driving, hence I didn't think I needed to tell them.

Oh and on the renewal form, where it asked whether I had any medical conditions, it also asked whether I'd already informed them about it. I ticked "yes" because a) I HAD told them about my depression/anxiety and b) based on the above, I didn't think I needed to tell them about AS/ADHD. I'm worried they'll think I was lying when they find out about AS/ADHD, or do you think they'll accept I made a mistake?

Its an understandable human trait that we will all try consciously or subconsciously to portray ourself in the best way and minimise what we see as any risk - in this case the risk of having the ODL license revoked. I already said that :

- in your case you cant hide your condition from the authorities as you are in receipt of DLA
- you have been driving for 7 years with an accident free record
- you have I assume motoring conviction free record as is shown on your ODL

What you said on the form you filled out a few years ago regarding what your then psychiatrist and GP was honest - you reiterated what your psychiatrist told you. However that was then an now is now and you have had no contact with psychiatrist or GP for a few years. The DVLA requires your GP to answer 2 questions :

- what is the Medical Condition / Diagnosis?
- is your patient currently fit to drive?

These 2 questions are answered in the light of September 2014, to make that decision you need to persuade your GP that you have had no issues with your driving in the last several years since you last filled out the form. Tell the truth to your GP and the same truth on the form, its usually only those with acute or severe anxiety, or acute psychotic disorders who are ever in danger of having an ODL revoked or time limited for review.

stefos

jr1985 wrote: »

I'm worried that a) I'll get into trouble for failing to tell the DVA about AS/ADHD. However, from what I read on their website it said you should only inform them if it impacts your driving. My psychologist told me AS wouldn't affect my driving and, although ADHD can affect concentration, I have never been in a car accident in the 7 years I've been driving.
.

So that's your worry eh? To be honest I would be worried if I were on the same road as someone with 'attention deficit' issues, driving these days is difficult enough as it is!

As for driving accident free for seven years, I was driving accident free for 40 plus years but as soon as I realised I wasn't 100% I gave up my license,ticking time-bomb otherwise.

jr1985

stefos wrote: »

So that's your worry eh? To be honest I would be worried if I were on the same road as someone with 'attention deficit' issues, driving these days is difficult enough as it is!

As for driving accident free for seven years, I was driving accident free for 40 plus years but as soon as I realised I wasn't 100% I gave up my license,ticking time-bomb otherwise.

Well it's actually a bit more complicated than that. Firstly, people with ADHD mainly have trouble focusing on tasks they find boring. I, for one, actually enjoy driving and don't find it boring. Secondly, people with ADHD can be extremely impulsive, leading to reckless driving (speeding, overtaking, driving through red lights, etc). I, however, am quite a careful driver. This was one of the reasons my psychologist felt I didn't actually have it.

Not one doctor or psychologist advised me to stop driving (unlike my dad, who had to stop driving for a year after he was diagnosed with epilepsy), even when I asked them. I'm not giving up my licence unless they tell me it would be for the best.

Armorica

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

Its an understandable human trait that we will all try consciously or subconsciously to portray ourself in the best way and minimise what we see as any risk

...with a few caveats; aspergers' tends to include a rather literal interpretation of the world - so arguable less likely to portray themselves with a positive spin

cucc

Slightly off topic. Recently lost paper part of D licence- do I legally need to get a replacement at the cost of £20? As paper licences are not being issued from Jan 2015.