DVLA medical condition.

adandem

Thanks for that, I went to see a GP at my practice today who said it's very unlikely that they'll override the consultant's recommendation even though they found me to be fit and healthy. They have asked me to go back on Thursday to see the GP who referred me, they haven't seen the hospital report but I know what it will say. Resigned to it now.:(

How did it affect your insurance? We have 2 cars so one will have to come off the road.

HP_Source

The insurance side was easy to deal with. We are both insured to drive the cars. I phoned my insurers (LV) and explained the situation to them. All they did was note their records and withdraw any cover for me to drive.

Once my consultant considered me fit to drive I phoned LV again and they reinstated the cover for me to drive. The whole episode has had no effect on my premiums.

adandem

Thanks, yes we are both insured for both cars. Just wondering how we'd get on with no claims bonus as you can only use your discount against one vehicle. Obviously I couldn't use my no claims as I won't have a licence.

Fat_Walt

adandem wrote: »

Thanks, yes we are both insured for both cars. Just wondering how we'd get on with no claims bonus as you can only use your discount against one vehicle. Obviously I couldn't use my no claims as I won't have a licence.

You can if you shop round.

Paradigm

adandem wrote: »

However, the senior nurse who took my history said that because I didn't say I felt unwell before fainting, I would have to give up my licence for 6 months.

She said the consultant would make this a recommendation, no further investigation is being made.
My questions are this:
Will my GP have to follow the recommendation?
Will I get fined for driving for 3 months already?

She's a NURSE, nothing more! She's qualified in care procedures, not diagnoses, otherwise she'd be a doctor. Unless your Consultant has told you not to drive I don't see the problem,
Crack on!

HP_Source

I was in much the same position as one car was insured in my name and the other in my wife's. My insurers didn't have any problem with keeping both policies in force even though I didn't have a licence at that time.

As for the comment about "she's only a nurse" I'm sorry but I think that's poor advice. She may not be a doctor but she is still a medical professional and her advice needs to be taken seriously. Of course it is what the consultant says in his letter that will be paramount.

One final point - don't be tempted to do nothing. If the DVLA letter you received is the same as the one I had it warns you that if you don't respond within 21 days they may revoke your licence.

[Deleted User]

If you surrender your licence and then wait for them to make a decision on your fitness to drive, there's no incentive for them to hurry up because you're already off the road. If you notify them of your condition and keep your licence it's their responsibility to make a quick decision whether you're safe or not.

Doing it the former way, I was without my licence for five months, doing it the latter way it took 65 days to get a decision, during which time I kept the use of my licence.

HP_Source

I can't argue with your experience except to say mine was somewhat different. From the time I applied for a new licence until they made the decision I was fit to drive again took 11 days.

The advantage of surrendering my licence was that during that time I was lawfully allowed to drive (Section 88 Road Traffic Act 1988). If the DVLA had revoked my licence I could not have done so.

A large part of the delays with these cases is the correspondence back and forth between the DVLA medical advisers and your doctors which can take an age. I was fortunate insofar as my consultant neurosurgeon provided me with a letter which covered everything the DVLA was likely to ask. From the way it was written it was clear he had done many of these letters before.

[Deleted User]

I rang the DVLA to ask whether I needed to declare migraine as a condition that affects your vision when applying for a new photocard driving licence, and had my licence confiscated on the spot by a kid in the call centre who asked "what's a migraine".

This is the letter I got by return of post:

Thank you for informing us that because of a change in your health, you are currently not driving.

Please return your licence to us using the pre-paid envelope enclosed.

You are respectfully reminded that the surrender of your licence means that you do not have legal entitlement to drive until you re-apply in the future.

Surrender of your driving licence does not mean that you will need to take another driving test.

You may re-apply for the licence when your medical condition has improved and you are able to meet the medical standards of fitness to drive. Your own doctor will be able to advise you when this might be. You will then need to complete an application form D1, available at most post offices. Applications can be submitted up to 2 months before the date when you are likely to re-qualify for your licence.

If I do not receive your licence within the next 14 days, formal medical investigations will commence.

After returning my licence as instructed, I rang the DVLA to point out that:

a) There hadn't been a change in my health.
b) I hadn't stopped driving.
c) The doctor hadn't told me to stop driving.

The DVLA then said that this was an "options letter", that there was no reason why I had to return my licence, and that my entitlement to drive was still valid on the computer. Show me where it says anything about any options. I asked them to confirm this in writing, they refused. I asked the police if I was entitled to drive and they said that if I'm stopped for a traffic offence the charge will automatically escalate to dangerous driving if I can't produce a driving licence.

I then spent several months as pig-in-the-middle with the DVLA saying ask your doctor, and the doctor saying ask the DVLA.

HP_Source

Just goes to show how variable these things can be. My problem was very serious and potentially life threatening.

There was no way either mentally or physically I could have continued to drive while the DVLA came to a decision so it was a simple matter of do I surrender my licence or do I wait for the DVLA to make their enquiries and then inevitably revoke my licence. Faced with that I surrendered my licence for the reason I've given above.