I have had a PM from ‘animal’ and can assure everyone that no attempt was made to disguise or cover up the extent of her condition. I hope that puts this particular example to bed.
FTFY
Had the dredded letter back from the DVLA medical department this weekend however with good news in that I have got my HGV entitlement again however it’s on a 3 year medical review which I was expecting. It only took a week from me having the eye test they wanted me to do at specsavers, I was expecting the usual 6-8 week.
I haven’t read the whole thread as I am a lazy git, but get the gist of it, but let me tell you a true tale…
My best friend of 30 years is a type 1 diabetic, and like many, due to the euro ruling, has had his licence taken away from him, (Non HGV driver.) because of his condition by the DVLA medical branch. He has worked all of his life, paid his way and now the government is forcing him out of work and a life of benefits which he doesn’t want. I can’t name who he works for as it may be subject to legal proceedings, but because he can’t drive, they have give him 30 days notice and he has been with the company for quite a while. He has jumped through hoops to prove his fitness to drive, even to the point where last week he paid out of his own pocket, for an independent driving examination, taken at an approved centre by the government who specialise in this field, and passed with flying colours to the point the guy taking the test asked him, in no uncertain terms, what he was doing there!!!
And despite all this, the DVLA don’t want to know. As he says, the point is the DVLA don’t want to admit they have cocked up with his licence and probably thousands of others hence their line is that a driving licence is an entitlement, not a right.
He has got to the point where he has sent a copy of ALL of the reports and tests put before him, to a very high ranking MP to see if anything can be done to overturn this crass decision by that MP’s Government.
He is now at his wits end in the hope that said MP can help, and he can continue to contribute to the state until he retires, not sponge off it.
Now not being disrespectful, but if any of you heard JV on R2 on Friday, an ex soldier with false legs can get his HGV back and be in charge of a 44t killing machine, but my friend who is insulin dependent can’t even have his car licence. And before anyone criticises my statement, then I wonder if the ex soldier would be able to stop 44t in an emergency if he needed to, however I do genuinely wish the guy the best of British, but it just proves how up the creek the DVLA are when it comes to making certain decisions.
Ken.
I was half expecting to be making a post on this thread regarding my licence and the DVLA medical group messing me about. But not so.
Was diagnosed with a detached retina at the end of January, operation to repair it done on 6th Feb. Phoned the DVLA to report my condition while still off on the sick. Got a reference number from them to put on the V1V form and was told I had 21 days to return the completed forms. Was told I could still drive trucks in the mean time provided my doctor/consultant/ optician says I was fit to do so. Was due a check up at hospital with consultant a week after notifying DVLA anyway and he says I was fine to drive, plus I booked an appointment with optician for an eye test to double check. Sent forms back to DVLA and within 2 weeks they sent me a letter requesting I go to Specsavers for one of their approved eye exams. Went for the eye test last Monday and everything fine. Got a letter back yesterday from the DVLA saying they were happy with the results and I can keep my hgv licence.
I think I may have been lucky as I never actually had my licence revoked or advised by a professional not to drive. Had this been the case, I reckon it could have been a different outcome.
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damoq:
I was half expecting to be making a post on this thread regarding my licence and the DVLA medical group messing me about. But not so.Was diagnosed with a detached retina at the end of January, operation to repair it done on 6th Feb. Phoned the DVLA to report my condition while still off on the sick. Got a reference number from them to put on the V1V form and was told I had 21 days to return the completed forms. Was told I could still drive trucks in the mean time provided my doctor/consultant/ optician says I was fit to do so. Was due a check up at hospital with consultant a week after notifying DVLA anyway and he says I was fine to drive, plus I booked an appointment with optician for an eye test to double check. Sent forms back to DVLA and within 2 weeks they sent me a letter requesting I go to Specsavers for one of their approved eye exams. Went for the eye test last Monday and everything fine. Got a letter back yesterday from the DVLA saying they were happy with the results and I can keep my hgv licence.
I think I may have been lucky as I never actually had my licence revoked or advised by a professional not to drive. Had this been the case, I reckon it could have been a different outcome.
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How long you got your HGV license back for? I got mine back for a 3 year period after my detached retina operation and then on another 3 year period after the licence had run out and I had the eye test done at Specsavers.
SteveBarnsleytrucker:
damoq:
I was half expecting to be making a post on this thread regarding my licence and the DVLA medical group messing me about. But not so.Was diagnosed with a detached retina at the end of January, operation to repair it done on 6th Feb. Phoned the DVLA to report my condition while still off on the sick. Got a reference number from them to put on the V1V form and was told I had 21 days to return the completed forms. Was told I could still drive trucks in the mean time provided my doctor/consultant/ optician says I was fit to do so. Was due a check up at hospital with consultant a week after notifying DVLA anyway and he says I was fine to drive, plus I booked an appointment with optician for an eye test to double check. Sent forms back to DVLA and within 2 weeks they sent me a letter requesting I go to Specsavers for one of their approved eye exams. Went for the eye test last Monday and everything fine. Got a letter back yesterday from the DVLA saying they were happy with the results and I can keep my hgv licence.
I think I may have been lucky as I never actually had my licence revoked or advised by a professional not to drive. Had this been the case, I reckon it could have been a different outcome.
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How long you got your HGV license back for? I got mine back for a 3 year period after my detached retina operation and then on another 3 year period after the licence had run out and I had the eye test done at Specsavers.
There was no mention of how long I’ve got it back for. Just says that if I ever get advised to stop driving or if my eyesight fails to meet the standards, I’ve to inform the DVLA immediately.
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Quinny:
due to the euro ruling
I don’t want to turn this into a Brexit debate but this is not, and never has been, anything to do with any europe.
Our own government and our own pen pushers are perfectly capable of making a complete dogs dinner of this without any assistance from overseas.
damoq:
SteveBarnsleytrucker:
damoq:
I was half expecting to be making a post on this thread regarding my licence and the DVLA medical group messing me about. But not so.Was diagnosed with a detached retina at the end of January, operation to repair it done on 6th Feb. Phoned the DVLA to report my condition while still off on the sick. Got a reference number from them to put on the V1V form and was told I had 21 days to return the completed forms. Was told I could still drive trucks in the mean time provided my doctor/consultant/ optician says I was fit to do so. Was due a check up at hospital with consultant a week after notifying DVLA anyway and he says I was fine to drive, plus I booked an appointment with optician for an eye test to double check. Sent forms back to DVLA and within 2 weeks they sent me a letter requesting I go to Specsavers for one of their approved eye exams. Went for the eye test last Monday and everything fine. Got a letter back yesterday from the DVLA saying they were happy with the results and I can keep my hgv licence.
I think I may have been lucky as I never actually had my licence revoked or advised by a professional not to drive. Had this been the case, I reckon it could have been a different outcome.
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How long you got your HGV license back for? I got mine back for a 3 year period after my detached retina operation and then on another 3 year period after the licence had run out and I had the eye test done at Specsavers.
There was no mention of how long I’ve got it back for. Just says that if I ever get advised to stop driving or if my eyesight fails to meet the standards, I’ve to inform the DVLA immediately.
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Here in lies the problem with the DVLA 2 different drivers I.e me and Damoq (nothing against him by the way it’s not his fault) with the exact same diagnosis of detached retina both been treated in completely different ways by the medical department.
I had my license revoked after having my eye test done at least 4 week too early I found out off my consultant and failing the test ( they never give you the exact results) I did the exact same test after allowing my eye the right amount of time to recover from the treatment and passed by not missing any dots on the field vision test.
I then had to wait weeks until they came back saying I had got my HGV back on a 3 year period and then getting it back again on another 3 year period where I’ll have to go for another eye test where as Damoq if I’m reading correctly has got his HGV entitlement back without losing it and also not on a short term period where he then has to go back and prove his eyesight has not deteriorated.
SteveBarnsleytrucker:
damoq:
SteveBarnsleytrucker:
damoq:
I was half expecting to be making a post on this thread regarding my licence and the DVLA medical group messing me about. But not so.Was diagnosed with a detached retina at the end of January, operation to repair it done on 6th Feb. Phoned the DVLA to report my condition while still off on the sick. Got a reference number from them to put on the V1V form and was told I had 21 days to return the completed forms. Was told I could still drive trucks in the mean time provided my doctor/consultant/ optician says I was fit to do so. Was due a check up at hospital with consultant a week after notifying DVLA anyway and he says I was fine to drive, plus I booked an appointment with optician for an eye test to double check. Sent forms back to DVLA and within 2 weeks they sent me a letter requesting I go to Specsavers for one of their approved eye exams. Went for the eye test last Monday and everything fine. Got a letter back yesterday from the DVLA saying they were happy with the results and I can keep my hgv licence.
I think I may have been lucky as I never actually had my licence revoked or advised by a professional not to drive. Had this been the case, I reckon it could have been a different outcome.
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How long you got your HGV license back for? I got mine back for a 3 year period after my detached retina operation and then on another 3 year period after the licence had run out and I had the eye test done at Specsavers.
There was no mention of how long I’ve got it back for. Just says that if I ever get advised to stop driving or if my eyesight fails to meet the standards, I’ve to inform the DVLA immediately.
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Here in lies the problem with the DVLA 2 different drivers I.e me and Damoq (nothing against him by the way it’s not his fault) with the exact same diagnosis of detached retina both been treated in completely different ways by the medical department.
I had my license revoked after having my eye test done at least 4 week too early I found out off my consultant and failing the test ( they never give you the exact results) I did the exact same test after allowing my eye the right amount of time to recover from the treatment and passed by not missing any dots on the field vision test.
I then had to wait weeks until they came back saying I had got my HGV back on a 3 year period and then getting it back again on another 3 year period where I’ll have to go for another eye test where as Damoq if I’m reading correctly has got his HGV entitlement back without losing it and also not on a short term period where he then has to go back and prove his eyesight has not deteriorated.
I don’t understand why both of us with the same condition have been treated do differently by the DVLA MG! At no point did the DVLA tell me not to drive. The said not to drive if my doc/consultant/optician advised me not to do so. I was obviously advised not to drive any vehicle after the op until my first check up at the hospital, which was 8 days after my op, but I was told at that appointment I could drive again. I was obviously not going to go back driving trucks again as I still had 2 weeks left on my sick line to run. But the consultant said if I felt fine after that, he seen no reason why I shouldn’t go back to work as he was happy with how everything was. I booked an appointment with the opticians just before my line ran out to make sure my eyes were good enough for driving group 2 vehicles for my own piece of mind plus as proof that I could drive. Optician said vision was fine so I went back to work. Letter arrived from DVLA telling me to book one of their Specsavers eye tests which was done last Monday, all good and letter arrived from DVLA on Saturday morning saying they were satisfied I was fit to keep my license with no mention of any restrictions or anything else.
Did a medical professional tell you at any point you were not fit to drive trucks?
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Here’s a pic of the letter I got back on Saturday.
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Here’s a quick story about a mate of mine. He passed his class 2 then class 1 last year but obviously as a newbie struggled to get much work with the agency as is often the case, anyway I kind of got him an assessment and interview at my old place who are pretty good at taking on newbies from time to time and he was successful and was given a start.
He was literally in his first week when somehow he fell from the cab when exiting (Merc Actros so high) and knocked himself out for several minutes as he slipped/fell from the top step and was subsequently carted off to A&E.
Now they wasn’t sure if he knocked himself out or passed out just as he was going to climb down and as he was an Hgv driver they wanted to do all the brain scans and MRI scans etc on him and he had to surrender his license.
This unfortunately dragged on for several months and all this time he was on the sick but with only ssp which is pants basically but he did eventually get the all clear from the consultant who in turn wrote a lengthy report to the dvla saying he’s good to go. Unfortunately the dvla weren’t happy and subsequently revoked his Hgv license for 5 years and said they would be lenient and give him his car license back.
I told him to appeal but he’s now worried they might even take his car license away. So he’s forked out all that money now he’s no license for 5 yrs anybody got any ideas please ?
Taking your mates case at face value, it looks like they might think he has increased his chances of a seizure because of his fall, either that or he blacked out and fell which amounts to pretty much the same thing.
From my experience he would normally get his Group 1 licence (car) back after 6 months, with his Group 2 (LGV) in 5 years.
Two things come to my mind:
-
This decision is based on a statistical analysis of similar incidents but any statistician will tell you that this does not prove conclusively one way or the other that your mate is gong to have another seizure and is insufficient evidence, on its own, to make a diagnosis about an individual case. If there is any evidence or serious medical opinion that he will be OK then DVLA /DMG need to come up with more than this to support their case.
-
If he is getting his Group 1 back in less than 6 months then they obviously think that he has a lower risk profile and this should be applied to his Group 2 licence.
If your mate wants to challenge them on Point 1 he will need to make an official complaint which he will then have to escalate to the Executive Officer then the Independent Adjudicator then the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. All this is time consuming but free and I can only recommend that he stick to his guns and see it through to the end. Keep going, read Driven to Despair and KEEP EVERYTHING THEY EVER SEND YOU, have a box or a file and put everything in there, if they email you save it, archive it, back it up but DON’T LOOSE IT.
I don’t know if it will be of any use to your mate but he might at some point want to challenge DVLA/DMG in court and there is a 6 month time limit on this. Contact the County Court and get them to send you the forms and make the complaint. Once again it is free and you don’t have to persue it straight away but it will be there in your back pocket if you need it. If he wants to take legal advice then he will have to find someone sympathetic to his cause, most law firms only want the easy stuff and will not be there for him when he needs them. Try David Barton, Bindmans or Leigh Day.
Good luck to your mate, this is a pretty crap way to start a career.
He does appear to have given up I think which is a shame as he had a pretty good number but thanks for your advice.
astrocan:
Quinny:
due to the euro rulingI don’t want to turn this into a Brexit debate but this is not, and never has been, anything to do with any europe.
Our own government and our own pen pushers are perfectly capable of making a complete dogs dinner of this without any assistance from overseas.
Ok then. I will inform him that the DVLA were lying when they sent him the initial letter then with the ruling on it. 
Ken.
Quinny:
astrocan:
Quinny:
due to the euro rulingI don’t want to turn this into a Brexit debate but this is not, and never has been, anything to do with any europe.
Our own government and our own pen pushers are perfectly capable of making a complete dogs dinner of this without any assistance from overseas.Ok then. I will inform him that the DVLA were lying when they sent him the initial letter then with the ruling on it.
Ken.
I wouldn’t put it past them.
What they are doing is trying to deflect responsibility and Europe is a very popular punchbag. Some people don’t question wether blaming Europe is accurate or true, they just join in.
If UK had never joined the EU there would still be regulations about medical fitness to drive and DVLA/DMG would still be making a dogs dinner of it.
The problem is not the legislation or where it comes from, it’s the administration, so this is not an EU issue.
Anyone who hopes that Brexit is going to lead to a bonfire of red tape would be better off getting a stout coat, it ain’t gonna happen.
Spooky558:
Got a reply from them…I can appreciate your frustration having not heard from us.
We understand how important this is for you, and are dealing with cases as quickly as we can.
Your medical information is with us and it will be looked at by our Medical Advisors as quickly as possible.I am unable to provide you with a timescale.
I am sorry I could not provide a more favourable reply.
They can’t even give me an idea, a ball park figure. I’m disgusted. I asked how far along the queue I was and you’ve all seen the reply above.
Slight update - got a letter from them the other week saying that they were going to contact the specialist Professor that I last saw in London in 2011. I’ve contacted him and appraised him of my situation, since I saw him I fell over gave my head a good bang in 2013 and dislodged whatever was in my vestibular system and cured myself. Now waiting for the DVLA to get in touch with him and then act upon the information given.
This is what they said…
On checking our records, I can confirm we are still awaiting a response from the information that has been previously requested.
When the information we need has been returned to us by post it may take up to 2 weeks for it to show on your record or 4 working days if it has been sent by fax/email (via an attachment).
We will then continue to process your application. Our enquiries can take some time to complete, there is no need for you to contact us as you will be notified of the outcome. If we need to make further enquiries we will also write to you to let you know.
11 months so far I’ve been waiting, can only keep my fingers crossed that they hurry up, but why would they?
When the information has been recieved by us it can take up to two weeks to appear on your record
Why?
What are they doing with it?
Appearing on you record only means that they know they have got it…somewhere.
It does not mean that anyone has even looked at it let alone done anything with it.
Effectively it takes two weeks to get from the post room to the bottom of someones intray.
Disgraceful.
Hope your case progresses soon Spook.
Have you started a complaint?
astrocan:
When the information has been recieved by us it can take up to two weeks to appear on your record
Why?
What are they doing with it?
Appearing on you record only means that they know they have got it…somewhere.
It does not mean that anyone has even looked at it let alone done anything with it.
Effectively it takes two weeks to get from the post room to the bottom of someones intray.
Disgraceful.Hope your case progresses soon Spook.
Have you started a complaint?
It just gets better and better… I received another letter at the start of this week, we’re now going to contact a consultant anaesthetist about me. That had me puzzled honestly. I did have a surgical procedure carried out in January 2008, they didn’t have a clue what was causing the dizziness, so they sent me to a heart specialist and he inserted a loop recorder in my chest, which I had in for 3 years.
It was horrific, lol. I can laugh about it now, but they nearly lost me. 
When my wife came back to collect me and take me home, it looked like I’d been attacked by a maniac - blood everywhere. The consultant was also supposed to be doing the surgery, but in the end I got the work experience boy I think. I’m laid there, wide awake, obviously not loving it, feeling the cutting on my chest, then getting injected with more anaesthetic when I complained about the pain. The work experience boy was told to make a pocket in my chest, and he couldn’t fit the recorder in (it was about the size of a pen drive) so the consultant says just stick your finger in and wiggle it about to make the cut bigger. They they wondered why my blood pressure started falling and why I was feeling ill lol.
But I digress… I phoned up the DVLA and got someone who was actually helpful!!! She said that the Professor had no records about me. I said that’s strange, seeing as how I’d talked to him when the letter came through. Anyway, they were going to contact the Dr at the hospital, but he’d retired and this consultant anaesthetist had taken over his work. I said great, but I don’t ever remember seeing his predecessor. She then went and looked at the records and spoke to the team and comes back and says that the problem isn’t the dizziness, that’s been fine since they gave me my car licence back in 2014. The problem is my sleep apnoea!! I’ve been controlled and using my CPAP machine for over 7 years and the specialist nurse I’ve been seeing for reviews every year is totally happy with me.
So they are going to get my GP to get me in and fill out a medical form whilst I’m there and go from there. So I’m waiting for them to contact my doctors now, and if I haven’t heard from them by the end of next week, I’m to contact them again.
But if the problem was just the sleep apnoea, why didn’t they make that clear and actually contact the right people?
Went to the doctors yesterday for a medical examination, blood pressure, height, weight, eyes, urine test, then saw the doctor for maybe five minutes whilst he filled in the form, which was only concerned with the sleep apnoea. Just have to wait and see what the DVLA say about that now.
Meant to post this at the start of the month. I’ve finally got my class 1 back! It was all the sleep apnoea in the end. Also got a letter to give to the hospital, telling them that they need to check me every year. I already get checked every year and have a really high level of usage, so it should be good.