Change DVLA process

Living with Parkinson's Daily life
41

Having written the above I am now pondering whether to alter the form before I send it.

I know of others who have had licences revoked over the freezing issue.

This is crazy the first section is aimed at establishing the extent of our symptoms but what the hell has my ability to shop got to do with driving or any of my care needs for that matter?

If you have put NO to all questions was it successful?

If you put YES how did you qualify it? Did it work?

I'm of a mind to put yes and enclose a full explanation of symptoms and ability to drive on a separate sheet and hope my neuro  sees it and endorses it.

We need a standard template of how to fill in the form.

Any help appreciated.

L

42

 

Hi Leyther

Don't know what the answer is, but I will surely be put through the same Q & A when I re-apply for my driving licence next month. So I'm interested in what response they are expecting from us and what the outcome will be from them. I will be watching this space. But there again I may even approach my parkinson support worker who may (I hold my breath) be able to come up with the right answers to my advantage...........

Sorry I can't be more helpful so good luck!   Sheffy

43

Dont hold your breath too long Sheffy, the last PUK support worker I had told me I wasnt eligible for benefits cos I worked.  

This advice cost me 7 years DLA which would have meant I could have afforded to buy a house and had the benefit of a motability car.

The advice I needed came from guess who? 

Yep, a fellow pwp!

44

Hi Leyther

I hope I am not too late but my suggestion is don't answer yes to the freezing question,  I did with an explanation and they still revoked my licence which has taken me over 9 months to get back. The point that the form relates to driving and freezing does not occur when driving, then to answer No is correct. I wish I had thought about that when completing my form it could have saved me all the hassle.

Best of luck

PS does anyone get a motability car?

45

thanks alan

i havent sent it yet but i read the freezing one again and the key words are sudden and severe

any wearing off is gradual with me so its a no

the qs relating to help and care i have said yes as thats true but what the hell its got to do with driving i dont know 

the details i gave are pd symptoms lack of motivation, loss of sense of smell (gas cooker) anxiety in a crowd unpredictable off periods (gradual not sudden) wearing off during the night 

i have a motability car 

46

Hi Leyther,

Apologies, I missed this earlier. If you haven't already done so and would like to make a complaint about this you can do so here. Or you can write to [email protected]

Best wishes,
Alethea

47

Hi !

My thoughts are that :-

it should not take 2 months  to get thoughts the DVLA medical team when we are all seen regularly with neuro consultants   Two hours maybe !!

the freezing question on DVLA  form should be deleted or reworded

if reworded  I suggest   Question  "Do you unexpectedly freeze totally"

followed by  Question  "Do any  movements associated with driving a vehicle freeze unexpectedly"

OR    Just one question "Will you only drive a vehicle when you are confident of driving safely in line with the highway code".

 

Regards,

  Westby

48

You have already passed your test regardless of any illness you may have, it is a driving assessment that you have very different to a test !

49

Hi Gary it is a while now hope you have had your assessment. And passed ok. I say assessment because it is not a test and in the allotted one hour only half hour was driving. I found the assessor very reassuring in what he said and he fully explained the process  of red, amber, green too much to go into detail but hope you get the gist of it. 

50

Hi Mally

That is very nice of you to enquire about the outcome of my assessment.

Well....it's a long story....and my situation has changed somewhat:- 

I received the letter from DVLA's agent (QEF in Carshalton, Surrey) a couple of days after that particular post.  It contained a "Driving Ability Assessment Application Form" which my wife duly completed (I can't fill forms in these days!) and posted the same day (4th April I believe).  After about 3 weeks, as I hadn't heard anything and was getting more & more anxious, I phoned QEF and guess what? They hadn't received the form (unbelievable!!)

When I explained how long the process had taken already, the very nice lady I spoke to promised to email me a replacement form and said that, if I emailed it straight back (filled in, obviously) she would give it priority treatment.  So I waited in all afternoon but nothing arrived!  When I tried to phone them back, the office was closed.  So, next day I emailed them and I eventually received the replacement form which I filled in on-line and sent it back. They eventually gave me an assessment date of 31st May, I think it was.

Meanwhile, I had been undergoing assessment at the John Radcliffe in Oxford for DBS surgery and, quite unexpectedly, I received a letter to tell me that I was to go into the JR to undergo the procedure on 8th June!!

I phoned the QEH to ask their advice as I wouldn't be able to drive for 6 weeks after the operation.   They said that it wouldn't be worth taking the driving assessment before I had the DBS so I cancelled it thinking that I could just take up where I'd left off after I'd had my op and be able to re-schedule it afterwards.

So I had my DBS procedure carried out (that's another story, of course!), and when I eventually came home after being in hospital and had recovered sufficiently, I gave the QEF a call to ask if I could re-schedule to coincide with the 6 weeks after surgery.   Can you imagine how I felt when they told me that it's not as simple as that - YOU'LL HAVE TO START THE WHOLE PROCESS AGAIN FROM THE START!!!

So, at the moment, after AGAIN filing in the DVLA forms, I am NO NEARER getting my licence back as I was 6 months' ago.  To say I'm p***ed off is an understatement!!

Kind regards

Gary

51

Hi.

Updating my earlier posting about getting my first licence after notifying DVLA of P diagnosis. It finally arrived a couple of weeks ago. Took 4 months from start to finish! The cynic in me says I would still be waiting if I hadn't phoned to check on progress, they couldn't say how much longer it would be, but it arrived a few days later. Maybe my phone call brought it to the top of the pile. Now I have 3 years licence, time for procedures to change or even improve!

By the way, only plastic licences are now issued. The paper counterpart was abolished in June. If you are hiring a vehicle and more info is needed than is given on the plastic card ( eg about penalty points ) one gets it from the DVLA website. Fairly straightforward to log in but does presuppose the hire company is online and understands the new system. Don't know how well this is working with car hire abroad!

S

52

The way I see it is:

There never was a need to change the form at all.

We have always had to declare whether we are fit to drive because of any illness not just pd.

The whole process was and still is dependant on our signed declaration and the neuros.

There is no need for any assessment unless a problem is declared.

The new form is specifically aimed at PD, and has specific references to pd problems eg freezing.  It also refers to our care and that to me is a sinister change since this is not driving related. The inference as I see it is if you can drive then you don't need the care component of DLA / PIP.

Its all very well lobbying to get a change in the way pwp are viewed in relation to benefits but this could take years. In the meantime I suggest we need specific templates as to how to fill in any form not just DVLA.

53

hi Leyther,

             As long as PwP and neuro's know the rules the form can be used. I had  my licence revoked for 5 months because the neuro ticked the wrong box.

A template works but if we all use it, it makes a nonsense of having the form.

I also have concern over the care  questions.   For DLA / PIP it's a "bad day" you describe, whilst for DVLA it's a "good day."  With PD I see no problem with this, but for the general public - and me pre-diagnosis - it looks wrong.  Just like when you use the blue badge and get suspicious looks / comments as yiou walk briskly away.

The general comment is that government departments don]'t share information internally so there is no way a department will share information with another department.  Which may be correct, but this does not stop your doctor's surgery having copies of your completed forms and start comparing one with another.  My GP saw me on a bad day and said as I was leaving " I hope you are not driving still."  After explaining to GP, his response was that "your reaction time is affected"    Reaction time is not mentioned in the Highway Code,  but obviously it is at med. school.

  Westby

 

54

The completion of these forms remains a minefield.

I use the Advocacy service when I have one to complete. They are very helpful, as are Citizen's Advice Bureau.

55

Driving licence renewed until September 2020big grin

56

Bethankit. Five years? I thought it was 1yr, 3yrs or to age 70.  Maybe they missed the bit where you declared you have PD?  

What still isn't clear is the need to declare any new drugs as and when they are introduced or adjusted.  I have always treated the questions as for when the drugs are working so you are ON without sudden involuntary movements or freezing. The same applies to everyone in respect of feeling tired etc. PD or no PD. It remains your responsibility to not drive when you know your abilities mean you can't drive safely.  Maybe the new style driving apps for mobiles could be used or adapted for PD related concerns?

 

 

 

57

Hi Kendo, 

Letter from DVLA dated 21st September, 

"DVLA has recently been advised that in instances where a driver has had Parkinson's Disease for at least 3 years and has been able to demonstrate that their condition has remained stable, it may be appropriate to issue longer duration medical licences. This is on the understanding that a driver will notify DVLA during the course of their licence, should there be any change to their condition such that driving may be affected."

 

 

 

 

58

http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/ShapeServices

 A link i posted in another thread dated 11th sept.

I don't know if anyone saw it as no one else replied too the thread, it is a survey that asks for better ways too shape the dvla processes medical matters, there is apparently a 15 min telephone interview for those interested in registering too take part. Your chance i guess too air what's been mentioned here to the dvla.

59

 

Hi everyone, I have just received the inevitable form inviting me to re-new my 3 year driving licence - gulp!

On reading through the questions quickly I came across two questions in particular which have nothing to do with driving as far as i am concerned because no one including able - bodied drivers could every partake of these tasks while driving, the questions are as follows :

Do you need another person to help with domestic tasks ? E.g. shopping, cooking and cleaning ??????

Do you need another person to help you with your personal care ? If yes please give details : ?????????

Does anyone know of anyone else who can actually do this whilst driving........I would be interested to speak to those who can actually multitask...........

Sheffy

60

 

Does that mean they'll refer too your pip/esa forms if you've applied for esa/pip?

On my esa form i put i cannot cook a meal for myself, which i can't.

if i was too put no too domestic tasks.. which i did, on a form about driving?.