Hello to all . I am writing this to see if anybody has the same experience that I have .I have received a letter from the DVLA stating they have received a letter or email from somebody claiming that I am not capable of driving .I have a tremor and sometimes freeze but nether when I am driving ,I find that when I’m driving I’m am concentrating on my driving and other road users I forget about my tremor and it lessens, The DVLA will not tell me who this 3rd party is all I hope that my consultants will give them the correct info so I can carry on . somebody has said it could be my doctor but hopefully they would be straight and upfront to tell me to my face , I previously had a 3 yr. licence but the last time I renewed I have a 5 yr.one my symptoms have not really progressed much so I’m going to fight this so I can put this so called 3 rd. party informant to shame I presume I’m not the first to have this but I hope I’m the last
I believe the Medical profession or the Police have a responsibility to advise the DVLA if they suspect you are not competent to drive. I gave up my Licence after being involved in an accident for which the police were called out. This was in Winter and by the time the police arrived I was shaking considerably due to both the stress and cold weather. The policeman involved asked if I had P.D. and subsequently reported his observations to DVLA. I was subsequently requested to take further tests but decided to give up my Licence in view of my age…….
I assume that whoever has reported you has not been present with you when you have been driving. That being so, it would be inappropriate for them to claim you are not competent to drive. If you contact your Parkinsons Nurse or Neurologist, you may be able to obtain a supporting letter emphasising that your symptoms do not manifest themselves when you are driving. Good Luck, Gerrard
Hi Gerrard many thanks for your reply I have sent all the forms back to the DVLA now its a waiting game to find out what route they want me to take hopefully they will be amenable ,if they want me to take tests then I shall but whatever the outcome I shall keep my head up high in the knowing that the person or persons who started this are the lowest of the low and that I am above them in every way thanks again take care jay
Hi again,
Presumably you had advised the DVLA That you had P.D. That is obligatory. Normally the DVLA would write to your Medical Professional (Neurologist / PD Nurse) or whomever you named on the forms. They would be asking for an update in your P.D. condition). It would do you no harm to contact whoever you named and impress upon them - in person - that you are competent to drive and that your PD is not restricting you. Losing your licence is too important to treat lightly and worth going out of your way to preserve. In retrospect, I did not follow the advice I am giving you, and now regret not putting up a fight. I miss my car and the ability to drive. I now have to get about on a Mobility Scooter. Gerrard
My wife had a terrible experience with the DVLA even after a Neurologists letter they were just inflexible and rude. They do not understand and they would not alter their decision. Good luck hope your fight goes well.
I was diagnosed with PD 13 months ago and have settled into managing my daily pills, something I have never had to do before. I digress I too am having problems with the DVLA, I was involved in an RTA this January and in April was sent to a GP for a medical review. It took 11 minutes and the Doctor treated it as something of no concern. O May 15th I received the dreaded letter saying, "We have been informed by a medical practitioner that you are unfit to drive. After some telephone calls and help from my MP it appeared the GP had ticked the wrong box which said I was unfit to drive.A fortnight later when confronted he admitted he had made a mistake and ticked the wrong box in error.
Consequently he wrote a correcting letter which thanks to Alexandra in the MP’s office was directed to the right person at the DVLA.
Al correct and driving licence returned immediately, sorry no.
You will have to apply for a new licence and by the way when we remember we’ll send you for an eye test at Specsavers because by the way the one you had with a leading Ophthalmic Surgeon in November isn’t good enough it has to be from Specsavers.
I now regularly ring the, mainly nice ladies in the Medical Call Centre at Swansea who tell me ‘you are marked as top priority.’
‘but its not my fault.’
‘We know its all on the screen, your forms are with the Doctors.’
‘how long?’
‘We can’t tell you but you have top priority.’
Frustration, stress, tearfulness and anger with the system.
I know stress is bad for PD but that’s me I can’t stop it
Please come on DVLA.
UPDATE
I have just received a letter from our friends the DVLA some twenty something days later saying they are still making enquiries on my being capable of driving etc and saying that they are waiting for a reply from my neurologist .HAVE the DVLA heard or are capable of using email it takes no time at all they could resolve this so quick ,it would not place people with PD under stressful conditions which are not great for PD the first letter stated it could take up to six weeks the new letter also stated the same perhaps if the DVLA cannot get this info correct then they would have to be brain surgeons to understand email perhaps not they don’t listen to them either they just plod on at their own pace Bl**** slow will let all know if I get any more letters ( maybe email haha )
Hi
I have just notified DVLA that I have Parkinson’s
I mainly use my driving license for identification.
As I don’t really drive so I am not that worried about it.
I do hope you get some sort of action on yours soon.
Just to redress the balance of some of the comments in this thread, both my OH & I have had to notify the DVLA of medical conditions in the past 3 years and have always found them helpful, considerate and efficient.
My husband’s 3-year licence was due for renewal 6 weeks ago and he received two forms from the DVLA to complete, one relating to an eye condition (glaucoma) he has had for some years, the other PD diagnosed last year. The DVLA’s investigations included writing to his neurologist for an update (though they last did this only 9 months ago at the time he was diagnosed) and sending my husband for an eye test. His licence was recently renewed for 3 years and returned within 3 weeks of the eye test.
I have also recently been diagnosed with a couple of eye conditions, notified the DVLA 3 weeks ago after first phoning them and then downloading an online form. I have a “DVLA” eye test at a specified Specsavers this week. Although I have perfect vision, unaffected by my eye conditions luckily, it seems entirely reasonable to me for them to request an eye test. It’s main purpose is to check if your (my) eyes work well enough together for safe driving, whist the specialist ophalmologist’s main focus is to diagnosis and treat eye conditions. Hospital ophthalmologists assess each eye individually, unlike in a DVLA test.
Hi to all concerned about delay at the DVLA. I notified the DVLA re my diagnosis (I had also recently had a minor stroke) I was given a 1 year licence with conditions (I need to use special mirrors) which expired in March, on my birthday. In December I was sent forms to apply for a new licence. I filled them in and returned them immediately. However, i am still awaiting a response. I am informed that they have all the information they need and that my case is with the final Panel who will be in touch when they have made their decision. I was sent a Section 88 letter so I am driving in the meantime, as permitted by the letter. It is now more than six Months, not six weeks, and I am still awaiting their decision. At a recent appointment with my neurologist I asked for his opinion and he can’t understand the delay, and says I am perfectly fit to drive.
Perhaps i should change my surname from Winkler to something beginning with A. What do you think?
Now you mention it, our surname begins with A! But we do also have 3-year licences (so far) without special conditions which may be why it is quicker, no special panel involved, though there’s a wait of between 1 & 4 weeks for the Specsavers DVLA sight test as they only have appointments once a fortnight.
I had letter to saying my license is revoked ( sounds like James Bond)
I don’t really mind as I wouldn’t feel safe driving
UPDATE
Hi all just a update on my dealings with the DVLA I have been notified the if I don’t agree to a restricted licence then it will be revoked . funny that I already have a restricted licence the only difference is that it would be a 3 yr. instead of my 5 yr. which I have had for a yr. so basically all they have done is put my licence renewal forward a yr. what a waste of time money and all because somebody thought they would be a bright spark and write to the DVLA HOPE this helps people in the future and if anyone does find themselves in this position try not to worry remember what goes around comes around as some people may find out ps many thanks to all who have posted on this topic
DVLA are awful there medical advisers say they know better than neurologists. Good luck but be careful what you tell them. Remember they do not want to help you.
Hi sorry that the driving licence business is getting you down. When I was diagnosed the Consultant Neurologist was up front about asking if I still drove ( I had already voluntarily if reluctantantly stopped ) since if i were to continue, the DVLA would have to be informed - perhaps they were anyway. I have not reneweded my licence.
I’m sure you are more capable than many drivers I witness now a a passenger, but I must be honest and say I think that by and large the roads are a safer place without me behind the wheel!
I hope you get a satisfactory outcome soon
All the best Cled
Hi
Just read with interest the problems or otherwise people have experienced with the DVLA. My husband has been under the local neurologist for 9 months but we don’t have a diagnosis. Originally we were informed we didn’t have to tell the DVLA until we had established a diagnosis but recently felt we needed to cover ourselves. We have now had the 6 weeks delay letter informing us they need to contact our specialist and this is despite him not suffering any of the points they seem worried about.
Because I had told the consultant that we had written to the DVLA they gave us a form to have an assessment driving test.
I am now wondering what happens next. Is he likely to have to take this assessment? I have read somewhere it has to be repeated every 6 months and its not cheap. Do we tell our insurance, at the moment he is not driving. Is insurance premiums going to rocket? I don’t think insurance companies will take in the fact that we still don’t have a diagnosis. Am I alright still to drive his car as a named driver?
If anyone has any experience/advice I would be grateful.
With thanks.
You can drive, that’s not an issue. You do need to tell your insurance company the outcome of the DVLA assessment but ours didn’t want to know before that (Direct Line) provided nothing had changed that we felt made my husband a risk on the road. I don’t understand why you notified the DVLA “to cover yourselves” unless you thought your husband was unfit to drive regardless of diagnosis? If you felt you needed to tell the DVLA that then surely you also need to tell your insurance company and your husband shouldn’t drive until he has been assessed and any suitable adjustments are made if possible of course.
Hi Mountainair
Thanks for your reply to my confusion over the driving issue. We felt the need to make the DVLA aware of the situation I think through peer-pressure (none through direct experience) plus I read somewhere (can’t now find) a reference to Parkinson and similar conditions.
We will now wait for the DVLA assessment and then, if he wishes still to do some of the driving, we will tell our insurance.
You have given me more confidence, thank you.
Hi there,
Good luck with the DVLA, they seem to work very slowly. I had a minor stroke and one month later my GP would not give me permission to drive again. Instead he suggested i went for an assessment at the local centre, (after informing the DVLA). i phoned and was told that there was a 9 week waiting list. I applied and paid and eventually received an appointment. The assessment was good but I was advised that i needed tuition from a disability driving instructor (10 hours) to show me how to use extra mirrors - I have chronic arthritis and can’t turn my neck and shoulders easily.
As we came to the end of the driving tuition I was diagnosed with PD so informed the DVLA (and my insurance company). After the DVLA had made medical enquiries i was given a 1 year medical licence which expired in March this year. Last December I received forms to apply for a new licence as meeical enquiries can take a whilew. I sent them off straight away. My licence expired on my birethday in March. i received a Section 88 letter, permitting me to drive whilst medical enquiries were going on, as long as i felt capable.
I got tired of waiting and eventually wrote to my MP in October. He contacted the DVLA and two weeks later I received a new three year medical licence, specifying that I drive an automatic car fitted with the special mirrors.
Whilst I am delighted to have my licence again it should not be necessary to go through so many hoops, and the DVLA needs to think more as to how they deal with medical licences. When I repeatedly phoned to make enquiries I was told that they had all the necessary information and it had gone to the “Final Panel”. The process takes far too long and causes extra worries for people who don’t need this sort of hassle!
Sincere apologies for the poor spelling. My reply was writtten in haste.