DVLA Medical - Timescale

[Sundog]

It is a crap system, and I sympathise. While they merrily left me hanging on driving around worriedly on Section 88 for a year, I watched as other people on here applied after I did, got medicals before I did, got license and back before I did while I was still scratching my ass and waiting. There really seems no logic to their processes at all. I often even wondered at one point if they literally shuffle their files for a laugh.

Also I wonder if the call handler you get through to themself makes any difference. I only say that because - right before I finally got my full license back - I placed (yet another) a call with them and very sarcastically asked if I should send another application for the following year, because the one pending had taken that long and (in my own words) ‘clearly you’re struggling and I want to help you out’. Full license back literally no more than 2 weeks later.

 

[Hardlessontolearn]

Spoke with a call handler this afternoon. Nice enough young man, but basically all he could tell me is when they received my application and the two times I had last called. I mentioned people applying after me who already had their medicals and that the GP I wanted to use had no backlog so could see me as soon as the paperwork had been sent to them.

He noted it but no idea if it will make any difference.

Hopeless system, where you basically cannot get past a call handler who essentially tells you nothing.

It is sometimes like pulling teeth. I’m guessing there’s not much point in me calling them to ask if they’re going to contact my gp, as it seems likely the answer will be yes, then the waiting game continues! Yawn.

 

[C J 1980]

Does anyone know how long it takes once GP sent back forms to DVLA ?

It is usually just a few weeks. Have you done the DVLA medical procedure yet?

CJ

 

[willmc99]

It is usually just a few weeks. Have you done the DVLA medical procedure yet?

CJ

Done everything GP sent form yesterday

 

[C J 1980]

Done everything GP sent form yesterday

From my own experience, once the DVLA medical team have collated all the key facts (GP medical report & the outcome of your DVLA medical) they do move quite swiftly with their decision on whether to grant you your driving licence.

CJ

 

[willmc99]

From my own experience, once the DVLA medical team have collated all the key facts (GP medical report & the outcome of your DVLA medical) they do move quite swiftly with their decision on whether to grant you your driving licence.

CJ

Hope so do you know if GP sent the forms as letter or as scanned onto a email

 

[Kishan]

Hi there i have a dvla medical on 20.03.2023, for drug driving which i regret doing. How long do i need to stay clean for and what hapoens after the medical if anyone can help

 

[Luna2000]

Hi there i have a dvla medical on 20.03.2023, for drug driving which i regret doing. How long do i need to stay clean for and what hapoens after the medical if anyone can help

If you are still doing drugs, why bother going for the medical? Coke and cannabis can be detected up to 6 weeks after use. You say you regret drug driving, but if you continue using, you will drug drive again.

I'm a twice banned drink driver, so know abstinence is sure fire the only way.

 

[Honestman]

Hi there i have a dvla medical on 20.03.2023, for drug driving which i regret doing. How long do i need to stay clean for and what hapoens after the medical if anyone can help

As pointed out a good two months is possible before your medical and if you fail you will have the the most feared letter from Dvla YOU MUST NOT DRIVE, however if you have abstained from drugs for a length of time you have nothing to worry about providing there isn’t any medical history related to drugs documented with your Gp, good luck

 

[Sundog]

It was my impression that most drugs (cocaine, MDMA, opiates and many of the others) would float around in your system in detectable amounts for anywhere between 2-6 days. Which explained why goofy Rio did a bunk for this length of time when Man Yoo banned him all those years ago now.

However with narcotics, the major exception to this rule is marijuana. It’s mentioned above that it can remain in your system for 6 weeks… however this is very much an average. Funnily enough, ‘weed’ is aptly nicknamed as it does exactly what weeds do… it gets into your system and spreads, insidiously infiltrating everywhere.

Whilst THC is a (very) harmless drug - and one which actually has been shown to have many health benefits in fact - it takes ages for our bodies to flush it out. And there are two major complications to this:

1) We all metabolise everything differently, but Mary Jane for some reason is metabolised very differently by different people;

2) For reasons I can only surmise that are to try and eradicate it (a lost battle… for now) and/or perhaps to protect the (even more evil) brewery industry, the legal threshold for plasma THC is - perhaps unfairly - MUCH lower than it is for the other intoxicating drugs mentioned above.

To summarise, a J or two over the weekend when you don’t smoke often will not last longer than a few days. A regular toke at the weekend, and then yes - I agree it could well be 6 weeks before you get down to 0.04% or whatever that extremely strict threshold is. However, if you’re Snoop Doggy Style and you’re doing an eighth to a Q a day, then I’m sorry but the THC footprint will remain in your system for much, much longer; perhaps even 6 months.

Put simply, it depends on a number of things, but mostly the frequency with which you smoke.

If you could state which drug it is you’re specifying and how long it’s been I may be able to advise better. Notwithstanding of course your apparent regret over something it reads as if you intend to go back to?

Just be careful now you’re on our side of the law… it’s a painfully unforgiving place to find ourselves.

 

[willmc99]

Does anyone know the email to actually type what you want instead of just the computer

 

[Luna2000]

Does anyone know the email to actually type what you want instead of just the computer

???????

 

[LLA]

Have you received it back now

Nope.

Very long and complicated story. Basically my previous GP had sat on the form since the 12th December. I registered at the GP surgery where I now live and they called me up and filled it out over the phone and emailed it back to the DVLA on Tuesday. It’s nice to know my new doctor is an actual force of nature I’ve been working away so haven’t needed to drive for most of this period apart from when I needed an emergency run to ScrewFix due to a soil pipe deciding it didn’t want to be connected any more.

Called the DVLA yesterday and they have everything they need, have already assigned a case officer to it so hopefully I’ll be on the road by some time over the next week or so.

My previous GP surgery can get stuffed for all I care after running me round in circles and straight up lying to my face. All is in hand now and the DVLA have actually been surprisingly helpful throughout the whole thing.

 

[willmc99]

Nope.

Very long and complicated story. Basically my previous GP had sat on the form since the 12th December. I registered at the GP surgery where I now live and they called me up and filled it out over the phone and emailed it back to the DVLA on Tuesday. I’ve been working away so haven’t needed to drive for most of this period.

Called the DVLA yesterday and they have everything they need, have already assigned a case officer to it so hopefully I’ll be on the road by some time over the next week or so.

My previous GP surgery can get stuffed for all I care after running me round in circles and straight up lying to my face. All is in hand now and the DVLA have actually been surprisingly helpful throughout the whole thing.

Tuesday last week or ,2 days ago

 

[LLA]

Tuesday last week or ,2 days ago

2 days ago.

The lady on the phone used to live in my village weirdly, so she told me a few things I probably wasn’t supposed to know.

They are working hard to reduce their backlog and saw my case file when they got the email from my GP. Obviously there was a time gap between sending the GP form off originally and getting it back so they’ve effectively dealt with it there and then. It wouldn’t surprise me if my doctor had sent a snotty reply saying something along the lines of “sort this mess out please”.

Fro what I gathered it is literally a yay or nay decision so I cannot fathom for the life of me why some people are waiting months for the DVLA to actually do the bare minimum.

 

[willmc99]

2 days ago.

The lady on the phone used to live in my village weirdly, so she told me a few things I probably wasn’t supposed to know.

They are working hard to reduce their backlog and saw my case file when they got the email from my GP. Obviously there was a time gap between sending the GP form off originally and getting it back so they’ve effectively dealt with it there and then. It wouldn’t surprise me if my doctor had sent a snotty reply saying something along the lines of “sort this mess out please”.

Fro what I gathered it is literally a yay or nay decision so I cannot fathom for the life of me why some people are waiting months for the DVLA to actually do the bare minimum.

Ah yes so I think mine was maybe sent by post hence why after calling them today it hasn't be scanned in yet they were quick after my medical so I hoping they will be quick doing this unfortunately for me being self employed it's starting to screw me up I was on a local job but the job I'm suppose to start is in. A village 30 minute drive away and just can't get there

 

[C J 1980]

They are working hard to reduce their backlog and saw my case file when they got the email from my GP.

Whoever told you that? You need to watch the undercover BBC video of Swansea DVLA from 2020 or 21 that exposes just how arrogant and lazy these idiots are. Do not be fobbed off by that old chestnut about the backlog. I am sure they will be using this lame excuse in another two years from now.

CJ

 

[LLA]

Whoever told you that? You need to watch the undercover BBC video of Swansea DVLA from 2020 or 21 that exposes just how arrogant and lazy these idiots are. Do not be fobbed off by that old chestnut about the backlog. I am sure they will be using this lame excuse in another two years from now.

CJ

Lady on the phone. It’s strange because every time I’ve called them up ready for a fight, I’ve been diffused.

In my situation, I’ve now been in the process for going on 7 months since August last year. I can either call up the DVLA gunning for an argument and almost certainly get nowhere, or treat them as people doing a job, be nice to them and try and engage with them a bit (I can speak Welsh so kind of helps a bit when I switch) and probably get a bit further forward.

Yes, there are definitely useless management there who give the rest of them a bad name, but the people who I’ve spoken to have all genuinely been really helpful.

 

[Sundog]

This might all be true.

It also might be true that - when basically every phone call you get is along the lines of “where the fugg is my license and why haven’t you done anything yet” - you get rather good at dealing with it amiably.

 

[Hardlessontolearn]

I wonder if ringing them actually does any good or do they see us as a pain in the @rse and therefore put our case to the bottom of the pile?