Hro medical (your experiences)

Convicted Driver Insurance
So I was banned in October 2009 double over the limit, and I had an 18-month ban and a £400 fine to pay.
I did the course to reduce it and my ban was lifted around April 2011.

I did the medical back in 2011 and pass it and even my doctor did his own test and was happy with the results.

However, DVLA failed me on the grounds of "misuse of alcohol" :unsure:

So, what happened was while I was banned from driving and was suspended from work for a few months, I was drinking more at home.
I was young, in my early 20s, alone and depressed. I went to the doctor and told him I am drinking daily in the evenings, 8 cans of Stella.
So, I went to see the doctor and get advice and to get some help, and thankfully I cut down big time and don't drink at home anymore. This was in early 2010, so by the time I was having my medical I was clean over 6 months.

DVLA looked at this and failed me, so if you go to the doctor about drinking it will backfire on you, even if you are clean months after. This is depending on what your doctor writes.

I went travelling and didn't bother driving since until now, I want a campervan.

I applied back in early May 2020, they passed it to the medical team and I have just spoken to them and question a few things.

I told them if I fill out my questionnaire, give consent to contact my doctor but until that happens I refuse the medical exam until they get a happy response from my trusted new doctor. No point in me spending £120 or whatever it is on a medical knowing I will pass and have them fail me again on. I hardly drank since COVID, apart from my birthday in June.

They said "It all depends on the answers you give and you may or may not do the exam, I can see you had this for a while now"
He noted that this been on since 2011 and I said even my Drink Driving ban will disappear off my recorded in October 2020.

I did get legal advice and if they do this again I can take action because DVLA are not medical experts and they are discriminating people.

So, I will keep you update and I have sent off the questionnaire and I will see what they have to say.
 
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Wait and see what DVLA do, but also be careful about solicitors telling you that you can take DVLA to court on appeal..... because they could take you to the cleaners!
You will not get legal aid for an appeal so it will be expensive, and for a 6 month period that I saw results on for last year, DVLA reported that they had not lost a single case in court on an appeal against refusal of a licence on medical grounds.
If a solicitor is promising you that you can get the decision overturned at court, ask them if they will do it for “no win, no fee”.

I bet I know what the answer will be......
 
Wait and see what DVLA do, but also be careful about solicitors telling you that you can take DVLA to court on appeal..... because they could take you to the cleaners!
You will not get legal aid for an appeal so it will be expensive, and for a 6 month period that I saw results on for last year, DVLA reported that they had not lost a single case in court on an appeal against refusal of a licence on medical grounds.
If a solicitor is promising you that you can get the decision overturned at court, ask them if they will do it for “no win, no fee”.

I bet I know what the answer will be......

I will wait and play ball with DVLA but I don't want to be messed about if I have done my time, been clean and play by the rules.

I would only take action if they refuse to give me back my licence, which I can see how they would fail me if I have been clean and honest.
Plus, I wished I apply a few years ago now, but I lived in London for a bit and you don't need a car being central and I did keep putting it off.

Anyway, I will wait and see what they say in a few weeks.
 
Medical evidence is what you need, you will need to supply recent liver function tests, last drink date is always advisable, and of course a low CDT and your GPs support, they went back as far as 2006 with me and revoked me on finding that information for a year, any alcohol issues recorded with your GP will require either the 6 months or 12 months of medical evidence to satisfy DVLA, as price pointed out you can forget court DVLA never lose where alcohol is concerned, good luck though.......
 
I know I will pass the test and they can look back at my history and will show I have not "misuse" the fact that they make me take a test and pay for it but yet can still fail you is a joke, DVLA are not medical experts. They have no legal ground to take away a license if someone has fulfilled the ban, done the course, pass medical tests and the GP has no concerns about my health. I have read some news articles back in 2016 that DVLA was being investigated because they were "major failings" in the medical group.

The solicitor this would be extreme if they failed me and need to give clear evidence as to why to fail me and if they can't then they can take it to court but he can't see getting that far.
 
I passed the medical 4 times before DVLA issued my licence back,(yes you are reading correctly 4 medicals) what is likely to happen in your case is DVLA will send you for a medical on application for your driving licence, however once they recieve your medical results DVLA will write out to your GP with a DD2 medical form for your GP to complete about your alcohol misuse and wether this is controlled or not, they will require medical evidence in the form of liver function tests to confirm that what you are claiming is correct, the time scale for DD2 to be completed is six weeks, if your results and medical evidence are satisfactory then a 1 year "period review licence" will be issued with a medical to follow the following year, again don't waste your money on a `solicitor where they will tell you any old shit and happily rob you blind, DVLA have a very strict process in getting your licence back with alcohol issues and if you don't follow them they will refuse you, and if you go to court you will be looking at a bill for about £4000, £6000 pounds, if you've had or have alcohol issues DVLA have a duty of care to other road users in keeping folk off the road until they can prove they are medically fit to drive through the strict DVLA process......all this includes medical evidence GPs reports and the DVLA medical, however you are learning the process now through this magical forum as many other drivers before you have, including me....
 
That's stupid unless someone who has a history of issue use of alcohol then I understand.

I find it a joke that they will out a "review in 1 year" because that is an expense I don't see why I need to keep paying out hundreds for each year for a medical test that I have only misuse and broken the law once in 2009.

I have seen people on here and from the course who have done it twice and never got a "review" except for one guy who got a "10-year licence" which makes no sense. This shows they have outside medical people ripping people off because the guy who I have spoken to on the phone yesterday from the DVLA even said "it depends on the outside people"

I ain't paying now solicitor until the outcome first and see what they say but they don't seem to judge each individual case from what I am read and see.
 
You only pay for the first medical as a HRO, all subsequent ones, and any for medical withdrawal of a licence, are free, so it costs DVLA to keep you on 1 year licences.
 
Hi Everyone, I'm new to this forum. I have to say reading this thread has really scared/worried me, my driving ban is due to expire early November, but although I am more than confident I will pass the CDT test (I've been abstinent for approximately 12 months) I am concerned that I will fail if the DVLA contact my GP. I have never had any drink related illnesses, but I did shortly after my conviction go to my GP to seek advice/help because I was concerned I was drinking to much at that time, the GP did refer me to a rehabilitation centre but said in his opinion my level of drinking wasn't sufficiently high enough for them to consider me for their programme, he was correct, I was never contacted and I've never discussed it again with my GP. Please, please, please is there any hope/advice anyone can give me. Should I make an appointment with my GP to discuss? I am now worried out of my mind :-(
 
Hi Mrs V, first of all are you a high risk offender? Did you blow over 87.5 at the station because if you did then DVLA will automatically write out to your GP after your medical, you need to make a telephone appointment with your GP to find out if there are any drink related issues documented with them, if there are then you need to explain that you need support in applying for your licence back, if anything this sounds like a case of misuse to me where 6 months of controlled drinking needs to be documented with the GP, however they may have recorded nothing at all, don't beat yourself up anymore your GP can answer your questions, if it is misuse come back to the forum where one of us will talk you through the DVLA medical process ......
 
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Hi Mrs V, first of all are you a high risk offender? Did you blow over 87.5 at the station because if you did then DVLA will automatically write out to your GP after your medical, you need to make a telephone appointment with your GP to find out if there are any drink related issues documented with them, if there are then you need to explain that you need support in applying for your licence back, if anything this sounds like a case of misuse to me where 6 months of controlled drinking needs to be documented with the GP, however they may have recorded nothing at all, don't beat yourself up anymore your GP can answer your questions, if it is misuse come back to the forum where one of us will talk you through the DVLA medical process ......
Hi Honestman, thank you so much for responding to my post. Yes I am a high risk offender, I have contact my GP practice this morning and need to call back tomorrow at 8am to request a telephone appointment with my GP, so I will get the ball rolling with that and find out what the situation looks like and take it from there - I will update when I have some news, hopefully it will be positive...I could do without the sleepless nights. Thanks again for your support, this is a wonderful forum :)
 
I'm searching for desperate reassurance. I called the DVLA to check on the progress of my licence after my medical exam and they advised they've sent a questionnaire to my GP?? Anyone know what this means? I have no history of alcohol misuse and should have passed the CDT test with flying colours do I don't understand?
 
I can only think that the results of the bloodtest coupled with your answers on the questionaire you did with the DVLA doctor warranted futher investigation? But if you are confident you haven't drank or misused then I wouldnt worry. Did you answer yes to the mental health question and was this your first driving offence?
 
I can only think that the results of the bloodtest coupled with your answers on the questionaire you did with the DVLA doctor warranted futher investigation? But if you are confident you haven't drank or misused then I wouldnt worry. Did you answer yes to the mental health question and was this your first driving offence?
I had 1 drinking 'session' in 3 weeks prior to the test but this was a couple of gins about 10 days before the test. Before that only really 'binged' once a fortnight/month. The doctor definitely didn't ask me a mental health question which is weird? But yes this is my first driving offence
I genuinely feel like the doctor took a disliking to me as he started commenting on how I should have learnt a big lesson from this etc, I've spent 2 years beating myself up, didn't need that extra dig.
I'm going crazy, I genuinely cannot think of a reason I would fail but it's in my GPs hands now which will take another bloody month (I was due my licence back in May)
 
When you said you should have passed the cdt with flying colours I assumed you hadnt been drinking at all or had been abstaining for a while. It could be that even those few gins were enough to elevate the cdt as gin is strong. Also binging once every 2 weeks prior to those gins, your cdt level may not have had a chance to come down before the next binge. Everyones body reacts differently to alchohol, age, sex, weight, diet, health ect...

How honest were you in your questionare? Did you mention last drinking was 10 days prior to medical and the binges?

It's just best to abstain from alchohol a good month or longer before the medical. I know its not something you want to hear as Ive been there myself but binging is misuse in the DVLA eyes as its an example of unsafe drinking which we all know can lead to potential unsafe driving, which is why we are here. You are trying to show them you are not dependant on alchohol and can enjoy it sensibly. For me, getting my licence back was so important, abstaining was the only way I could give myself assurance of passing the bloodtest.

Just weigh it out, its in the DVLA hands now and I would suggest refraining from drinking at all in case they want to do another medical.
 
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I’m currently waiting for paperwork to come through for my medical, just been looking through the medical questionnaire and it asks how many times in the last year you have drank 6 or more units in one sitting? I don’t have any previous issues with alcohol but wondered if you answered even just one occasion to this question would that then be classed as misuse? Thanks
 
I’m currently waiting for paperwork to come through for my medical, just been looking through the medical questionnaire and it asks how many times in the last year you have drank 6 or more units in one sitting? I don’t have any previous issues with alcohol but wondered if you answered even just one occasion to this question would that then be classed as misuse? Thanks

I personally think it would, but maybe someone on here can back that up? Bearing in mind that from what I've read, the reccomended safe units a week is 14 and this is to be spread out during the week with several alchohol free days, so 6 units in one sitting may not seem a lot to some of us but would be almost half of these reccomended 14 units.
 
I sent my application on the 1st May, had my medical the beginning of August. Received a letter explaining they will be contacting my Gp.
I have not received anymore information regarding my licence. How much longer should I wait?
 
Well I had my (SAR) email this morning from the DD2 form.. that the doctor wrote may aswell been a 5 year old had written it can not understand what she put what so ever... now they will refuse it ?
 
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