How to make a complaint about the DVLA medical assessment process

I've decided to take DVLA to court!

Convicted Driver Insurance

CDT1.4

Member
Served my ban, gave clean blood, DVLA withhold my results and write to GP. The letter sent to GP has a bold paragraph, this is done to emphasise a point. Some of the letter was redacted but I could read it. Do you know that DVLA pay GP's to fill in their questionnaires?

I am now taking DVLA to court to answer some important questions concerning the contract they have with GP's.

Q1) What legislation grants DVLA powers to demand someone abstain from drinking for 12mths?
Q2) What legislation grants DVLA the power to withhold your blood test results from you? I paid for the blood test and am protected under the consumer rights act.
Q3) Why do DVLA pay GP's to fill in the questionnaire?
Q4) Why was that info that DVLA pay GP's redacted?
Q5) Why was the paragraph mentioning alcohol dependence highlighted in bold txt?
Q6) Why do DVLA withhold blood test results from the GP?
Q7) Why do DVLA tell the GP to fill in the questionnaire from the medical notes and not invite patient in for chat/examination to see how they are managing?
Q8) Why after replying to your standard email with a standard email, do DVLA all of a sudden start sending encrypted emails where you have to register/sign up to read their reply?

Bottom line is DVLA are not fit for purpose, they act outside the law and make it up as they go along. I have read posts here stating DVLA have took over 6mths and still not provided BTR. i got my results in a week, they were clear, but I still have not got my DL back, my DQ ended in March 2022.
 
Hi CDT
I think the ‘wow’ was just that taking the DVLA to court seems a really major undertaking, with all the potential costs involved for you as well.
I imagine that the DVLA has its own governance and internal ratification systems.

They do notify the results of CDT tests when they make a decision about granting licenses - I understand the argument that the result could be made more freely available but from their perspective it’s only part of the overall decision, and challenging a CDT result would be of limited benefit to applicants.

The information that they look for from GPs is evidential, ie what information to they hold about someone’s relationship with alcohol, or medical problems as a result of it. The DVLA would regard this as more important than seeking information about how applicants are coping with their problems.
A GP report is outsourced by the DVLA and that’s probably why there is a fee for completing the form ( I think it’s £50, so not a great incentive for a GP to cooperate )
Few GPs are aware of the CDT test anyway, it’s not routinely used in medical investigations, as it’s alcohol use specific, and GPs usually look at things more broady.

Whatever I feel about the DVLA as an organisation, and it’s performance has been shambolic throughout Covid, they are right to ensure that when a license is issued to someone with a DD, that they are safe to drive.

I wasn’t able to work out exactly what your motivation for taking them to court is, forgive me for sounding negative but it seems unlikely that it will have an outcome that you would feel happy with.

But good luck anyway, many posters on here would be pleased to see the DVLA taken to account.

Best wishes J
 
KeyWorker said:
They do notify the results of CDT tests when they make a decision about granting licenses
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It must have just been me they didn't notify then. This is because my test was 0.4 and I would have questioned why they sent a questionnaire for the GP to fill in.
KeyWorker said:
A GP report is outsourced by the DVLA and that’s probably why there is a fee for completing the form ( I think it’s £50, so not a great incentive for a GP to cooperate )
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Both organisations are for profit corporations since 2008. When you're paying someone, they do what you tell them.
KeyWorker said:
Few GPs are aware of the CDT test anyway, it’s not routinely used in medical investigations, as it’s alcohol use specific, and GPs usually look at things more broady.
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When you confide in your GP and inform them you have reduced your intake considerably, then it's in their patients interest to be monitored and in this case invited in for a medical/interview to determine fitness to drive. GP's swear an oath to remain impartial and act with the patients interest.

In my case there is one event in my medical history of alcohol abuse that I confided in the GP with. DVLA claim the gp states I have a history of alcohol dependence, this happened to be highlighted in the bold txt in just one paragraph.

There is no law or legislation that gives DVLA the power to demand anyone stop drinking and for that person to provide the proof. How is someone supposed to do that?????
 
CDT1.4 said:
What do you mean by "Wow really??:rolleyes:"?
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CDT1.4 said:
Served my ban, gave clean blood, DVLA withhold my results and write to GP. The letter sent to GP has a bold paragraph, this is done to emphasise a point. Some of the letter was redacted but I could read it. Do you know that DVLA pay GP's to fill in their questionnaires?

I am now taking DVLA to court to answer some important questions concerning the contract they have with GP's.

Q1) What legislation grants DVLA powers to demand someone abstain from drinking for 12mths?
Q2) What legislation grants DVLA the power to withhold your blood test results from you? I paid for the blood test and am protected under the consumer rights act.
Q3) Why do DVLA pay GP's to fill in the questionnaire?
Q4) Why was that info that DVLA pay GP's redacted?
Q5) Why was the paragraph mentioning alcohol dependence highlighted in bold txt?
Q6) Why do DVLA withhold blood test results from the GP?
Q7) Why do DVLA tell the GP to fill in the questionnaire from the medical notes and not invite patient in for chat/examination to see how they are managing?
Q8) Why after replying to your standard email with a standard email, do DVLA all of a sudden start sending encrypted emails where you have to register/sign up to read their reply?

Bottom line is DVLA are not fit for purpose, they act outside the law and make it up as they go along. I have read posts here stating DVLA have took over 6mths and still not provided BTR. i got my results in a week, they were clear, but I still have not got my DL back, my DQ ended in March 2022.
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I hope I am not making this too simplistic but my understanding is that the DVLA see a license as a privilege not an automatic right. If they have any suspicion that an individual has breached their criteria; it is revoked either temporary or permanently.

I would post more but historically your responses are all highly critical and condescending of other peoples views/comments. Personally I think you have made a rod for your own back by purposely being awkward through the procedure and I hope you are seriously wealthy if you plan taking on the DVLA!
 
WinterSnow said:
I hope I am not making this too simplistic but my understanding is that the DVLA see a license as a privilege not an automatic right. If they have any suspicion that an individual has breached their criteria; it is revoked either temporary or permanently.

I would post more but historically your responses are all highly critical and condescending of other peoples views/comments. Personally I think you have made a rod for your own back by purposely being awkward through the procedure and I hope you are seriously wealthy if you plan taking on the DVLA!
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Whilst I admire you for standing up to them, and congratulate anyone for holding to account what is clearly a dictatorial, inefficient, lazy, NFFP and frankly at-times obnoxious Quango, are you really sure this is a wise move?

If you fail, do you think it will do anything other than highlight your feeling or need (or ‘right’) to drink what you like, and have a driving license at the same time, having lost one being able to do exactly the same before; privately (and still could again, if you wanted to, not that I’d ever recommend that)? Just seems a waste of time and money to me, and another blot on your DVLA record.

What are you taking them to court for when you could just ask some lawyers to write to theirs for clarification on these subjects? Or better still check the gov.uk footprint? It’s certain to be in there.

Otherwise why court? Is it for disclosure of information, or are you suing them financially (for loss of earnings, say)?

Hate to say it but isn’t this like trying to build a water park on the moon?
 
CDT1.4 said:
Their criteria? Please explain buddy?
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The criteria they attach to the privilege of holding a license. You may have passed your test but flouted their rules when you drove under the influence. You have to EARN your license back by following THEIR rules and right now you just seem content to challenge them. To me it seems a lonely path to permanent revocation of something you still have a chance of getting back.

Also please don’t use loss of license as an excuse to be on the dole. Yes your career relied on it previously but YOU broke the law and maybe now you need to look for a change in career rather than blaming the DVLA.
 
WinterSnow said:
The criteria they attach to the privilege of holding a license. You may have passed your test but flouted their rules when you drove under the influence. You have to EARN your license back by following THEIR rules and right now you just seem content to challenge them. To me it seems a lonely path to permanent revocation of something you still have a chance of getting back.

Also please don’t use loss of license as an excuse to be on the dole. Yes your career relied on it previously but YOU broke the law and maybe now you need to look for a change in career rather than blaming the DVLA.
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The road to perdition. A path beset by tragedy and heartbreak and bitterness. If you manage to circumvent this path, at the end?
You will be rewarded with never ending life of purgatory. Good luck my friend, your gonna need it.
 
WinterSnow said:
The criteria they attach to the privilege of holding a license. You may have passed your test but flouted their rules when you drove under the influence. You have to EARN your license back by following THEIR rules and right now you just seem content to challenge them. To me it seems a lonely path to permanent revocation of something you still have a chance of getting back.

Also please don’t use loss of license as an excuse to be on the dole. Yes your career relied on it previously but YOU broke the law and maybe now you need to look for a change in career rather than blaming the DVLA.
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I didn't drive under the influence. I failed a swab test and refused to give blood. I tried to tell them and they ignored my letter. I suffered a sleepless night and gave clean blood to get my license back. I did however hit the bottle for a short time after the stop and confided in the GP. He tells dvla this in the questionnaire and they state its a history of alcohol abuse. You claim to have read my previous posts?
 
Coostietightner123 said:
The road to perdition. A path beset by tragedy and heartbreak and bitterness. If you manage to circumvent this path, at the end?
You will be rewarded with never ending life of purgatory. Good luck my friend, your gonna need it.
Click to expand...
No such thing as luck mate, you make your own luck. Some of us are fighters some are not. Some of us roll with bullshit some don't.
 
Sundog said:
Whilst I admire you for standing up to them, and congratulate anyone for holding to account what is clearly a dictatorial, inefficient, lazy, NFFP and frankly at-times obnoxious Quango, are you really sure this is a wise move?

If you fail, do you think it will do anything other than highlight your feeling or need (or ‘right’) to drink what you like, and have a driving license at the same time, having lost one being able to do exactly the same before; privately (and still could again, if you wanted to, not that I’d ever recommend that)? Just seems a waste of time and money to me, and another blot on your DVLA record.

What are you taking them to court for when you could just ask some lawyers to write to theirs for clarification on these subjects? Or better still check the gov.uk footprint? It’s certain to be in there.

Otherwise why court? Is it for disclosure of information, or are you suing them financially (for loss of earnings, say)?

Hate to say it but isn’t this like trying to build a water park on the moon?
Click to expand...
I'm taking them to court because I can prove the underhanded way they have dealt with my case. Some of us are fighters some are not. Some of us roll with bullshit some don't.
 
topchippyles said:
Look in the mirror pal
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the comment was meant for WinterSnow not you, I tried to delete it but couldn't, sorry for the misunderstanding. The comment was not tagged to any particular post from what I can see, why did you think it was aimed at you?
 
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