Licence refused, how to prove no alcohol for a year?

Convicted Driver Insurance
Hi there. I recently had my medical and DVLA have written to me telling me i have to provide evidence that I have not had any alcohol for a year. I went to my doctors straight away and logged with then that I have stopped drinking and asked them to do regular testing. They refused to do this saying it’s not NHS work and to speak to the DVLA and ask them what to do. I phoned DVLA and they told me that they need regular testing and I have to provide the evidence??? I explained my doctor was reluctant to do this but they told me to ring the doctor and tell them to ring the DVLA and ask to speak to a doctor in the medical department to explain how to start providing the evidence. I phoned the doctor back, he’s still saying it’s private work but said he would call them.... NEXT THURSDAY!!! That’s another week gone by!!! I’m at my wits end here, how the hell do I prove my abstinence from alcohol?? I’m going to ring the DVLA tomorrow morning and ask to speak to a doctor myself, I can’t wait another week I want to get the ball rolling. Can anyone shed any light on how you prove to the DVLA you have been abstinent from alcohol for a year?
 
Hi PinkElephant, I dont think I can help, but I am genuinely curious about the letter from dvla. Would it be possible to post a copy of the letter (minus any personal details of course) to see the exact wording. Also, from your phone-call, what tests are they asking for and how often?
Like I say, just curious, and if your'e too stressed atm to do this, that's fine.
 
Hi diesel2

I have attached the two parts of the letter stating I have to provide evidence. I will be ringing DVLA this morning and ask to speak to a medical doctor to ask what they want. I’ve got a feeling I’m going to have to pay for these evidence tests throughout the year if my GP is reluctant to carry them out due to them being a private matter and not NHS work .... more expense!!! CE5F9CE8-7229-4590-A039-D56C5EE1F03D.jpegAE669EA0-86E4-41C6-8C4B-D3F762696879.jpeg
 
Can you say what your results were from the medical or what would have been in your doctors report that would prompt DVLA to ask for this?
 
I haven’t had my results back from my medical yet, I have requested them and am waiting to receive them. Long story short I was convicted 11 years ago now, I admit I was young dumb and stupid then. Then 2 and a half years ago I was involved in an accident (not my fault) and blew not much over but as it was my 2nd offence in 10 years I was a HRO. At that time I was drinking fairly heavily and went to the doctor to say I thought I was drinking too much and wanted help to stop, I thought it would help my case. I actually did 18 months sober but in the last 12 months I have gained a controlled relationship with alcohol and only drink at weekends and perhaps once in the week when I’ve come off shift for work and don’t have work the next day. I don’t drink wine anymore it’s mainly beer. When asked at the medical if I had been to the doctor in the last 3 years about misuse of alcohol I said no, not thinking they’d contact my doctor but they did and I think it’s what’s on my GP file that’s put me in this cattas I am certainly not alcohol dependent. Stopping for a year really isn’t an issue for me I haven’t had a drink since I received the letter and will continue to do so. I’m just struggling to know what evidence they require to prove this, I feel like I’m being pushed between my GP and the DVLA but no one is giving me an exact answer!!!
 
Just spoke to the DVLA. They won’t allow me to speak to one of their medical doctors. They said only medical professionals can speak to them so looks like another week I’m going to have to wait to get an answer on what evidence they require. They couldn’t tell me what’s required when I asked as they are only call centre staff and can’t provide that information!!!! I’m so frustrated, I can’t seem to get answers anywhere!!
 
Wow.... sorry i cant be of any help but just wanted to show some support...
This sounds utterly ridiculous.. the DVLA are passing the buck to the GP and the GP passing you straight back. what a situation... surely the DVLA should have measures in place, i.e. a DVLA appointed doctor for people to visit, say once a month if they demand a person to be monitored for alcohol use?
 
You’d think that they would give you some kind of idea of how to move forward??!! If a year of no alcohol is what they want then that’s fine. Like I said I can do a year sober no problem, it really isn’t an issue for me to go without alcohol for a year, but they give you no information on what is required. Surely they should have written in the letter exactly what forms of evidence are acceptable and how to do it?? I’m being pushed back and forth between the two like a yo yo!!! To top it all off the DVLA asked me the name of my doctor to which I couldn’t remember!!! It’s not my actual GP but another one dealing with my case as he’s the guy I saw originally and he said he’d follow it through for me. So I had to ring the doctor again, get his name, ring the DVLA again to tell them..... as you can imagine I was literally pulling my hair out!!!!
 
I think this is a new strategy the DVLA are playing, but when your high risk the onus is on you to prove your worthy of a licence there is no right to hold a licence , this is why I stated to keep in touch with Doctor throughout,
I was fortunate enough to have foresight and kept contact with Doc and he gave me at least 6 blood checks no hassles
 
I asked for blood tests, I was willing to give a sample there and then to get the ball rolling but was flatly refused by my GP!! I’m just praying that once my GP has spoken to the DVLA next Thursday he will then agree. Part of me thinks I’ll have to go private for these testing throughout the year as my GP kept saying over and over again this is a private matter by the DVLA and not an NHS matter. I think he’ll say just that on the phone to them too. He also said he would do anything until he had something in writing from the DVLA if it turns out he had to carry out this testing. It’s all such a headache, you’d think the DVLA would have given you some guidelines on what to do next after they sent that letter??!!
 
He's wrong it is an NHS matter it's affecting your health and your super stressed, my GP knows my character and not to argue with me when I stated I NEED # these bloods taken regular! But that was @ the start of my process#
Your whole lively hood is at stake and your family time to beat the drums

But your @ the end stage and really need the Doctor on your side(so not to much drum beating), I know as an HRO the DVLA insisted I got my doctor's approval before making any application! Maybe this is all the DVLA are asking you
 
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I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the DVLA and my GP can come to some understanding of what is required. If my GP says it’s not an NHS matter and the DVLA agree I might have to pay privately for whatever tests are required and that’s more expense!!! They offered me the course again as I have a family and sympathised with me to reduce my ban, that was £150 which was a waste of money now I’m having to do another year!! The medical was £100 ..... now the thought of having to pay privately for more tests it’s just adding up!! Fingers crossed for next Thursday!!
 
Update... my GP spoke to the DVLA doctors and apparently my blood test results came back as satisfactory!!! Can you believe it my blood test results are FINE!!! It’s because I went to the doctors 2 and a half years ago because of my heavy drinking. My GP confirmed that was the case!!! The DVLA doctors also told my GP that I don’t need to take any regular testing with them to prove my abstinence from alcohol for the next year. They told my GP I need to apply for my licence 8 weeks before my year is up and they will then do their medical investigations again. I’m assuming I will have to take another medical as well as them contacting my doctor again to check I haven’t seeked any help about drinking. I went to my doctor as soon as I got the letter and logged with them I’m not drinking so it’s a year from then. So to confirm I do nothing for a year, no testing?!? And they’re just going to take my word for it? Im wondering if the DVLA will write to me in a few months and request a random medical to check up on my drinking?? How else will they know I’ve stopped. I will continue with not drinking for this year, my licence is too important to me to take any chances!!! But I’m just so annoyed my blood results were fine!!!
 
They are a joke aren't they? I did 6 months in rehab 20 years ago as I was drinking heavy. I was 30 then, I'm 49 now! I was banned from driving over 10 years ago, yet I still only get a one year licence each year. I have had to reapply 10 times now. Last year they refused, as they said I was alcohol dependent (I'm not), based on the info from 20 years ago. My GP was shocked and wrote to them to tell them I'm not alcohol dependent and haven't been for years, and DVLA issued me another 1 year licence. This year's application they are sending me for a medical - my first one! I have submitted an information rights request to DVLA as I want to see all the info they have on me as I'm not convinced what they have is correct. I suggest you do the same so that you're prepared when you have to go through the circus applying for your licence once your dry year is up. In fact, I would say you're in a similar situation to myself and you should ask your GP to write to DVLA to support your application now. It will be on your GP notes that there's no history of dependence in the past year, so why make you wait yet another year? The letter from the DVLA does not say what year, just "evidence that you've not had any alcohol for 1 year". Unless you've been to your GP about alcohol in the past year, that evidence is likely already available from your GP. Did your CTA Test come back ok?
 
They are a joke aren't they? I did 6 months in rehab 20 years ago as I was drinking heavy. I was 30 then, I'm 49 now! I was banned from driving over 10 years ago, yet I still only get a one year licence each year. I have had to reapply 10 times now. Last year they refused, as they said I was alcohol dependent (I'm not), based on the info from 20 years ago. My GP was shocked and wrote to them to tell them I'm not alcohol dependent and haven't been for years, and DVLA issued me another 1 year licence. This year's application they are sending me for a medical - my first one! I have submitted an information rights request to DVLA as I want to see all the info they have on me as I'm not convinced what they have is correct. I suggest you do the same so that you're prepared when you have to go through the circus applying for your licence once your dry year is up. In fact, I would say you're in a similar situation to myself and you should ask your GP to write to DVLA to support your application now. It will be on your GP notes that there's no history of dependence in the past year, so why make you wait yet another year? The letter from the DVLA does not say what year, just "evidence that you've not had any alcohol for 1 year". Unless you've been to your GP about alcohol in the past year, that evidence is likely already available from your GP. Did your CTA Test come back ok?
I haven’t had my results back from the DVLA medical yet but I have requested them. My GP said today when I spoke to him that the DVLA medical department confirmed to him my blood tests came back as satisfactory so it’s purely on the medical records provided by my GP that has put me in the dependent category. I went to the doctors 2 and a half years ago because I was drinking heavily but I wasn’t dependent as I stopped for 18 months after losing my licence but there’s no record of this as I never thought to go back to the doctor. Do you think I will have to keep applying for a new licence year after year from now on??? That’s ridiculous as I am not alcohol dependent, it’s just a label they’ve planted on me!!!!
 
They are a joke aren't they? I did 6 months in rehab 20 years ago as I was drinking heavy. I was 30 then, I'm 49 now! I was banned from driving over 10 years ago, yet I still only get a one year licence each year. I have had to reapply 10 times now. Last year they refused, as they said I was alcohol dependent (I'm not), based on the info from 20 years ago. My GP was shocked and wrote to them to tell them I'm not alcohol dependent and haven't been for years, and DVLA issued me another 1 year licence. This year's application they are sending me for a medical - my first one! I have submitted an information rights request to DVLA as I want to see all the info they have on me as I'm not convinced what they have is correct. I suggest you do the same so that you're prepared when you have to go through the circus applying for your licence once your dry year is up. In fact, I would say you're in a similar situation to myself and you should ask your GP to write to DVLA to support your application now. It will be on your GP notes that there's no history of dependence in the past year, so why make you wait yet another year? The letter from the DVLA does not say what year, just "evidence that you've not had any alcohol for 1 year". Unless you've been to your GP about alcohol in the past year, that evidence is likely already available from your GP. Did your CTA Test come back ok?
Also not to go into my whole life story but myself and my partner had been trying for another baby and I fell pregnant in the last 12-18 months and unfortunately suffered 2 miscarriages but was pregnant for 3 months with each one and obviously was not drinking during those times either!!!! In fact I’ve been sober more than I’ve drank in the last 2 and a half years!!!! It all seems so unfair and such a joke!!!!
 
Your bloods are good. Your track record with your GP is good. Boom - in the past year youve been pregnant/trying. Really sorry about the miscarriages. I would definitely challenge their decision now, and get your GP support with that. My GP was really good and sent them quite a sh***y letter to say they were wrong - they can see what impact this has on you right now as well (stress, job etc). My GP said "an absence of evidence is not evidence that something is happening and it would be wholly wrong and unfair to assume something without evidence". I sent my own letter too saying they were discriminating against me because of something that happened years ago. They'll be getting another letter along the same vein next week - I've not even booked my DVLA medical yet. I'm Section 88 so can continue to drive. It does seem to me they want to label us all and put us in boxes and there is absolutely no grey areas as far as they are concerned. But seriously, how long does our past have to follow us?
 
Your bloods are good. Your track record with your GP is good. Boom - in the past year youve been pregnant/trying. Really sorry about the miscarriages. I would definitely challenge their decision now, and get your GP support with that. My GP was really good and sent them quite a sh***y letter to say they were wrong - they can see what impact this has on you right now as well (stress, job etc). My GP said "an absence of evidence is not evidence that something is happening and it would be wholly wrong and unfair to assume something without evidence". I sent my own letter too saying they were discriminating against me because of something that happened years ago. They'll be getting another letter along the same vein next week - I've not even booked my DVLA medical yet. I'm Section 88 so can continue to drive. It does seem to me they want to label us all and put us in boxes and there is absolutely no grey areas as far as they are concerned. But seriously, how long does our past have to follow us?
I think I’ll get an appointment next week and plead my case with my GP. They are labelling me as something I’m not.... I’m not dependent on alcohol!!! If I do nothing then I’m accepting what they are labelling me as. I can’t have it on my records with the DVLA that I’m alcohol dependent!! Will they make me reapply for my licence every year from now on? I went to the doctors to help with my case when I went to court, I never thought it would come back to bite me in the ass further down the line!!! I’m at my wits end with it all!!! I’m going to ask my GP to write a letter explaining all this, I hope they’ll do it if I ask them!!! The doctor I’ve been dealing with isn’t my own doctor and I’ve found him not very helpful so I’m going to ask for my own doctor and literally PLEAD my case!!!! Surely they’ll write a letter if you ask them to???
 
Fingers crossed your usual GP takes your side and fights your corner. DVLA needs to be challenged and they can't expect you to do it your own. Basically, the DVLA are saying they know better than your GP, and of course, they don't. For the first few years I thought nothing of it, just filled in the forms reapplied and got my licence each year. One year my GP didn't bother to respond to the DVLA for 6 months as he knew I could still drive based in his say-so anyway. Its only the past few years I (and my GP) has decided its all getting a bit silly now and I'm being discriminated against for something that happened 20 years ago. I think it will help you with your GP if you can explain to them all the ways its affecting you, and how much better your lifestyle will be driving again. I'm seeing my GP in the morning to discuss my situation (an annual event as its pretty much the only reason I see him!).
 
Fingers crossed your usual GP takes your side and fights your corner. DVLA needs to be challenged and they can't expect you to do it your own. Basically, the DVLA are saying they know better than your GP, and of course, they don't. For the first few years I thought nothing of it, just filled in the forms reapplied and got my licence each year. One year my GP didn't bother to respond to the DVLA for 6 months as he knew I could still drive based in his say-so anyway. Its only the past few years I (and my GP) has decided its all getting a bit silly now and I'm being discriminated against for something that happened 20 years ago. I think it will help you with your GP if you can explain to them all the ways its affecting you, and how much better your lifestyle will be driving again. I'm seeing my GP in the morning to discuss my situation (an annual event as its pretty much the only reason I see him!).
Thank you for your support. You’re absolutely right I have to challenge my case. If I sit back and do nothing then I’m accepting what they’re saying and labelling me as. What happened 2 and a half years ago is no reflection on where I am now, I’m a completely different person and drink responsibly!! I will phone my GP first thing Monday morning and book an appointment. I need to fight this, I can not accept it and sit back and do nothing!!!
 
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