Light at the end of the tunnel for HRO's awaiting their medicals

[C J 1980]

Good morning

Last night's announcement from the Prime Minister does seem a little promising for people awaiting medicals with the DVLA. Since March, none key workers have had their medicals cancelled or are having to wait for the foreseeable future which is basically extending their ban period.

Boris Johnson said last night he is 'encouraging' people who cannot work from home to return to their work places & avoid the use of public transport unless it is impracticable. BJ did say that he would like people to commute via walking or cycling were possible, but clearly for many millions of people this is not ideal.

The DVLA has to open the flood gates for medicals now because of the following reasons -

a) DVLA staff should return to work if they cannot work remotely from home, therefore this should move the wheels of the DVLA again (no pun intended).
b) By continuing to delay medicals for non key workers - this will continue to 'back log' the system.
c) By denying people medicals - many hundreds if not thousands of HRO's will have to use public transport because they cannot get behind the wheel. This goes against the grain of what the PM wants.
d) The financial crisis for this country is going to get far worse than it did during the recession of 2008/09. By keeping many hundreds of drivers off the road by suspending medicals, the country is denying itself revenue from road taxes & fuel duty.

That's my thoughts on the matter. I hope everyone on this forum presently awaiting a medical hears something positive soon. I myself have to wait until around October by which time things should have returned to some normality.

Good luck and all the best.

CJ

 

[Sarah39]

Hopefully DVLA are up and running soon if they can do so safely . My ban ends 25th of may and I’ve been unable to send my application due to covid19. I don’t need a medical and I’m not a key worker (who r rightly so a priority for getting there licenses) . I’ve come this far so waiting a while longer won’t hurt with what the world is going through at this time .

 

[Recovered22]

Not the case for all of the UK, due to the devolved governments in NI, Scotland and Wales the stay at home order has not changed. What BJ has said is only relevant to England at the moment. Here in NI we will be hearing about changes to our lockdown rules next week and are not following England's schedule, Scotland the same.

What you have said is positive news for England but people come to this forum from all over the UK, so I just wanted to point out the changes in rules won't effect everyone for medicals.

 

[C J 1980]

grice96

My post isn't intended to run salt in the wounds - I'm just offering some hope to many people awaiting medicals. Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales are doing things slightly differently than England but at least its a step in the right direction for everyone.

CJ

 

[hsb123]

Hi guys.
My ban is up on the 26/6/20 and I am a hro and need a medical. I am a key worker and I sent my application on the 1/4/20.
I called DVLA today to check the progress of my application and was told they have received and today they are sending me out a letter to state that all hro medicals will not take place for at least 12 weeks. When I receive the letter I will post a picture of it.

 

[C J 1980]

hsb123

I was lead to believe that certain key workers were still being allowed to do their medicals in the current climate but clearly they need to prove their professions otherwise the DVLA won't entertain them. I would definitely double check this - unfortunately it only covers nurses and people in the medical professional.

Regarding the '12 week' period is this something that has been in place since the lockdown started in March?

If you contacted the DVLA this morning, it seems unlikely they would have changed their protocol to reflect the Prime Ministers announcement so soon from last night. Hopefully, the 12 week thing should be wavered to reflect the latest developments with the Covid19 crisis.

Regards

CJ

 

[foreverwaiting]

Good morning

Last night's announcement from the Prime Minister does seem a little promising for people awaiting medicals with the DVLA. Since March, none key workers have had their medicals cancelled or are having to wait for the foreseeable future which is basically extending their ban period.

Boris Johnson said last night he is 'encouraging' people who cannot work from home to return to their work places & avoid the use of public transport unless it is impracticable. BJ did say that he would like people to commute via walking or cycling were possible, but clearly for many millions of people this is not ideal.

The DVLA has to open the flood gates for medicals now because of the following reasons -

a) DVLA staff should return to work if they cannot work remotely from home, therefore this should move the wheels of the DVLA again (no pun intended).
b) By continuing to delay medicals for non key workers - this will continue to 'back log' the system.
c) By denying people medicals - many hundreds if not thousands of HRO's will have to use public transport because they cannot get behind the wheel. This goes against the grain of what the PM wants.
d) The financial crisis for this country is going to get far worse than it did during the recession of 2008/09. By keeping many hundreds of drivers off the road by suspending medicals, the country is denying itself revenue from road taxes & fuel duty.

That's my thoughts on the matter. I hope everyone on this forum presently awaiting a medical hears something positive soon. I myself have to wait until around October by which time things should have returned to some normality.

Good luck and all the best.

CJ

Hi CJ

Unfortunately there is no light at the end of the tunnel yet for us. I have played phone tennis with the DVLA and the doctor I was allocated to carry out my medical this morning.

DVLA are adamant that all of their franchised doctors are not taking any referrals from the DVLA at the moment due to covid-19. There is no doctor on there system across the country that would carry out a medical for me no matter the cost.

The doctors surgery I was allocated advised me that all three of the doctors based there that would usually carry out the DVLAs appointments are not taking on any private referral work for the foreseeable future. The receptionist even went on to say that they don’t even know if they will renew their contract with the DVLA after all this is over and have destroyed all paperwork that has been referred to them privately.

I then went back to the DVLA and told them my paperwork had been destroyed and if there was anything I could do and got the same response. No doctors taking appointments, cant pay privately has to be their francised doctors etc. The guy on the phone said he is going to resend my paperwork to the doctors surgery I have been allocated.

I then called back the doctors to let them know they would be receiving my paperwork again and if they could please hold onto it. Lovely lady on the phone said of course and she would ask if the doctors would make an exception but 99% sure they won’t.

My takeaway from all of this is that no one will be able to obtain a medical appointment until covid-19 is nearly irradicated from the UK. I have completely disregarded the “12 week” letter I received now as that date is fast approaching (approx June 12th) and there is no plan in place and still no clarity.

Sorry everyone for the super pessimistic post but I have lost all hope in gaining a medical and will probably lose my job which was hard enough to get without a license anyway (they only took me on with the condition that I would be driving at the end of my ban which was the 9th of April) who knows when us HROs will be able to drive again.

Edit: I am classed as a key worker as I am a care assistant working with the elderly some of which have covid-19. This in no way has helped me get a medical appointment.

 

[Recovered22]

grice96

My post isn't intended to run salt in the wounds - I'm just offering some hope to many people awaiting medicals. Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales are doing things slightly differently than England but at least its a step in the right direction for everyone.

CJ

No 100% I didn't mean my reply to come off in a way that you thought you were rubbing salt in the wounds. My reply was just mainly for the posters in the same situation as me in NI who would normally write to me for advice.

Although people are returning to work, it's the doctors actually doing the medicals where the problems will lie. The health service is still over run and doctors are refusing all private work, I can't even get my GP to write me a letter for student finance! Even with the offer of payment I'm still being refused a 2 minute job. So doing private medicals that take anywhere from 10-20 minutes I'm sure are out the window as well. During my medical last June the doctor told me he was doing 12 that day which was essentially his whole day. I don't think surgeries can put a whole day to the side for medicals in the current climate. There's cancer patients dying without cancer care, I double the doctors will care about drink drivers unfortunately.

 

[C J 1980]

Foreverwaiting

Sorry to hear about your circumstances. I do think the key is to remain positive throughout all of this.

Interesting that although the NHS is under alot of pressure, there are still many members of the medical family who have had decreasing work in recent weeks. My mum's neighbour is a surgeon and he has been taken off his normal duties & reassigned other clerical based work in the meantime because alot of routine operations he had scheduled have been cancelled.

My friend's wife works as a GP receptionist and she states she has never known her surgery to be so 'quite' - doctors are only dealing with telephone appointments and the volume of patients ringing in has decreased because people are getting the message that our health services don't need to be burdened with non-emergency stuff. Another A&E nurse I spoke to a while back stated she has never know her hospital to be so 'QT'.

These are just some of the examples of the fact that the NHS & other health services are coping reasonably well in some ways and staff are on top of their game because most people are listening to the common sense of what the government has advised.

My whole point to all of this is the fact that in weeks to come it will be a time to review other stuff like routine medical appointments and start the wheels in motions again to deal with non-Covid19 related cases.

Even though all of us as convicted drink drivers have to 'reep what we sow' and suffer the consequences of our actions I still believed DVLA medicals are an important element of work for doctors and this is a vital procedure that cannot be put off for months on end. Like you have stated yourself, the knock of effects to many people are catastrophic if they do not get the medicals done.

I do reckon that there will be slow developments in coming weeks. As the number of virus cases, deaths & hospital admissions begin to decline (thankfully!!!), many doctors will resume their standard duties for other things.

Finally, I do wish you all the best and hope you do manage to turn the tables on your current misfortune and hopefully get that medical done in due course.

Regards

CJ

 

[mikec]

For anyone awaiting a medical I have found a Doctor in Grays who is currently carrying out medicals and I have had mine done there, I did call the dvla and they said that my medical would not be done until all franchised doctors where taking referrals, but I contacted Doctors directly and found one. When getting my medical done the Doctor said he was very quiet and had been open all during this crisis. I am happy to provide the surgery's details if anyone wants them.

When I contacted the dvla to say that I had found a Doctor, they said that they can not send the paperwork to this Doctor and I must wait until my allocated Doctor was doing tests. I believe that the surgery then contacted the Doctor and get sent my relevant paperwork.

 

[hsb123]

Hi all

This letter I received today from my application that DVLA received on 1/4/20.

hoping that medicals will resume soon ?

 

[price1367]

You will see that the revision date for that letter is March 2020, so 'as soon as' is already 2 months old!
then you will be told "you are in a queue to be allocated a medical exam.... please hold for a date."

 

[foreverwaiting]

If you were prepared to travel to grays essex, I would email this doctors surgery and see if they can do your medical.

To anyone that is thinking of emailing Kim please see below pic:

 

[BraveDave23]

For anyone awaiting a medical I have found a Doctor in Grays who is currently carrying out medicals and I have had mine done there, I did call the dvla and they said that my medical would not be done until all franchised doctors where taking referrals, but I contacted Doctors directly and found one. When getting my medical done the Doctor said he was very quiet and had been open all during this crisis. I am happy to provide the surgery's details if anyone wants them.

When I contacted the dvla to say that I had found a Doctor, they said that they can not send the paperwork to this Doctor and I must wait until my allocated Doctor was doing tests. I believe that the surgery then contacted the Doctor and get sent my relevant paperwork.

@mikec Have you since spoken to the DVLA after you had your medical and confirmed that they have accepted your medical assessment from the new doctor and not just said it’s invalid as it wasn’t with the appointed doctor?

 

[mikec]

@mikec Have you since spoken to the DVLA after you had your medical and confirmed that they have accepted your medical assessment from the new doctor and not just said it’s invalid as it wasn’t with the appointed doctor?

i am pretty sure that they have accepted my medical I am not keen to call them and give them the idea that they may want to not accept it

I put in an official complaint and they called me and confirmed that I had an appointment for the medical, so fingers crossed they will accept it

 

[Getinnowhere]

(FOR ALL HRO'S WAITING ON MEDICAL)
DURING THE COVID19

I have just come of the phone to the dvla complaints department, these are the answers I received below and I will have it in writing. So if you hear any different from people on this forum its completely fake,

1, waivers are only for hgv drivers (non HRO)

2, DVLA appointed doctors are not taking part/not allowed to conduct CDT medicals for HRO'S through this unique period with an unknown ending time scale,

3, Seeing any/private doctor to have a CDT medical will be refused by the dvla 100%.

4, The DVLA are not obliged to deal with HRO medicals during this time,

5, HRO key workers are not a priority as a medical is still required.

They said its MEDICAL when there appointed doctors are allowed to resume tests by law or nothing no matter how long it takes.

FACT

 

[mikec]

Hi All, I got my license in the post yesterday, therefore there is rather a mixed messages coming from the dvla, they examined my medical last week. But it seems since allowing my medical on the 1st May that have got more strict.

 

[Getinnowhere]

Hi Mikec

Could you provide proof of this obviously without the address etc so I can produce this to my complaints officer.

 

[mikec]

This is my letter confirming my medical result, if your complaint is at stage 1, I would ask for it to be taken to stage 2, sorry you cant see this very well but it is dated the 20th may. If you want a clearer copy email me at mike_cameron@btconnect.com. I feel it is very unreasonable for the dvla not to allow drivers to get there medicals done. If they are saying that they dont have the time to analyse the results that seems like a different question.

I am not sure how long it takes to analyse the results, but they have simply stated that my reading is CDT 0.6%, does it really take that long to read a result, their normal procedure is to allow 4 weeks to process the result, that seems excessive as well.

 

[Getinnowhere]

Mikec, I've sent you an email, ?